Investigations #3

Cystic fibrosis (CF), in short, is an inherited disorder (passed on from parents) that affects the lungs and the digestive system, causing life-threatening conditions.

Children inherit a defective CFTR gene from their parents to get CF. This gene controls salt and water movement in cells. According to The Mayo Clinic, it affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat, and digestive juices. Normally, the secretions are thin and slippery. However, in those with CF, the secretions are thick and sticky; this clogs up the ducts and airways.

Symptoms for this disorder include:

- baby's skin tastes salty or is unable to pass stool
- trouble breathing or lung infections
- regular diarrhea, foul-smelling and greasy stools

Treatments include chest physical therapy, exercise, medications, pulmonary rehabilitation.

Reference: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cystic-fibrosis/basics/definition/con-20013731

Picture reference: http://www.ivsolutions.com/~ivsolutions/sites/default/files/CF-lung-symptoms.jpg

Reflections #4

As this is my final post on "Reflections", I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on this course for the past semester.

This course was a bit challenging I have to admit. Cell and Molecular Biology was definitely no Histology course. There were no slides or tissue parts I needed to memorize, but rather to memorize cellular processes, detailed diagrams, and minute cell components and their functions.

I hope the next two days will be productive as I review course material that was covered during the semester as I prepare for the final exam on Tuesday. Although I have other classes to study for, I hope I will spend most of my time studying for this one, as it is, as mentioned, challenging.

My professor has been gracious at times in terms of helping her students with grades, particularly for the second exam, but I know she can only do so much from her part, and that I need to be the one doing work and deserving my grade.

Cell, it's been fun. Thank you for a great semester!

My Dictionary #4

This will be my final post on the definitions on new, interesting, unfamiliar terms.

1. Nitric Oxide - This is a signaling molecule that is paracrine in type. It crosses the plasma membrane by binding to a receptor and affects enzyme activity. Just like the G protein, nitric oxide targets the enzyme, guanylyl cyclase, and thus, makes cyclic GMP. In the body, it affects smooth muscles and blood vessels.

2. Eicosanoids -These are lipid signaling molecules that include prostaglandins, prostacyclin, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes. They break down rapidly.

3. Ligand-gated channel - Unlike the voltage-gated channel, these channels do not open based on voltage, but they are activated or opened because of some signaling molecule (ligand).

Encounters #3

This past week, we've been learning about the various types of junctions found in between cells.

Learning about this, it made me think of the highways, and roads we drive on, with all of its traffic rules and regulations. There are different types of regulations implemented that maintain a safe driving environment. And like cell junctions, there are certain things related to traffic regulations that help, particularly the lane markings.

For example, in tight junctions (zonula occludens), it is hard or impossible to pass through or communicate. Just like these junctions, there are yellow lines that prevent any lane changing and it is never to be crossed. Another comparison can be found in the gap junctions, which allow for cell to cell communication. This can be compared with the white lane separations as there is a passage of flow or movement allowed.

It is indeed interesting how cell biology can relate to everyday things.

Picture reference:

https://driversed.com/images/v2008coursecontent/Double_yellow_crossing1.jpg

Investigations #2

Known as the second most common and considered perhaps the most dangerous cancer in women, breast cancer is a disease that unfortunately kills people without giving them a way to treat it.

Some basic knowledge: the breast is primarily made up of glands that make milk and ducts that carry the milk from the glands to the nipple. Other than glands and ducts, breast tissue also has fat, tissue, and blood vessels. Breast cancer usually develops in the milk ducts, but can also develop in the cells of lobules and in tissues.

This occurs due to unregulated cell division - the cells continue to divide and the mitotic cycle is mutated. This can cause the cancerous virus to spread and grow in size, affecting a large portion of the breast. 

A quite common yet deadly form of cancer that is killing many women today.

Picture reference:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/nbcf-production-assets/attachments/000/000/112/standard/8e84ec67fe1ce340f406180617b6061e

My Dictionary #3

Treadmilling Effect - The process that occurs in a dynamic cytoskeletal filament where the rate of addition to the plus end is equal to the rate of removal at the minus end; the filament is constantly changing by it remains the same length.


Nucleation - The process when enough subunits come together to form a filament. 


Tubulin - consists of two protein subunits (alpha and beta tubulin) that make up microtubules. Alpha tubulin binds and maintains GTP, while beta tubulin binds and cycles between GTP and GDP.

Reflections #3

Last week was spring break, so we had a week off from Cello and Molecular Biology; I don't mean this as a good thing. I don't mean this "week-off" from the course as a good thing merely because we had an exam this week and I barely studied for the exam during my spring break.

This exam was the first written exam we had as a class, since the first exam was to make a model. Therefore, I didn't know what to expect from this exam, other than the fact that it was going to be tremendously difficult. With this in mind, I still didn't study that much during spring break. I studied when classes began the Monday after, including staying up late the night before (something that isn't advisable). 

Well, the exam was hard -- more than expected. 

Saying that, I think this was a wake up call for me to start spending more time every single day to prepare for this course. How I did on this exam has made me realize that I cannot expect to pass the exam or (even more) this class if I am not prepared and thus stay up late to study for exams.

Thanks, exam. I will now be a better student in this class.

Investigations #1

Schizophrenia is considered a neurological disorder. It affects the brain. An incurable disease, its symptoms are split into two types: positive and negative. Some positive symptoms include hallucinations and delusions, while some negative symptoms include social withdrawal or struggle with speech.

One of the causes of this disorder is due to an imbalance in the neurotransmitter release in the nervous system. Dopamine, serotonin, and glutamine are considered to be the neurotransmitters involved in the cause of schizophrenia. There is an influx of release of these neurotransmitters in the synaptic gap because of damage to receptors found on the post-synaptic membrane. This "damage" can mean the proteins (receptors) responsible for controlling the level neurotransmitter may be inhibited. Another reason for "damage" can mean that the receptors on the post-synaptic membrane will not obtain the neurotransmitter onto its neuron, but that there will only be reuptake occuring. This inhibits the neurotransmitter going to the next neuron.

Picture reference:

(1) http://static.psychguides.com/wp-content/uploads/schizophrenia2-215x300.jpg

Reflections #2

It has been about a month and a half since I began this course. My previous reflections post talked about how I was just getting used to the course, and the fact that I looking on to a challenging few months ahead.


After two weeks of attending the class, I've grown to finding a higher affinity for the class, especially during the past week. As I continue to learn more in this class, I find it easier to understand the different processes and concepts that I'm learning. I have also learned that understanding pictures/diagrams are key to doing well and understanding the way things work inside the cell.

My Dictionary #2

Chaperone - A protein required for the proper folding and/or assembly of another protein or protein complex.

(1) 

Chaperonins - A complex composed of multiple heat shock protein shunts that make double ring structures.

(2)

PDI - Enzyme in the ER in eukaryotes that breaks and forms disulfide bonds between the cysteine residues within proteins as they fold.

Picture references:

(1) http://study.com/cimages/multimages/16/chaperonin1.png

(2) https://www3.nd.edu/~aseriann/CHAP9B.html/img024.gif

Reflections #1

It has been about a month since I have been in this Cell and Molecular Biology course.

I have been enjoying this class. Last semester, I took the Histology course, which I enjoyed a bit more than this one. But, this class has just started, so maybe it will reach the same level of affinity as I had for Histology in the next few weeks. Saying this, to me, the cell is one of the most fascinating components of the human body. It is so intricately designed and made in such a sophisticated way. Because of this, I already have an interest in studying Cell Biology.

The course so far has comprised of one exam, which was a creative project on the process of transcription and translation. I love doing creative projects; so this worked out pretty well for an exam grade.

All in all, I have had a successful and knowledgeable first few weeks of this course. I am actually interested in coming to class and learning about this specific field of biology, as opposed to learning something in biology I'm not interested in, but need. The professor also plays a huge role in making this course exciting and worth learning. I am looking forward for the many detailed and amazing concepts and processes I have yet to learn in this course!

Encounters #2

After my Cell and Molecular Biology lab yesterday, my classmate and I were observing through our laboratory window a black squirrel, just living life. What made this interesting was looking at this squirrel that was about five feet away from us through a window that was ground level. So, it was almost as if we were the size of the squirrel observing its actions.

(1)

We saw this squirrel eating. We didn't know what it was eating; perhaps grass or the soil or something in the soil. Whatever it was eating, it was eating it fast. Real fast. It felt like the squirrel was biting off its food with small bites. Each bite lasted about a millisecond until the next one. After it was done, it ran to a different area of grass and did the same.

Looking at animals living their lives, whether its how they eat their food, how they live or sleep, and just how they survive the next day, is fascinating. God created nature in such a beautiful way, and sometimes, I take it for granted, with all the busyness of life. He has given the animals, the birds, the fish, a wonderful life to live, and He's done that for me too. I am reminded of the song, "His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me."

Taking this course is teaching me many different components of the cell, specifically the process of translation and transcription, and how God made me through DNA, RNA, and then protein to perform my functions. He's created me, and squirrels, with such intricacy and detail and the lowest (cellular) level. It's amazing to learn of these processes that happen inside our bodies every second. He has also given us all we need to survive, just like He gave the squirrel, so why should we worry?

This was yet another encounter that made this class into something I could relate it with in my everyday life.

What an amazing God I serve.

Picture reference:
(1) http://www.trbimg.com/img-545c3077/turbine/ct-black-squirrel-schmich-met-1107-20141106

Encounters #1

(1)

Last weekend--Friday, the whole of Saturday, and the whole of Sunday--I was stuck inside the walls of my home because nature had decided to give my family a blizzard that brought over two feet of snow. At one point, I was looking at the way the snowflakes fell on the snow under. I was thinking about how these tiny little particles form. Along with this concept, I thought about another interesting concept this week while driving to school: how long it takes for all this snow to melt and why so long. These thoughts brought my mind to my Cell and Molecular Biology course, and what I had learned regarding something like this.

For the first thought: snow flakes form in the clouds as ice crystals when the air temperature in the clouds goes below freezing. There are water molecules in the air called water vapor, which stick together in these freezing temperatures, and form ice crystals. These ice crystals come together and when they're big enough, they form a snowflake.

The second thought relates to the melting of the snow after it has stopped snowing. When so many ice crystals or snow flakes are together, it is harder to break their hydrogen bonds apart (or melt) from each other, as opposed to if there are only a few snowflakes together. This concept can even be found true in water. Sublimation (solid to gas) is a common way for snow to melt. Snow also turns into liquid and melts if the temperature is still too cold. 

In class I had learned of the way water was made up and the hydrogen bonds and why water may sometimes take a long time to freeze or heat up. There are many things that happen everyday which relate to science!

Picture reference: 

(1) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/UK_snow_February_2,_2009_img008.jpg

My Dictionary #1

This week, I started my Cell and Molecular Biology class. In spite of feeling nervous on how difficult this class might be, I am still excited to learn so much about the cell, moreover, our wonderful bodies God created for us.

Some of these terms that we went over in class this past week were either unfamiliar or interesting:

1. Cell fractionation:
This term is used in the study of cells. It is the isolation of the different components of cell by mechanical means, having high dependence on the size of the particle and the viscosity of the medium. 

2. Birefringence:
This term refers in the ability to rotate plane of polarized light; found in polarizing microscopes.

3. Immunohistochemistry:
This is not a field of study but also a process used to detect proteins in tissues by antigens binding to each other. In let weak terms, it means antibodies and tissue.