1.1 Introduction To Cells
1.1 Introduction To Cells
1.1 Introduction To Cells
1 Introduction to Cells
Essential idea: The evolution of multicellular organisms
allowed cell specialization and cell replacement.
The background image shows totipotent stem cells. These unspecialised cell will be divide
and some will become the cells that form heart muscle, neurones in the brain and
lymphocytes in the blood. These three types of specialised human cells are structurally very
different and perform certain functions much more efficiently than an unspecialised cell, such
as the embryonic cells above, could.
Another advantage that multicellular organisms have over unicellular organisms is that
severe damage to a cell does not mean the end of an organism. Stem cell persist through the
life of a multi-cellular organism, this enables organisms to digest severely damaged cells and
replace them, i.e. wounds can be healed.
Unspecialised cells such as totipotent stem cells can divide into become specific
cells such as neurones in the brain etc. These are very useful in a sense that
they can grow into develop into cells that are damaged and replace them. (heal a wound)
Understandings
Statement
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Guidance
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1.1.A3
1.1.A4
1.1.S1
Guidance
Source: https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Dinoflagellata
1mm=1000um
75mm=75000um
75000/50=1500um
magnified 1500 times
Source: http://www.engr.uconn.edu/alarm/research?id=63
Source: http://www.dr-ralf-wagner.de/
Mitosis:
Cell division that results in
2 daughter cells with the same
number of chromosomes as
the parent nucleus.
Meiosis:
Cell division that results in
4 daughter cells with the half
the number of chromosomes of
the parent cell, used in the
production of gametes.
4-cell stage of a sea biscuit by Bruno Vellutini on Flickr
(CC) http://flic.kr/p/daWnnS
striated muscle
challenges the idea
that a cell has one
nucleus
Muscle cells have
more than one
nucleus per cell
Muscle Cells called
fibres can be very
long (300mm)
They are surrounded
by a single plasma
membrane but they
are multi-nucleated Multi nucleated
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Skeletal_striated_muscle.jpg
aseptate fungal
hyphae
challenges the idea that
a cell is a single unit.
Fungal hyphae are
again very large with
many nuclei and a
continuous cytoplasm
The tubular system of
hyphae form dense
networks called
mycelium
Like muscle cells they
are multi-nucleated
Source: http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/pathogengroups/pages/introfungi.aspx
giant algae
(Acetabularia)
Acetabularia is a
single-celled
organism that
challenges both
the idea that cells
must be simple in
structure and small
in size
Gigantic in size (5
100mm)
Source: http://deptsec.ku.edu/~ifaaku/jpg/Inouye/Inouye_01.html
Source: http://www.dr-ralf-wagner.de/
Source: http://umanitoba.ca/Biology/BIOL1030/Lab1/biolab1_3.html#Ciliophora
Metabolism
most
metabolic
pathways
happen in the
cytoplasm
wave action of
the cilia moves
the
paramecium in
response to
changes in the
environment,
e.g. towards
food.
Source: http://umanitoba.ca/Biology/BIOL1030/Lab1/biolab1_3.html#Ciliophora
Nutrition food
vacuoles contain
organisms the parameium
has consumed
Reproduction The
nucleus can divide to
support cell division by
mitosis, reproduction is
often asexual
Source: http://www.algae.info/Algaecomplete.aspx
Metabolism
most
metabolic
pathways
happen in the
cytoplasm
Nutrition
photosynthesi
s happens
inside the
chloroplasts
to provide the
algae with
food
Source: http://www.algae.info/Algaecomplete.aspx
wave action of
the cilia moves
the algae in
response to
changes in the
environment,
e.g. towards
light.
Homeostasis
contractile
vacuole fill up
with water and
expel I through
the plasma
membrane to
manage the water
content
Extension: Can you think of any exceptions? See if you can find
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gluehlampe_01_KMJ.jpg
Source: http://images.wisegeek.com/types-of-human-cells.jpg
http://ns.umich.edu/stemcells/022706_Intro.html
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/stemcells/scintro/
A Stem Cell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-3J6JGN-_Y
Story
1.1.U7 Use of stem cells to treat Stargardts disease and one other
named condition.
The
treatment
The future
1.1.U7 Use of stem cells to treat Stargardts disease and one other
named condition.
http://media.hhmi.org/biointeractive/click/Stem_Cell_Therapies/01.html
1.1.U7 Use of stem cells to treat Stargardts disease and one other
named condition.
Leukemia
The
problem
The
treatment
The
benefit
The use of a patients own HSCs means there is far less risk of
immune rejection than with a traditional bone marrow transplant.
Cord blood
Adult
Ease of extraction
Can be obtained
from excess embryos
generated by IVF
programs.
Difficult to obtain as
there are very few
and are buried deep
in tissues
Ethics of the
extraction
Can only be
obtained by
destruction of an
embryo
Umbilical cord is
removed at birth and
discarded whether or
not stem cells are
harvested
Growth potential
Almost unlimited
Tumor risk
Higher risk of
development
Cord blood
Differentiation
Genetic damage
Compatibility
Adult
Limited capacity to
differentiate
(dependent on the
source tissue)
Due to accumulation
of mutations through
the life of the adult
genetic damage can
occur
Bibliography / Acknowledgments
Jason de Nys