Cells do things (or stop doing things) because of internal homeostatic (or other) regulatory mechanisms, or because of communication with the “outside” via receptor sites located on the cell membrane. To get cells to do what we want (produce more or less of a hormone, for instance, or simply to die as in the case of cancer cells) it would be nice to have a machine that you point at a patient, program a few dials and buttons, and then affect the receptor sites in that person’s cells.Well, the production model isn’t quite ready yet, but such a device now exists on both the drawing board and in preliminary experimental work. Continue reading They Found the Ultimate Switch
Tag Archives: Cell Biology
Lysenko would be so proud…
A glow in the dark pig has given birth to more glow in the dark pigs. Continue reading Lysenko would be so proud…
Lamarckian Mechanism in Ciliates
A group of scientists … has uncovered a new biological mechanism that could provide a clearer window into a cell’s inner workings…..What’s more, this mechanism could represent an “epigenetic” pathway — a route that bypasses an organism’s normal DNA genetic program — for so-called Lamarckian evolution, enabling an organism to pass on to its offspring characteristics acquired during its lifetime to improve their chances for survival.
MIT finds key to avian flu in humans
From a Massachusetts Institute of Technology press release:
researchers have uncovered a critical difference between flu viruses that infect birds and humans, a discovery that could help scientists monitor the evolution of avian flu strains and aid in the development of vaccines against a deadly flu pandemic.
Sodium-Potassium Pump Simulation
This teaching simulation of the Sodium Potassium pump just showed up in my inbox. Have a look.
Animal Cell with Violins
Cell Zoom In
Tom and Jess Explore Cells
Meiosis
differential interference contrast microscopy to visualize cell division
Cell Analogyization
Supergroup Cell: A Sims simulation teaching cell biology
Why am I doing this…You may have wondered why I am always putting cell biology videos up on my site. I’m doing it for a few reasons. One is to provide a resource for teachers. Some day in the not too distant future one will be able to enter “cell biology” in the search box (upper left from your perspective) and get a few peer reviewed research papers and a bunch of movies.Pursuant to this is the possibility that others will watch the films and comment (Thanks Larry, especially, for doing a lot of that). Not all films are good, not all films are usable. You could go on Youtube and Teacher Tube and Google and find these yourself, but I’m doing it for you. I waste my time so you can waste yours.Finally, there is one other reason. My wife, Amanda, is a biology teacher. She has developed a number of routines that she uses to teach cell biology. All of them are dramatic but short interpretive dance routines, incredibly silly, and the students who see them never, ever forget what a flagellum, or endoplamic reticulum, or whatever, are/is. Well, these days with all these new fangled cell phones with videos and stuff on them, I’m expecting to find Amanda’s cell biology lessons on You Tube, and I want to be among the first to see them…OK, so this next bit is using SIMS 2 technology, and is an allegory for the inside workings of a cell.