Introduction to Cell Biology

Review of a few basics first

Always keep the range of scale in mind.

Examples:

You can not see molecules (even DNA) with a light microscope.

A transmission electron micrograph is not useful for looking at whole cells.

Differential centrifugation

•What’s going on in this series of pictures?

Be sure to review concepts learned in last year

Search for examples of different types of microscopy so you understand what the possibilities are.

http://www.olympusmicro.com/galleries/index.html

Light microscopes refract visible light passing through a specimen.

Phase contrast enhances contrast in unstained cells making it useful for looking a living specimens

Electron microscope reveals structure(often called ultrastructure)

No cell looks like this

Cytoskeletal elements

• Microtubules – 25 nm dia, hollow tubes

• Microfilaments – 7 nm dia, intertwined strands

• Intermediate filaments – 8-12 nm, supercoiled proteins

• See Table 6.1, pg 113

Support, Motility, Regulation

Plant cell walls

What’s outside of the cell?

What is between the cells?

Biochemistry Games

• http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/

• Nobel Prize for Chemistry: play the chirality game

• Nobel Prize for Medicine:play Cell and Its Organelles, “Megacell”