Computer Information Processing
Cells are the basic building blocks of life, and understanding their function is crucial for biology. This article explores how biological molecules dictate cell function and highlights the differences between various cell types, such as skin and heart cells. We delve into the mechanisms of gene expression and how altering it can transform skin cells into pluripotent stem cells capable of becoming any cell type. The concepts of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are examined, along with the structural components such as the nucleus, chromatin, and the cytosol where significant cellular metabolism takes place.
Computer Information Processing
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Presentation Transcript
Computer Information Processing Computing Input Output Unorganized Data Organized Data www.gls.gov.uk/ Computer Programming
Cellular Information Processing Biological Input Output Unorganized Signals Cell Function scienceprofonline.googlepages.com Biological Programming
Role of Cell Function in Biology • The cell is the fundamental unit of living things • Everything that that happens in the organism happens at the level of the cell • Biological molecules dictate cell function • To understand cells (biological information processing) must understand biological molecules
Cell Function • Understand Cell Function in Molecular Terms • Begin with a question: • Are your skin cells different from your heart cells? • If so, how? Skin Cells Heart Cells
Central Dogma of Biology Info Info Carrier Functional Product DNA RNA PROTEIN
Making Skin into Heart • Alter gene expression of skin cells to make them pluripotent stem cells • Pluripotent – capable of becoming different kinds of cells • Like embryonic stem cells • Grow under conditions that induce differentiation into heart cells (new gene expression) • Accomplished by two groups in 2007 • One in Japan and one in U.S.
Expression of four genes change skin cells into pluripotent embryonic stem cells Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, Myc Making Stem Cells Holm Zaehres and Hans R. Schöler, Cell, Vol 131, 834-835, 30 November 2007
First Observation of Cells • Occurred 150 yrs before cell theory (1670) • Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (animalcules) • Robert Hooke (cells in cork)
Remarkable Variety of Cells • 200 different types in the human body • All cells can be categorized into 2 basic plans • Prokaryotic (before kernel, before nucleus) • Eukaryotic (true kernel, true nucleus)
Nucleus Command center for gene expression • Contains 95% of the cell’s DNA (genes) • Genes are selected for expression • Site of RNA synthesis (transcription) • Produces mRNA • DNA is in a complex called chromatin
Chromatin • DNA-Protein complex (1:1 mass ratio) • Proteins are histones (basic amino acids) • Histones help to pack DNA (146 bp +linker)
Cytosol (Cytoplasm) • Everything that is not an organelle • Much of cellular metabolism occurs in the cytosol • Protein synthesis occurs in the cytosol • Cytosol is highly compartmentalized • Compartments and trafficking is controlled by the cytoskeleton