INTRODUCTION

Pass out syllabi as they come in.

I. Introduction

A. Open with Anima Mundi film part on cells. Demonstrates the beauty and variety of cells. Great visualization of the process of life.

B. Fill out cover sheet so that I know you are here.

C. Syllabus

1. Office hours - anytime

2. Exams will be given on specified days.

3. Lab - Read before coming to lab Lab this week.

4. Lecture notes will be part of packet purchased at the bookstore.

5. Expectations: In order to do well in this class you must

a) Attend class and labs.

b) Spend 2 hours of study per hour of class time.

c) Keep up and ask questions.

II. Cell Biology is an exciting and rapidly developing field. Why is it fast developing?

A. Scientists find it an interesting question to ask "how does life work?" It is fun to understand.

B. It has been a highly rewarding area of research leading to great advances in medicine, agriculture and many other applied fields.(Ask class: e.g. Telomerase, cloning, Humulin, chemotherapy, hybrid corn, microprocessor Biochips,...)

ask class if they are aware of uses of cell biology

C. The methods for answering these types of questions have suddenly become available (recombinant DNA, cloning, biochemical methods, microprocessor controlled machines, electron microscopy, etc., etc.)

D. You have 60 trillion cells!! (baby has 2 trillion) Retina of the eye has 125 million light receptor cells with 1 million nerve cells. 5.4 billion cells in donated blood. Each day the body replaces 60 billion cells!

III. Cell Biology

A. A cell physiologist looks at the cell as a machine (an amazing one) and asks how does it work?

1. This approach has been very successful.

2. Often the cell must be taken apart and the individual components investigated.

3. If we had to say what kind of machine is it, we would have to say the cell is a chemical machine. (Chemistry is a prerequisite for this course.)

are there any journal titles that show use as a machine?

B. To answer this question we do not only have to have a good understanding of Biology, but we also must apply present day knowledge in the areas of Chemistry, Physics, and Math.

are there any journal titles that show use chem, physics and math?

IV.

The success of cell biology is a result of the scientific method.

A. Proof; fact- these do not exist in science. Nothing is ever proven, proof of a hypothesis can only be approached or suggested. Any time a statement is made, one should immediately ask: "What is the evidence?", "How do you know?", You should NEVER accept any scientific statement for granted. After hearing the evidence, you should estimate in your own mind the degree of validity of the hypothesis. (Even if every dollar bill was Washington's picture on it, it does not prove the next will - although the confidence level is high. Even if a coin 10 mm² coin holds twice the number of drops of water of a 5 mm² coin, it does not prove surface area and the number of drops held are directly proportional - although it does support the hypothesis.)

B. A hypothesis that has substantial evidence in its favor and is encompassing in its predictions may be called a theory.

V. Cell Theory - Everything that has ever been shown to demonstrate the phenomenon of life has been shown to be made of cells.

A. Cell Theory: the basic unit of life is the cell. Nothing sub-cellular has ever been known to sustain life. (virus?) The cell theory is usually stated in four parts:

1. All living organisms are composed of one or more living cells.

2. The chemical reactions of living organisms take place within cells.

3. Cells arise from other cells.

4. Cells contain heredity information and transfer it to their offspring.

B. Not only is life a cell, but also, in some respects, a cell is life. (the smallest unit of life is a cell). By understanding life one then understands many properties of a cell.

C. Being able to organize implies life.

1. What features would one look for on another planet if one wanted to determine if there is life there or not ?: one possible approach might be: EVIDENCE OF SOMETHING CAPABLE OF ORGANIZING.

2. Physicists measure (quantify) organization in terms of entropy (symbolized by an S) (a decrease in entropy signifies more organization). Thus we might more precisely define life as the ability to decrease entropy (i.e. increase organization).

D. The smallest discrete space found on earth that can consistently decrease entropy is the cell. Thus all cells must have an inward movement of energy and building blocks and an outward movement of heat.

E. Life is a process and there are four major processes that we will examine as the basis of this course:

1. A membrane delineates living from nonliving. It is the master of exchange. How does it do this???

2. To organize one needs plans or blueprints; for the cell this is accomplished by the nucleic acid DNA. The DNA mediates living organization by dictating what proteins and enzymes are to be made. This process is often referred to as ≥central dogma≤.

3. Cells carry out energy converting reactions. All have some aspects of the reaction of:

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 --->---->-----> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + energy (38 ATP)

The matrix in which the chemical reactions (the act of organizing) occurs is water. The basic cellular matrix is called cytoplasm (protoplasm, hyaloplasm)

4. Control: Cells are not a series of constant chemical reactions, but they do different things under different conditions. There are many mechanisms of control, but one common one is via phosphorylated compounds such as cyclic adenosine monophosphate (c-AMP)

VI. Cells are amazing in two respects:

A. Extensive information is showing incredible continuity and similarity between all cells (this will be the emphasis of this course). Previously thought unrelated phenomenon are now shown to be tied quite well together. (Give examples). (Maybe this course should be called Universality in contrast to the Diversity course).

B. Incredible diversity. It seems that everyday new organisms and systems are being found that were previously thought to be impossible. However, in almost all cases one can follow the evolutionary tie back into the overall picture. (Examples: hydrogen sulfide bacteria, strange DNA, etc.

3. However a thermodynamic law states that entropy in a closed system MUST INCREASE which almost makes it sound like life can not exist!

(1)DSclosed > 0

VII.A closed system means no energy, heat, (or material) exchange.

A.4. The only way entropy can decrease, as happens in living systems, is by allowing energy in and/or heat out.

VIII.DE = DH - TDS or -TDS = DE - DH

a)Thus, we can make the conclusion that any discrete space that we are going to define as living MUST have an inward movement of energy and building blocks and an outward movement of heat and wastes.

NOTHING CAN BE PROVEN

QUESTION EVERYTHING

SCIENCE IS NOT A COLLECTION OF FACTS

SCIENCE IS CURIOSITY, DISCOVERY, AND FUN.

Responsible for:

1. Lectures: All information

2. Lecture Notes: All; particularly concepts and bolded terms

3. All readings; particularly diagrams/figures, bolded/italicized terms, concepts of section headings, end of chapter questions.

4. Labs: All; particularly concepts and bolded terms.

ALL CELLS OBSERVED ON EARTH:

1. Have a cell membrane.

2. Are water based.

3. Have the same basics in energy transduction. All cells carry utilize ATP as an intermediate form of energy and carry out some forms of this metabolic pathyway:

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 --->---->-----> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + energy (38 ATP)

4. Have the same basics in information utilization. All cells use the Central Dogma ATP,GTP, etc. are components of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA.:

5. Cell signaling within and between cells is usually a series of cascading reactions involving phosphorylations and dephosphorylations. Molecules of ATP, GTP, c-AMP, c-GMP are often involved.: