CHRISTINA BOWERS PH.D
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  • Group 4 Project

Topic 1.1:  Cell theory, cell specialization, and cell replacement

Essential Idea:
  • The evolution of multicellular organisms allowed cell specialization and cell replacement.

Cell Theory and the Nature of Life
Summary of the lesson:
  • Living things are composed of Cells that share common characteristics.
  • Observations led to accepted descriptive criteria of the basic functions of "life".​​​

1.1U1 According to cell theory, living organisms are composed of cells.
1.1U2 Organisms consisting of only one cell carry out all the functions of life in that cell.

1.1A1  Questioning the cell theory using atypical examples, including striated muscles, giant algae, and aseptate fungal hyphae.
1.1A.2  Investigation of the functions of life in Paramecium and one named photosynthetic unicellular organism.

Skill:  Use of a light microscope to investigate the structure of cells and tissues, with drawing of cells.  Calculation of the magnification of drawings and the actual size of structures and ultrastructures shown in drawings or micrographs. 

Powerpoint:  Characteristics of life scenario 
​Article:  Tardigrades on the moon  

Slideshow: 
introduction to cell theory 
​Slideshow:  Pandora Virus and Paradigm shifts

Multicellularity and cellular differentiation
​
Summary of the lesson:
  • Multicellular organisms acquire new properties that emerge from interactions between cells and systems within them.
  • Cell specialize through the process of regulated gene expression and differentiation.
  • Stem cells are early cells with the ability to grow into any type of cell and tissue.

1.1U4  Multicellular organisms have properties that emerge from the interaction of their cellular components.
1.1U5  Specialized tissues can develop by cell differentiation in multicellular organisms.
1.1U6  Differentiation involves the expression of some genes and not others in a cell's genome.
1.1U7  The capacity of stem cells to divide and differentiate along different pathways is necessary in embryonic development and also makes stems cells suitable for therapeutic uses.

1.1A3  Use of stem cells to treat Stargardt's disease and one other named condition.
1.1A4  Ethics of the therapeutic use of stem cells from specially created embryoes, from the umbilical cord blood of a newborn baby and from an adults own tissues.

Limitations to cell size:  Surface Area to Volume Ratio
Summary of the lesson:
  • Physical laws limit the growth of cells.   
  • Cell size balances resource needs with waste production.
  • The relationship between cell size and surface area can be modeled mathematically.

1.1U3  Surface area to volume ratio is important in the limitation of cell size.     


Exploration of the scale of things:

https://learngendev.azurewebsites.net/content/cells/scale/



LIfe is wonderfully complicated.   Stay curious.  Be skeptical.    And above all, ask many questions!