Summary
This video, titled "Introduction to Cells," is a computer animation that gives a brief introduction on what cells are and some facts about it. It explains that all living things are made of cells, which is one section of the cell theory, and how there are many different kinds of cells that have different functions--over 100 trillion in the human body alone, each so tiny that "10,000 could fit on the head of a pin." Mitosis in "fast forward" is shown (1:02), and also the moving of red blood cells through veins (1:18), traveling to different parts of the body through what is known as the bloodstream. There is an animation of the villi that line our intestines (1:25) and of the sperm and egg cell (1:30).
An immense number of chemical reactions are happening every second, and proteins are being made all the time in the cell, as the ribosome is shown translating the mRNA into codes for amino acids (1:51).The human body has different mechanisms to respond to harmful organisms and such as microbes and antigens (1:56), and things that scientists are still trying to understand.
Relevance to Class
Recently in class, we have studied cells and why they are so important to the human body. We learned about the different stages of the cell cycle, especially mitosis, which result in two daughter cells, which was depicted in the video. These daughter cells can either be identical or diverse, depending on the method of reproduction, and the DNA in them is used to direct cell activities. The DNA also gives information to produce proteins, and the ribosomes, the organelles that carry this out, were shown in the video rapidly going through a string of mRNA to translate it into tRNA. We also learned about chemical reactions, which are very important to the human body, and especially the role of water in these reactions.
Video Information
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFuEo2ccTPA
Author of Video: Frank Gregorio
Date of Publication: January 31, 2012
What mechanisms does your body use to respond to harmful/foreign organisms?
ReplyDeleteThe body has its immune system to protect it against environmental agents (like toxins or microbes). It detects things that are non-self, or foreign, and either uses general or targeted defense mechanisms. The nonspecific includes the skin and mucus membranes, but it also includes white blood cells, anti-microbial proteins, and inflammation. The specific uses lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) and antibodies to fight off particular antigens or diseases.
DeleteIn the video (1:08) it says that the human body has over 100 trillion cells. How can we have so many when some cells may die very quickly-- what efficient source of reproduction do cells use?
ReplyDeleteSomatic, or body cells, reproduce via mitosis, which we have recently learned about in class to ensure that both daughter cells have the same DNA. Also, each cell lives and reproduces for different amounts of time depending on what kind of cell it is. For example, skin cells die very quickly, and reproduce quickly to maintain its numbers, while other specialized cells or nerve cells do not reproduce regularly.
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