Known also as "cytology" is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death.
0
votes
0answers
15 views
How to evaluate 1st and 2nd order reactions, with rate constants and fluxes? [closed]
I want to implement differential equations in C# from Open Cell cellml file. The mathematical model is described in the following link [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1367306/][1]. I have ...
0
votes
1answer
16 views
Transplantation of stem cells
During the autologous transplantation of stems cells from bone marrow to produce new blood cells why all the other stem cells other than the one obtained are destroyed?
3
votes
1answer
51 views
Can proteins move outside cells?
I am trying to learn about basic cell biology, and have what is probably an extremely simple question.
So this is how I understand it so far:
Proteins are made from amino acids. This process is ...
2
votes
0answers
20 views
How to use mechanical microstrainer to extract tissue proteins from human?
Background:
There are many methods to extract proteins form human tissues out there. The majority of them use an extraction buffer containing variable concentrations of detergents and protease ...
5
votes
1answer
75 views
Why aren't organelles considered alive?
I'm taking a 3-week Bio I summer course, and my textbook says the cell is the smallest/basic unit of life. I asked my professor why organelles aren't a living unit, and her reply was that they aren't ...
2
votes
1answer
30 views
Will lipid molecules 'flip-flop' over a membrane without the use of an enzyme?
All of the references to this I can find refer to enzymes like Flippase making it 'easier' or 'more likely' that the translocation will occur, rather than actually make it possible.
The following is ...
2
votes
0answers
40 views
Why is saltatory conduction faster than continuous conduction?
How does spacing apart sodium and potassium channels allow the action potential to travel faster down the axon? This is the reason always cited for saltatory conduction and myelination, but my mental ...
3
votes
1answer
64 views
Why are certain aneuploidies more common?
Certain aneuploidies such as trisomy-21 (Downs syndrome), trisomy-18 (Edward syndrome), Turner syndrome (XO) etc are more common than others.
I had a vague thought that it is related to chromosome ...
2
votes
0answers
28 views
Example(s) of reduced rate of mitotic progression?
Most species complete mitosis, and in particular the process of chromosome condensation, rather quickly, in a matter of minutes. Are there any known species that undergo mitoses with substantially ...
3
votes
1answer
81 views
What is the distinction between chemokines, cytokines, interferons and interleukins?
They all seem to describe molecules of similar function and many people seem to use them interchangeably.
Also please include any other similar molecules if I've forgotten any in the list above.
2
votes
1answer
29 views
Up to date B cell review
Where would I find an up to date (last 6-7 years max) review on B cells? I've tried searching through pubmed with filters, cochrane library, medline and various other resources including searching old ...
3
votes
1answer
39 views
How does sugar enter neurons if they don't use insulin?
I heard somewhere that as opposed to other cells, neurons do not use insulin to get their sugar supply.
Why is that?
What is the alternative mechanism? I assume sugar can't just enter the cell ...
3
votes
1answer
37 views
What molecular processes are involved in pseudopodial extension?
I am curious as to the processes and mechanisms involved in the extension of pseudopodia in amoeba. How does the cell know and control the direction and extent of pseudopodia formation at a molecular ...
1
vote
1answer
76 views
How exactly does marijuana damage brain cells?
I've heard that THC can cause permanent damage to brain cells. I've also heard this reffered to anti drug propaganda. Another theory i've read is that temporary effects reduce intelligence but long ...
3
votes
1answer
39 views
What is range of the number of individual organelles in cells
What is the range of the number of individual organelles in a cell?
I am not a biologist but I understand that there's one nucleus and sometimes lots of mitochondria, so I am after the total number.
...
2
votes
0answers
33 views
Onset of Autophagy
Fasting and Intermittent Fasting (IF) have been proven to start autophagy (cellular self-digestion). How long does the average man and woman have to wait for autophagy to begin? Does diet prior to ...
3
votes
0answers
15 views
A program for cell motility assessment with a batch process function?
Cell motility assessment is a branch of experimental biology or medical science. One example could be an assessment of treatment effects on sperm motility of an animal. The standard procedure involves ...
1
vote
1answer
27 views
What is background binding?
I'm reading a journal article about mitochondrial protein import and it mentions that one of the mutant proteins tested showed background binding with another protein. What the heck is background ...
0
votes
0answers
18 views
When to do power of analysis? [duplicate]
I do cell biology work and nothing clinical. Should I be performing power of analysis before doing experiments? Most of the time I never see POA done in papers that have to do with work done on the ...
1
vote
1answer
96 views
What is the appropriate blender speed to maximize nutrition and digestion of fruits and vegetables?
Blender companies state that a blender for smoothies should have speeds of at least 30000 rpm. They argue that only at 30000 rpm are cells of fruits and vegetables sheared enough to maximize nutrition ...
2
votes
1answer
74 views
What in soy are people allergic to and will these allergens be passed along if an animal that has eaten soy is consumed?
I have two related questions about soy allergies and possible reactions.
What is it that are humans who have soy allergies actually allergic to? What is the allergen?
If an animal eats soy, are ...
6
votes
1answer
72 views
How was the first ribosome theorized to have been made?
Seeing as ribosomes are what help perform the act of translation itself, and the blueprints for they themselves are in nucleotide sequences, how was the first ribosome theorized to have been made? ...
5
votes
0answers
38 views
Primary cilia: what cell types have non-motile cilia that migrate?
My understanding is that there are two broad categories of cilia: motile and non-motile (also called primary.
Examples of the former include sperm flagella and the cilia of epithelial cells that ...
3
votes
1answer
41 views
What plastic eating organisms are there to help with plastic in landfills problem?
I see some popular science articles on the plastic eating bacteria and fungi appearing on the web since 2009. Most of the articles praise discoveries, because such organisms promise to break down ...
7
votes
1answer
39 views
Cell Respiration and Oxidative Phosphorylation
Why and how does the proton travelling through the stalked particle in the inner mitochondrial membrane, cause a conformational change in the ATPase?
1
vote
1answer
54 views
Is it possible to give a person an allergic reaction in a very specific place?
Can I give a person an allergic reaction at a very specific spot in a tissue?
And if so, how accurate can i get?
5
votes
1answer
72 views
Does GTP-γS (GTP gamma S) bind all GTP-binding proteins?
I've just read an article Rab10 GTPase regulates ER dynamics and morphology - Nature Cell Biology 15, 169–178 (2013) doi:10.1038/ncb2647. In this paper, to identify Rab proteins in ER, first they ...
3
votes
1answer
71 views
Does an allergic reaction kill body cells?
I have wondered what actually happens in an allergic reaction that causes the symptoms such as pain, rash etc.
Is it possible that the human body actually kills its own cells in the process?
3
votes
2answers
227 views
Simple diffusion of lipid-soluble molecules through phospholipid bilayer — does anything get “stuck” in transit?
It's a pretty elementary concept, and when I first learned of it I don't think I had the foundations to even think of such a question, but I found myself the other day thinking about the amphipathic ...
1
vote
1answer
58 views
What is the biochemical reason for mental fatigue?
Is it known exactly why the brain needs sleep? What's dropping low / going high when we experience mental fatigue? I can see why low glucose could result in mental fatigue, are other reasons known?
3
votes
0answers
48 views
How does healing work?
I stacked my bike and split my head right open. About three weeks later the scab falls off and the skin is sealed over, like magic! How does it all work? How does the brain know that part of the ...
5
votes
1answer
118 views
Can you consider a human as alive, or is it the cells on the body that are alive?
Sorry if this question seems strange, but in the recent time I have been interested in the question of what life is and how you can define life.
My question:
How long can individual cells live on a ...
3
votes
0answers
43 views
Microscopy Book Suggestions
I've learned programming through great book recommendations, many from the Stack Exchange series of sites. I'm hoping to take this approach to gaining a fundamental understanding of how fluorescence ...
5
votes
1answer
96 views
Can in the case of multiple sclerosis (MS), a too high osmotic pressure in the nerve, lead to a high intracellular concentration of potassium?
Can in the case of multiple sclerosis (MS),
a too high osmotic pressure in the nerve,
lead to a high intracellular concentration of potassium,
and also lead to 'pumping up' of nerve cells,
which then ...
11
votes
3answers
356 views
Why do red blood cells contain haemoglobin and not myoglobin?
So I am reading about muscles and I come across myoglobin. It has a much higher affinity for oxygen than haemoglobin. So why have animals evolved to have haemoglobin in red blood cells, rather than ...
3
votes
2answers
72 views
Connect the inner and outer space of cell with a wire, will there be electricity?
There is a potential difference, but ions can not go through wires, right? Though there is a electric field, but there is no electron source, I am thinking the answer is no, or will there be some ...
4
votes
2answers
174 views
Effects of exercise on the brain
I am well aware of the phenomenon of neurogenesis induced by exercise, as well as the dopamine release that results from exercise. I am really interested in neuropsychology and the effects of exercise ...
3
votes
2answers
343 views
What type of cell do you start with in Meiosis?
Okay, I was learning about mitosis and meiosis in school and had a question. I know in Mitosis you first start off with a Diploid (2N) cell and then end up with two ...
3
votes
2answers
45 views
Cell cycle selection
Is it possible to select from colonies only cells which are at a certain stage in the cell cycle? E.g. if I was trying to analyse expression of a number of genes during different stages of the cell ...
5
votes
1answer
155 views
Do animal cells have vacuoles?
I overheard a rather heated argument about whether or not animal cells have vacuoles.
One person said that they do, but they're much smaller than vacuoles in plant cells.
The other person said they ...
2
votes
3answers
61 views
Simulating Cell differentiation
I'm a computer programmer deeply interested in Biology.
I wish to write a computer simulation for cell differentiation. I understand there will be seemingly impossible challenges in doing this. But ...
3
votes
1answer
76 views
Are there records of monozygotic twins in which one experiences androgen insensitivity syndrome
I have given my high school biology students the thought experiment of "What would happen if a researcher induced twinning of a female zygote and then replaced one of the X Chromosomes with a copy of ...
4
votes
1answer
51 views
Are there oligocellular organisms in nature and, if so, what are they like?
I'd think protozoans can be oligocellular, but I haven't found any examples, and I'm curious to know what is the minimum number of cells an organism can have other than a single cell.
2
votes
1answer
34 views
Experiments in vitro vs those with dead organisms and fixated tissue
Does the term in vitro necessarily imply that the organism/organs/cells of study are dead?
If not, is there an alternative latin term to refer to studies of dead biological matter ? (e.g. in ...
4
votes
1answer
82 views
How are lysosome membranes protected from the attack of hydrolases?
Lysosomes are a bit like the suicidal bags of cells. They help to clean cells, have an acidic pH and contain a large number of hydrolyzing enzymes.
But why don't these hydrolyzing enzymes attack ...
0
votes
1answer
59 views
Would two species of yeast with similar genome sizes have the same number of genes or chromosomes?
Similar organisms generally have similar genome sizes. Given this, would two species of yeast have the same number of genes and chromosomes?
Edit: Fixed with thanks to @daniel-standage
1
vote
2answers
78 views
Do any cells change in size or mass as mammals grow?
That is to say, are there cells that, between infancy and adulthood, get larger? Or is all growth done entirely via cell division? I'm wondering if it is safe to assume that the approximate number ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
In a human, what non-germline cells have the highest/lowest mass?
I'm just curious which cells are largest/smallest in the human body other than sperm/ova.
2
votes
1answer
49 views
Where does an organism store reserves of amino acids?
Where does an organism store reserves of the amino acids it needs to build various proteins it needs -- in the liver ? in the blood ? in every cell ?
Thanks
0
votes
2answers
90 views
Why do living organisms replicate itself or procreate
Why do living organisms spontaneously replicate itself or "procreate" (my understanding is that it does).
From a uni-cellular and micro-organism point of view. Is there some sort of stimulant in the ...
