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Title: Cells and microscopes
Description: This document will provide with information about cells, microscopes and life functions

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Topic 1
...
5nm Virus: 100nm

μm
÷ 1000

10

–9

10

–12

nano
pico

nm
pm

÷ 1000

Bacteria: 1μm

Organelle: 10μm

Cell: 100μm

Microscopes
Objects that are too small for the naked eye may be visualized with microscopes
Light Microscopy


Views living specimens in natural colour



Has a lower resolution and magnification

Electron Microscopy


Views dead specimens in monochrome



Has a higher resolution and magnification

Light Microscope

Electron Microscope

Light Microscopy

Bacteria

Plant Cells

Animal Cells

Muscle Tissue

Use of a light microscope to investigate the structure of cells and tissues, with drawings of cells

Electron Microscopy

Bacteria

Plant Cells

Virus (green), bacteria (red), animal cell (blue)

Electron microscopes have a much higher resolution than light microscopes (1
...
2

(height  width  length
 number of boxes)

SA:Vol ratio
(surface area  volume)

125
Cells / tissues may increase their
surface area to optimise transfer

6

(e
...
microvilli = ⬆︎ SA:Vol ratio)

Multicellular Organisms
Multicellular organisms form when groups of individual cells function together
These organisms are capable of completing new functions (emergent properties)
due to the collective action of many cells combining to create synergistic effects

Cell

Tissue

Organ

System

cardiac

heart

cardio
vascular

(muscle)

Multicellular organisms have properties that emerge from the interaction of their cellular components

Cell Differentiation
All cells in a multicellular organism share an identical set of genetic instructions


Individual instructions (called genes) form a totality called the genome

The activation of different instructions in specific cells will cause these cells to
differentiate and become specialised (possessing distinctive functionality)
Gene A expressed
Identical
cells
Gene B expressed
Specialised tissues can develop by cell differentiation in multicellular organisms

Gene Packaging
Within the nucleus, active genes are packaged in an

expanded and accessible form called euchromatin
The inactive genes are packaged in a condensed
and inaccessible form called heterochromatin
Differentiated cells will have different regions of
DNA packaged according to their specific function

Differentiation involves the expression of some genes and not others in a cell’s genome

Stem Cells
Stem cells are unspecialised cells that possess two key qualities:


Self-Renewal – They can continually divide and replicate



Potency – They have the capacity to differentiate into specialised cell types

Embryonic stem cells (totipotent / pluripotent) can form any cell type, whilst adult
stem cells (multipotent / unipotent) have a limited capacity for differentiation
Self-Renewal

Potency

The capacity of stem cells to divide and differentiate is necessary in embryonic development

Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells can be used to replace damaged or diseased
cells with healthy, functioning ones


Harvest

Stem cells are extracted from an appropriate source

(embryos, umbilical cord blood, certain adult tissues)


Biochemical solutions trigger cell differentiation



New cells are implanted into the host’s tissue



Immune system is suppressed to prevent rejection



New cells monitored to ensure they are not cancerous

Differentiate

Implant

The capacity of stem cells to divide and differentiate makes them suitable for therapeutic use

Examples of Stem Cell Therapy
Stargardt’s Disease


An inherited form of juvenile macular degeneration that leads to blindness



Treated by replacing dead cells within the retina with functioning ones

Parkinson’s Disease



A degenerative disorder caused by the death of dopamine-secreting cells (CNS)



Treated by replacing dead cells in the midbrain with functioning ones

Use of stem cells to treat Stargardt’s disease and one other named condition

Ethics of Stem Cell Use
Harvesting

Potency

Tumor Risk

Limitations

Embryos

Are specially
created (SCNT)

Highest

Higher

Involves destruction
of an embryo

Umbilical
Cord Blood

Easy to extract
cells from cord

Lower

Lower

Cells must be stored
from birth at cost

Adult
Tissues

Cells obtainable
at any life stage

Lowest

Lower

May be difficult to
extract (and painful)

Ethics of the therapeutic use of stem cells from embryos, umbilical cord blood (newborn) & adult tissues

Topic Review
Can you do the following?


List the functions of life



State the cell theory (and exceptions)



Contrast light and electron microscopes



Calculate magnification of images



Explain how SA:Vol ratio limits cell size



Outline the process of cell differentiation



Describe stem cell use (ethics and examples)


Title: Cells and microscopes
Description: This document will provide with information about cells, microscopes and life functions