Me and my Friends

Hey.. its me again here to talk more about myself because it all about ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME. I shall tell you how my friends and I communicate ie Myocyte cells. We talk to each other using cell-cell interactions via gap junctions. What is this you may ask, well cell-cell interactions refer to direct interactions between cell surfaces which may play a vital role in the growth and function of an organisms like the zerbafish in which I am found. These interactions allow us to efficiently communicate with each other to be able to perform of tasks. This ability to send and receive signals is also essential to the survival of the cell. Gap junctions are like our telephones; they are the main site of our signaling which creates a gap or pore between adjacent cells interconnecting our cytoplasm. This ensures that we work as one and no one gets their own way because when I become a cardiac muscle if I don’t achieve teamwork my carrier ie the zerbafish may experience an arrythmais. These gap junctions are very important to my role model, the cardiac muscle because the signal to contract is passed efficiently allowing the heart muscle cells to contract in tandem. By the way, our communication is transient or temporary.

 

I don’t only talk to other myocytes,I also talk to neuromuscular junction, it is one of my closest neighbors. This junction connects my entire family ie the muscular system to the nervous system via synapses between the nerve fibers and me the muscle fiber. As an action potential reaches the end of a motor neuron, voltage-dependent calcium channels open allowing calcium to enter the neuron. Calcium binds to sensor proteins on synaptic vesicles called synaptobrevin triggering vesicle fusion with plasmamembrane and subsequent neurotransmitter release from the motor neuron into the synaptic cleft.

 

This nervous system consist of nerves yup nerves, and guess what I talk to them too, such a friendly muscle cell. The nerve cell and I communicate via an electrical synapse through our telephone ie gap junctions which allows for the direct transfer of ionic current from one cell to the next. These electrical synapses transmit very quickly ensuring efficient communication.

 

Picture with me and my neighbours ie the myocyotes crew

this me me and my other friend the nerve

About me the Myocote

1. Axon
2. Synaptical junction
3. Muscle fiber
4. Myofibrils

 

Hey there, I’m a myocyte, some of my friends call me a muscle cell or a fiber tissue and I can be found in muscle tissue. I have long, tubular cells that develop from myoblasts which are undifferentiated cells in the mesoderm of a vertebrate embryo. I (myocytes) can then form muscles by the process of myogensis where I (myocytes) would be bound together into bundles called fascicles. These muscles can be specialized to become cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle to facilitate different functions for the zebrafish. When I grow up I would like to be cardiac myocytes, they are responsible for generating the electrical impulses that control the heart rate of the organism I live in.

 

I consist of myofibrils, an axon and a neuromuscular junction. Myofibrils are basic long rod-like chains of sacromeres which are the contractile units of me. They are made up of long proteins like actin, myosin and titin which hold it together. The proteins are present in thin and thick filaments which assist actomyosin in muscle contractions. The axon is a long slender projection also known as a nerve fibre that is responsible for electrical impules in the body. My neuromuscular junction connects the muscular system in which I belong to the nervous system via synapses between efferent nerve fibers and me the muscles fibers. All of these work together to ensure my job as a myocyte is efficiently done.  

What is a Model Organism????????

A model organism is a non-human species that has been widely studied with certain characteristics such as rapid development with short life cycles, small adult sizes, readily available and tractability. These allow it to be easily maintained successfully breed in a laboratory setting. Model organisms used in gene and structure and regulation and finding cures for diseases. They are also used in classroom to help students gain a better understanding of topics in genetics and molecular biology via a hands- on approach. (very cool if I must say)

Like food, model organisms come in different categories genetic, genomic and experimental.

Genetic model organisms have short doubling times and breed in big numbers. Large scale crosses can be successfully done and monitored in future generations due to their short doubling times. An example of this model organism is the fruit fly scientifically known as Drosophila melanogaster.

Genomic model organisms have similar gene parts to humans however a smaller genome is present due to the larger DNA segments present in humans. An example of the model organism is the puffer fish also known as Fugu rubripes.

Experimental model organisms are species that may/may not have long doubling times as genetic model organisms but have other advantages. An example is the African clawed frog known as Xenopus laevis.

 

For this course I have chosen the zebrafish Danio rerio as my genetic model organism because being a swimmer I can be identified as a fish  . It is a tropical freshwater fish, named zebrafish after its characteristic stripes and native to the Himalyan region. It is notable for its regenerative abilities and used in the study of embryonic development and development of vertebrates due to the transparency of its eggs.

From now on I will be known as a myocyte or a muscle cell or muscle fibre. I have long tubular cells and can be found in the muscle tissue of the zebra fish. Myocytes can be specialized to form cardiac, skeletal or smooth muscle.

Cell and Developmental Biology

So after I thought the blogging was ended……… my cell and developmental biology lecturer decided it would be a “FUN” idea to make us blog again this semester.. like really, clearly her idea of fun is misguided; however here we go again. Well, you must be wondering what cell and developmental biology, that makes two of us *chuckle* but it is the study by which cells assemble and function to become multi-cellular organisms. It also focuses on gene expression on cell’s destinies and mechanisms that guide the changes of these cells, tissues, organs and finally the organisms.

 

For this new blogging experience I will choose a model organism, then choose a specific cell from that organism and explore it, meaning state where it originated from, its function etc, I would become the cell. After this blogging experience, you would be able to describe how I (the cell) am specialized and how I interact with the organism I am found in and external organisms and the environment.

the end is near… i can almost taste it…

So the end of the semester is nearing, I must say I have learnt a lot even if i was forced to (tutorials). Biochemistry proved to be worthy of my presence even though i still dislike the chemistry part.. thank to JM  I was able to grasp most of the concept however the worst has just began. BLEHHHHHH exams are just around the corner time is runningg outtt AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

time to get stuDYING.

a lot of info to absorb but the creation on this blog helped and continues to help me reinforce what was learnt in class. (relieved its all coming to and end especially this time consuming blog… don’t you know I gots other things to be doing SHAME ON YOU JM LOL) Looking forward to a CHEM LESS future.

rap pa da pa lol have fun listening and singing along to this song

Erika Check Hayden. 2013. “Researchers see antibody evolve against HIV” Accessed 11^th April 2013.

Antibodies unite to fight… Power to

the proteins

We all have heard about the deadly HIV virus… well unless you have been living under a rock or something.. gots none against rock people lolss. If you didn’t know the HIV infection is a condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The condition gradually destroys the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infections; it can be spread via sexual contact, blood or from mother to child.

Many attempts have and are being made to find a cure for the virus however, in recent times the mighty antibodies are fighting back in full force and creating some protection against of the virus. A patient has been reported to have evolved a potent immune molecule that is able to detect different strands of the virus. These “broadly neutralizing antibodies” could be used to make effective vaccines against the virus.  The power of the human body.. it took a while but the fight is on. By the way an antibody is a protein produced by the body’s immune system when it detects harmful substances, called antigens.

So antigens are badddd and antibodies are gooodd. The antibodies were said to have developed after the virus diversified something that would usually be overlooked in patients.  Vaccines for the virus have been difficult to make in the past because the virus mutates quickly making it hard to isolate it and find a definite cure. CH103 has been able to identify some HIV virus but not as much as these broadly neutralizing antibodies in the class VRC01. These antibodies were overlooked as they were said to be “too complicated” and hence more research had been done on CH103 since it was present some weeks after infection. However, the researchers looked through previous samples and were able to find the antibody, the “germline precursor” which was produced by the immune B cells. Power to the body and proteins again creating their own cure slowly but surely. However even with the discovery of these germline B cell the challenge of getting them to mutate to produce the neutralizing antibodies has arise. We see that the proteins in our body have miraculous power just takes time to activate and harvest its power.

 

Definition of HIV

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000602.htm

Definition of antibody

http://www.nature.com/news/researchers-see-antibody-evolve-against-hiv-1.12720

Tom Simonite. 2006. “Bio fuel cells could power portable gadgets”. Accessed 8th April 2013. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9040-bio-fuel-cells-could-power-portable-gadgets.htmlF

So you power hungry use an

enzyme !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Soooo recap what are enzyme???? *looks around for an answer* doesn’t anymore know, guess not.
Welllllll enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in the body by providing and alternative path by lowering the activation energy. Enzymes have many uses as well such as breaking down starch amylase and proteins.. pepsin …. However , some awesome researchers have found a new use for them… powering hydrogen fuel cells.

They claim that enzyme powered cells could be smaller, simpler and cheaper to make than conventional cells. If this so, saving the planet just became more possible as the only waste produced from these cells are water yupp water… amazing ent. So these cells only require hydrogen and oxygen to produce energy awesome.

By the way a fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent.

Conventional fuel cells split the hydrogen into protons and electrons which is combined with oxygen to produce water. This reaction occurs on separate electrodes which forces elections to travel via a circuit to produce electricity.

However the electrodes used are very expensive which is why new approaches were being explored. These researchers used enzymes from bacteria and fungi to catalyze the same reaction by coating the electrodes. The bacterial enzymes broke down the hydrogen and the fungal enzyme combined hydrogen and oxygen. By using the enzymes that naturally occur and that are suited for these kinds of reactions the cost of making the fuel cells would be reduced and disposing of these cells would cause no harm to the environment since enzymes are biodegradable.

A prototype that produces 700 milivolts enough to power a digital watch has been developed… imagine that a watch that runs on enzymatic energy hmm.. the power of science. This power may even be able to power portable gadgets but like all great discoveries there is always a challenge hydrogen has to be produced in order to facilitate this reaction or else this new type of energy will be useless. So we see that enzymes not only speed up reactions in the body but can also be used to power our future without excess waste and expense.

In the end we learn something new everyday, the simplest things can be used for greatest, just be cautious of the roads you travel.

“Fuel cell” .2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell