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FRONTIERS IN BIOLOGY
FUNDAMENTALS II: LET'S MAKE A CELL!
program synopsis
Last time, your old Quantum Butcher reached down deep into your cortex and dredged up your repressed memories of freshman chemistry, memories of atoms and molecules, the building blocks of living matter. This time, we’re going to use those building blocks to make cells, the basic units of life. Cells are very complex, of course, composed of many thousands of different compounds. But let’s look at it another way: ultimately, cells are composed of only a few different types of compounds. In addition to salty water, dissolved gases and a few trace substances, cells are made mostly of fats, proteins, sugars and nucleic acids. And not a whole lot else. This point of view makes the prospect of building a cell seem a lot more approachable. So, hey—let’s approach it, okay?
Program synopsis
I. Fat is BeautifulII. Proteins: Molecular Miracles
a. Amino Acids
b. the peptide bond
c. levels of protein structure1. primary structure
d. diverse roles of protein in living systems
2. secondary structure
3. tertiary structure
4. quaternary structure1. structural
2. pumps and channels
3. enzymes: proteins as catalysts
4.signaling systems
5. transportIII. Carbos--Gimme Some Sugar, Baby
a. properties of monosaccharides
b. sugar polymers--the polysaccharides
c. why potatoes taste better than 2 x 4's
d. diverse roles of carbohydrates in living systemsIV. Nucleic Acids: Data Storage and Retrieval
a. the nucleus and chromatin
b. nucleic acid structure
c. nucleic acids and information
d. prokaryotes vs. eukaryotes
e. what does the genetic code SAY?
f. information flow in living systemsV. Putting it All Together--Cellular Anatomy
a. mitochondria and chloroplasts
b. lysosomes
c. the nucleus
d. endoplasmic reticulum
e. Golgi complex1. membrane recycling
2. protein life cycle, membranes and the proteasome
