History

Question 1

CRISPR/Cas9

Answer 1

• 2012
• Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier at UC Berkeley

-Fenn Zhang - Harvard/MIT

Question 2

Synthetic biology

Answer 2

-Craig venter

Question 3

Modern cell biology

Answer 3

-combination of genetics, biochemistry, cytology

Question 4

Microscopes

Answer 4

• 1660
• Robert Hooke
• first microscope only had 30x magnification

Question 5

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek

Answer 5

• 1670
• next microscope
• could magnify 300x

Question 6

Cell Theory

Answer 6

• 1838, 1839
• Schleiden and Shwann
• all organisms consist of one or more cells
• the cell is the basic unit of structure for all organisms
• 1885
• Virchow added that cells arise by division from pre-existing cells

Question 7

Prokaryotic

Answer 7

• bacteria, archaea
• evolved earlier than eukaryotes
• no membrane-bound nucleus (nucleoid instead)
• circular chromosomal DNA
• cytoplasm mostly devoid of membranous structures
• 1-5 micrometers

Question 8

Archaea

Answer 8

• methanogens )energy from hydrogen, converts CO2 to methane)
• halophiles (thrive in salty environments)
• thermacidophiles (live in acidic hot springs)

-archaea are more closely related to humans than bacteria

Question 9

Eukaryotic cells

Answer 9

• protists, yeast, fungi, plants, animals
• bigger than prokaryotes 10-100micrometer
• evolved more recently
• linear chromosomes
• compartmentalized organelles

Question 10

Common features between prokaryotes and eukaryotes

Answer 10

• plasma membrane
• genetic information uses identical code
• some shared metabolic pathways (glycolysis)
• similar mechanism to make ATP
• similar mechanism for photosynthesis
• similar proteasomes (protein digesting structures)
• some similarities in cytoskeleton features

Question 11

Measurements

Answer 11

• 1000 micrometer = 1mm
• 1000 nanometer = 1micrometer
• 10Å = 1 nanometer (approx diameter of H atom)
• entire cells or large organelles measured in micrometers
• most other cells structures measured in nanometers

Question 12

Electron microscopes

Answer 12

• focuses a beam of electrons on or through a specimen
• transmission EM
• Scanning EM

Question 13

TEM

Answer 13

• transmission electron microscope

- penetrates through specimen to show organelles

Question 14

SEM

Answer 14

• scanning electron microscope

- scans surface of specimen to give a 3D image

Question 15

Why does a cell have to be so small

Answer 15

• surface area:volume ratio
• diffusion rates of molecules
• need for adequate local concentrations of reactants and catalysts

Question 16

Cell biology is reductionist

Answer 16

-analyzing things and describing complex phenomenon in terms of its simple or fundamental constituents

Question 17

Possible Spontaneous synthesis of biological materials ???

Answer 17

• 1952: biochemists Harold Urey and Stanley Miller
• mixed water vapour, methane, ammonia, hydrogen gasses in seals glass apparatus
  
  • essentially recreating early earth atmosphere
• a few weeks later = organic compounds including amino acids and carbohydrates collected
• so yes, these conditions could lead to spontaneous life
• considered the classic experiment on abiogenesis

Question 18

Endosymbiont theory

Answer 18

• one smaller cell engulfed in a larger cell to create double membrane
• Lynn margulis
• 1967