SC430 Molecular & Cell Biology

Welcome SC430 -01 to our 1st Seminar

Professor = Dr Hall-Pogar

I am available at AIM: Kaplanhallpogar before and after seminar for any additional questions

We will begin promptly at 9:00PM est

Seminar 1 Objectives

Overview of the Course

Primordial Soup --> Jurassic Park

course information

Term:                               1105C

Dates:                              November 9th, 2011 – January 24, 2011

Holiday:                        Thanksgiving, Nov 24-27th Christmas, Dec 24 -

Textbook:   The Cell: A Molecular Approach, Fifth Edition

Course Structure

Seminars, discussion boards, & projects are graded each unit

Mid-term & Final Exam

Helpful Hints

Check email

Read weekly announcements

Reference all facts in DB’s and projects

Use APA style

Communicate with me!

ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF CELLS

The First Cell:

All present-day cells, both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, are descended from a single ancestor

The first cell is thought to have arisen at least 3.8 billion years ago

As a result of enclosure of self-replicating RNA in a phospholipid membrane

Stanley Miller & Harold Urey Experiments

• Elegant set of experiments

• Under conditions believed to be similar to those found on the early Earth

• Organic molecules could spontaneously arise

• Providing the building blocks for the first living organisms

• Raw materials  +  Energy  ⇒ Life molecules

DNA or RNA?

• RNA World Hypothesis

• Hypothesis proposes that life based on RNA pre-dates the current world of life based on DNA, RNA and proteins

• RNA is able both to store genetic information, like DNA, and to catalyze chemical reactions, like an enzyme.

• DNA is thought to have taken over the role of data storage due to its increased stability

• Proteins with a greater variety of monomers (amino acids), replaced RNA's role in specialized biocatalysis

Jurassic Park?

• Developmental biologists at the University of Wisconsin observed mutant chickens that had beaks contained structures resembling teeth(2005)

• Experimentally able to trigger the formation of teeth in a normal chicken by turning on a particular gene

• Question: Will scientists ever be able to resurrect the dinosaur?

• Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1026340/Jurassic-Park-comes-true-How-scientists-bringing-dinosaurs-life-help-humble-chicken.html#ixzz1dVB9L9Hx

Origin of Eukaryotes

Eukaryotic cells are thought to have evolved from symbiotic associations of prokaryotes

The genome of eukaryotes may have arisen from a fusion of eubacterial and archaebacterial genomes

Present-Day Prokaryotes

Divided into two groups

Archaebacteria and the eubacteria

Eukaryotic Cells

Larger and more complex than prokaryotic cells

Contain a nucleus, cytoplasmic organelles, and a cytoskeleton

Evolution of Metabolism

Earliest reactions for the generation of metabolic energy were a form of anaerobic glycolysis

Photosynthesis then evolved, followed by oxidative metabolism

Development of Multicellular Organisms

The simplest eukaryotes are unicellular organisms

Such as yeasts and amoebas

Multicellular organisms evolved from associations between unicellular eukaryotes

Division of labor led to the development of the many kinds of specialized cells that make up present-day plants and animals