Cell Physiology, or Cellphys, for short, is a Magnet elective taught
by Ms. Bosse second semester. Students who take the course generally
have taken Genetics
first semester. The subject matter include major topics in molecular
and cellular biology, such as cellular macromolecules, structure and
function of cellular organelles, cellular metabolism, and special
cell functions. An integral part of the course includes laboratory
investigations in which students use advanced methods of biotechnology
to analyze cell structures and explore biochemical processes. By the
end of the course, students will:
- Be able to describe the structure and function of cell organelles.
- Gain appreciation for cell chemistry and complex cellular metabolic
processes.
- Be able to compare/contrast the physiology of various cell types.
- Be able to describe cell-cell interactions and cell communication.
- Learn laboratory techniques such as microscopy, gel electrophoresis,
Western Blotting, chromatography, staining techniques, and cell
culture.
- Read and report on original research found in scientific journals.
As mentioned above, students complete a high number of labs throughout
the course. While these vary from year to year, a typical set might
include:
- Visualization of Normal and Transformed Cells — Students
stain and compare normal cells to cancer cells.
- Electrophoretic Separation of Proteins — Students use gel
electrophoresis to compare mobility of proteins with different isoelectric
points.
- Molecular Weight Determination — Students use the electrophoretic
pattern of standard proteins to construct a standard curve which
is then used to estimate the size of unknown proteins.
- Observation of Hetrokaryons — Students stain and observe
a sample of fused human and mouse cells.
- Evolution of Serum Proteins — Students compare proteins of
different species using immunoelectrophoresis and double diffusion
techniques.
- Comparing Human and Bacterial Amylase — Protein gel electrophoresis
and gel staining techniques are used to compare amylase from their
own saliva to bacterial amylase.
- Quantifying Amylase Activity — Students extract amylase enzyme
from pancreatic tissue and determine the amount of enzyme in the
tissue and their own saliva.
- Proteases and Factors that Influence Enzyme Activity — Students
contrast the effects of various factors on enzyme activity.
- Affinity Chromatography — Students isolate a protein from
serum by exploiting a specific interaction between the protein and
a complementary molecule.
- AIDS Detection Using ELIZA (SIMULATION) — Students use Enzyme
Linked Immunosorbant Assay to analyze a SIMULATED "patient sample"
to detect antibodies to HIV.
- Plant Pigment Chromatography — Students use paper chromatography
to analyze plant pigments.
- Thin Layer Chromatography — Students use thin layer chromatography
to separate dye mixtures.
- Gel Filtration — Students use gel filtration to separate
proteins by molecular weight and to determine binding specificity
of proteins.
- Western Blot — Students use immunological procedures to determine
relatedness of proteins.
