Lesson 12 (7/11/14)

Date : 7/11/14

Topic : Eukaryotes (Algae & Fungi)

Activities
1. Design games to learn about structures of eukaryotes.

The game that our group designed is called "Jump Lysosome Jump". It is basically a snake and ladder games that include quiz.

Notes

Plasma membrane consists of major membrane lipids and microdomains. Major membrane lipids include phosphoglycerides, sphingolipids and cholesterol which all contribute to the strength of membrane. Microdomains participate in variety of cellular processes.

Cell walls of photosynthetic algae have cellulose, pectin, and silica.
Cell walls of fungi have cellulose, chitin, glucan or mannan (polysaccharides found in yeasts)
Protozoa have flexible outer layer called pellicle, instead of cell wall.
Animal cells have sticky glycocalyx.

Plasma membrane of eukaryotes contain carbohydrates that helps in cell-cell recognition / bacterial attachment and sterols that increase resistance to osmotic lysis.

During endocytosis , lysosome and phagosome fuse together to form phagolysosome.
Soil protozoa can carry out photocytosis to engulf bacillus bacteria.

Cytoskeletons include microfilaments (actin protein), intermediate filaments (organelles) and microtubules (chromosomes, flagella, cilia).

DNA is combined with histones and exists in either chromatin or chromosomes..

RER synthesizes and modifies proteins. It also synthesizes cell and organelle membranes.

SER synthesizes lipids such as phospholipids, fatty acids, steroids and other sex hormones. It can also break down toxic compounds and help to develop drug tolerance. Besides, it regulates sugar level and acts as calcium storage for cell and muscle contraction.

Golgi complex receives, modifies, packages and transport proteins. It packages at least 40 different digestive enzymes in lysosomes.

Lysosomes have optimal pH of 5 and is normally found in animal cells. It recycle macromolecules, destroy foreign material,, digest food particles, digest bacteria and carries out rapid self-destruction.

Vacuoles include central vacuole (contain starch, water, pigments, even contain poisons and wastes), contractile vacuole (normally in aquatic protists) and food or digestion vacuole (normally in protozoa, will fuse with lysosomes).

Chloroplasts are disc shaped and have three membrane systems.

Mitochondria contain their own DNA and 70S ribosomes. They can make some proteins and can divide to form daughter mitochondria.

Peroxisomes decompose H2O2,  oxidize toxic substances and organic substances.

Centrosome has two components (pericentriolar and centrioles).


Random facts
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Muddiest point
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My own exploration
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Reflection on this topic

It's fun having different ideas and games to play during learning. But the time actually drags a lot because of our inefficiency, sorry Dr !