13 Jun BIOLOGY 350 – A rat cell and a chimpanzee cell are fused together
Question
Name:____________________
Hours:_______
BIOLOGY 350 – Section 1
CELL BIOLOGY
PROBLEM SET #1
(40 points)
Coworkers: ________________
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READ CAREFULLY!! This problem set is intended to help you determine your level of understanding of the material
presented so far. You may use any resource in doing the assignment, and you may discuss this work with others.
However, you may not look at another person’s written answers and you must use your own words in your written
answers. You must name all coworkers on the front page of your answers, and you must cite all sources. To help us
assess the difficulty of this assignment, please also indicate the number of hours you spent working to complete
the problem set.
Question 1: [5 pts]
In class we discussed different animal models, their advantages and disadvantages. You were also asked to read
specific pages in the textbook to further learn about each animal model. You are a researcher focused on the
study of the genetics of cancer. Select which animal model you would like to use for your experiments and justify
your choice. Provide at least 3 advantages for the model system you chose.
Question 2: [6 pts]
A rat cell and a chimpanzee cell are fused together. Antibodies to chimpanzee membrane antigens are labeled
with rhodamine (a red fluorescent molecule) and antibodies against rat antigens are labeled with fluorescein (a
green fluorescent molecule).
A – What do the cells look like immediately after fusion? Explain and draw.
B – What about 40 minutes later?
C – If the temperature of the cell is increased, what should happen?
Question 3: [9 pts]
Answer each of the following questions in 5 sentences or less. [3pts/question]
A – Explain the difference between resolution and magnification. Use your own words.
B – Why is it, do you suppose, that a fluorescent molecule, having absorbed a single photon of light at one
wavelength, always emits a photon at a longer wavelength.
C – The lipid bilayers found in cells are fluid, yet assymetrical in the composition of the monolayers. Is this a
paradox? Explain your answer.
Question 4: [8 pts]
Data for membrane mobility of three different proteins (X, Y, and Z) using fluorescent recovery after
photobleaching (FRAP) are shown on the left in the figure below.
Then, the movement of each protein in the membrane is followed through single-particle tracking (SPT). The data
collected is shown on the right side of the image above.
a. [5pts] Assign an SPT profile (A, B, or C) to each of these proteins on the basis of the respective FRAP profiles.
Explain your choice.
b. [3pts] It is important to remember that in each of these experiments, the results reflect a real, physical
difference in the way in which these proteins are situated in/around the plasma membrane. Where do you think
each of these proteins is located? [No need to provide an explanation]
Question 5: [12 pts]
Extremophiles are microorganisms, usually from the Archeal domain that grow under a wide variety of extreme
conditions (temperature, pressure, etc). Some of these extremophiles can grow in temperatures up to 120C, the
sterilization temperature of an autoclave. Identifying the adaptations that allow these microorganisms to thrive at
such high temperatures is an area of active research both for improving industrial processes (i.e. biofuels) and
exobiology. Recent studies of the membrane composition have found that the major lipids in these organisms are
tetraether phospholipids and diether phospholipids. In the diagrams below, the R represents a variety of head
groups.
a. [3pts] Diagram what a membrane made up of diether phospholipids would look
like. Compare this to the eukaryotic cell membrane shown on the right.
Comparison should include: fluidity, transition temperature and structure.
b. [3pts] Diagram what a membrane made up of tetraether phospholipids would look like. Compare this to the
eukaryotic cell membrane shown in question a. Comparison should include: fluidity, transition temperature and
structure.
c. [3pts] Diagram what a membrane made up of tetraether and diether phospholipids would look like. Compare
this to the eukaryotic cell membrane shown in question a. Comparison should include: fluidity, transition
temperature and structure.
d. [3pts] Would you expect either of the phospholipids in the thermophile’s membrane to become more or less
saturated as the temperature increases? Explain your answer.
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