Max's Crazy Useful Blog for November 2nd, 2007- 3/3



What We Did:

We finished our tricky little Reproductive Unit Final Exam in class- only like twenty minutes so I didn't completely finish the written response(curse you Mr. Challoner!). We went over the five stages of Mitosis(think IPMAT people!). We also listened to one of the longest and most convuluted jokes ever, courtesy of good old Challypoo. For those of you who slept through class and need some of the main points about Mitosis(I'm looking at you, Jordan), here you go:

1.Interphase: DNA replication; metabolic activities
2.Prophase: Membrane of nucleus dissolves; chromatin combines through centromeres to become chromosomes; spindles developed at poles of cell
3. Metaphase: Chromosomes come together at cell equator (middle; between spindle fibers at poles);
4. Anaphase: Chromosomes separate(sister chromatids) and migrate to poles(now considered a full chromosome); spindle fibers grow and elongate the cell
5. Telophase: Nuclei begin to develop at each pole; chromatin fibers of chromosomes begin to unravel; cytokinesis(actual splitting of cells) take place

Your Welcome.

Thoughts/ Opinions On Material:

Thank god for that amazing anagram (IPMAT). I don't I ever would have remembered Mitosis without it. Looking at mitosis also gives you an insight into how cancer works. Everyone knows it makes cells mutate and replicate. Oh wait! Mitosis is replication. The more scientists and doctors know about mitosis and how cancer causes it to divide faster while compelling the new cells to have no use, the closer we can get to actually effectively preventing cancer. I also wonder: if we can figure out cancer, like what makes it tick, inside and out, we can possibly use it for good? Like how labs are now "growing" organs for transplant, we could implant "controlled cancer" into a patient whos suffering from heart disease, and allow the bengign cancer to replicate new working heart cells. If we can make cancer our b***h, it would pave a new way to stopping all disease period.

Above and Beyond:

For those of you who still don't get Mitosis(I'm looking at you now, Crabby Patty!) check out this snazzy game:http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/2001/cellcycle.html . I guarantee you'll be hooked. It uses a different system for the phases but still cool. You won't beat it. That's a challenge by the way. If you dig that "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" show, here's something that will appeal(It even gives you hints! Bonus!)http://www.syvum.com/cgi/online/tgamem.cgi/squizzes/biology/mitosis.tdf?0 . And finally, a study guide that lets you know Mitosis like the back of your hand: http://biology.about.com/od/mitosis/a/aa121704a.htm.

Later, you hos.