Biology Chapter on Plant and Animal Cells

Cells, Tissues, Organs, and Systems of Living Things

• Cells are the fundamental units of life, often combining to form tissues.
• A scanning electron micrograph shows red and white blood cells flowing through a vein (magnification 4000x).
• Cells combine and form tissues.
• Tissues form organs.
• Organs work together in systems.

Contents

• Cells are units of life frequently joining to create tissues.
• Plant and animal cells are included.
• The cell cycle and mitosis are described.
• Specialized cells in plants and animals are featured.
• Groups of tissues form organs that operate together in systems.
• Organs in animals and plants are detailed, including organ systems.
• Interdependent organ systems are examined.
• Biological technologies impact individuals and society.
• Medical imaging technologies are explored.
• Strategies for disease prevention are detailed.
• Social and ethical concerns related to systems biology are discussed.
• A unit task involves a presentation on systems biology's societal impact.
• An essential question asks about the effects of advancements in systems biology on individuals and society.

Exploring

• The 1918 influenza pandemic, known as the Spanish flu, was exceptionally deadly.
• Symptoms included bluish skin, blackening feet, and lung congestion.
• The virus spread globally quickly, causing widespread illness and death.
• Between 25-50 million people perished from the pandemic.
• Early strategies for controlling the spread included mask-wearing and quarantine.

Lessons Learned

• The 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, and subsequent pandemics, led to improved public health measures.
• The study of influenza viruses remains a key research area for disease prevention.
• Scientists have successfully revived and studied the Spanish flu virus to understand its characteristics.
• Studies of 1918 influenza victims’ corpses aid current understanding of the virus.

Questions about Quarantine

• Quarantine played a significant role in curbing the spread of the Spanish flu.
• The practice was also applied during later outbreaks of infectious diseases.
• Ethical, economic, social, and political considerations around quarantine continue to be discussed.

Cells

• Cells are the basic units of life, often combining with other cells to form tissues.

Skills You Will Use

• Observing cells under microscopes, drawing diagrams, identifying stages of mitosis, studying specialized cells, and investigating cell division rates.

Concepts You Will Learn

• The cell cycle in plants and animals.
• The importance of cell and tissue specialization for creating new tissues.
• The connections between specialized cells and tissues in both plants and animals.

Why It Is Important

• An understanding of cells is crucial to understanding how the body functions.
• Cells are made of trillions of cells.

Before Reading

• Key terminology will be introduced in the chapter.
• Students will use a chart to define and record new terms.

1.1 Plant and Animal Cells

• Cells have special features to perform crucial tasks.
• Microscopes are used to study cells.
• Robert Hooke was the first to describe cells.

1.2 The Cell Cycle and Mitosis

• The cell cycle comprises four stages (growth, synthesis, more growth, and mitosis.)
• Mitosis is the process of cell division, yielding two new cells from a single parent cell.

1.3 Specialized Plant and Animal Cells

• Cells can specialize through interactions with their environment.
• The specialization enables a diversity of functions in multicellular organisms.
• Stem cells, known as unspecialized cells, are a focus of current research for therapeutic uses.
• Regeneration, the process of regrowing lost body parts, is prominent in certain animals.

The Process of Cell Specialization

-Meerkats have specific tasks (such as looking for danger).

The Cell Cycle and Mitosis

• Cells go through a cycle of events, with mitosis being the division phase.
• Cell growth and preparation for cell division is interphase.
• Interphase proceeds through three stages; initial growth, DNA duplication, and further growth.
• Mitosis is the division of the nucleus.
• Four phases are involved in mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.
• Cytokinesis separates the cell's cytoplasm into two new cells.

Cancer Cells

• Cancer cells divide uncontrollably and have differing properties from normal cells.