Photo ID: The book cover of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. Depicted is Ms. Lacks standing next to the title with the "He" and "La" in her name in bold.

Each student must read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Then, answer 3 of the 5 essay questions in 500-1000 words each. Students may also upload a video of them explaining their answers instead of a written essay. Videos must be at least 3-5 minutes long (longer is acceptable). Answering more than 3 questions can be done for extra credit. You will have 3 weeks to read the book and 1 week to complete the essay questions. You will submit these questions/videos for peer review and review each other's works. Use proper MLA format.

Essay Questions

1.  What are "HeLa" cells and why are they important to / what have they done for the advancement of science? What ethical questions can be raised about how scientists obtained "HeLa" cells?
2. The author chose to write in the vernacular of those involved in this story and did not change the names of anyone. Why? How does this affect the story?
3. Deborah says, “But I always have thought it was strange, if our mother cells done so much for medicine, how come her family can’t afford to see no doctors? Don’t make no sense” (page 9). Discuss this issue and create a solution.
4. We discussed early in the module that all cells must come from existing cells. Cells divide in a process called "mitosis". Discuss how cancer cells differ from normal cells, and why some cancers are harmful and others are not.
5. The author mentions the Tuskagee Study of Syphilis in Black Men. What was this study and why was this relevant to the topic? How was it resolved?

Use the PDF File found below when reviewing each other's essays. Rubric adapted from Cope (2019).

Intro to Biology - Peer Review PDF

There are six characteristics of living things.

1. It responds to the environment.
2. It grows and develops.
3. It produces offspring.
4. It has maintains homeostasis (a stable internal environment).
5. It has complex chemistry.
6. It is made up of cells.

Today, we will be discussing the 6th characteristic of living things: Cells!

A cell is the basic unit of the structure and function of a living thing. Cells have various make ups that we will discuss later in the learning module. Some living things are comprised of a single cell while others consist of multiple cells. All life starts out as one cell. Cells were first discovered by Robert Hooke. He used a rudimentary microscope to look at a piece of cork, which is the dead bark of an oak tree. The structure he found reminded him of the "cells" or rooms that monks in a monastery stay in.

Photo ID: A drawing of cork under the microscope as seen by Robert Hooke.

Cell Theory states that all living things are composed of cells and that all living cells came from another living cell. 

Photo ID: A rendition of a human cell.

Cells undergo a special process called mitosis where the cell divides itself (and everything within it) evenly into two identical cells. Each human being is made up of 100 trillion cells, each doing their specialized job to keep you alive. In fact when there are multiple of the same type of cell, they form what is called a tissue. Tissues in turn make up organs and organs make up organ systems which make up organisms. This is why we call the cell a basic unit of a living thing. 

Photo ID: An example of organisms. Two girls and a dog playing in the grass.

Comment: If all life is composed of cells, then why is there so much diversity between life forms? To explain further: if a dog and a girl are both living organisms, why are they so different from each other?

View the video below to assist you in your answers.

Biology terms are often composed of Latin based words. To better understand the concepts within this course, you will need to learn some basic latin prefixes and suffixes. Don't fret! Once you know a few, it makes it a lot easier to know the definitions of what you are studying. That is to say, understanding latin makes the meanings of these words self explainatory.

For this lesson, we will need to know three Latin words: Pro-, Eu-, and Karyo-.

1. Pro: prior, before
2. Eu: true, good
3. Karyo: nucleus

Put them together and we have Prokaryote (before nucleus) and Eukaryote (true nucleus).

A prokaryote is an organism that lacks a nucleus in their cells. Bacteria are an example of a prokaryote.

A eukaryote is an organism that has a nucleus in their cells. All animals are eukaryotes. Fungi, plants, and protists are also eukaryotes.

What is a nucleus?

Photo ID: A picture of a nucleus.

A nucleus is a dense rounded structure that is found in eukaryotic cells. It holds the genetic material of the organism. A nucleus is made up of a nucleolus and nucleoplasm, all surrounded in a nuclear envelope which has nuclear pores.

The nucleolus is condensed DNA, RNA, and proteins.

Nucleoplasm is a plasma that surrounds the nucleolus.

Nuclear envelope is a double membrane that surrounds the nucleoplasm.

Nuclear pores are found on the nuclear envelope and allow materials to flow between the nucleus and the rest of the cell.

Comment:  What are the benefits of having a nucleus? Why would a human cell need a nucleus but a bacteria cell would not? Remember to cite any sources that you use.

Hint: Animals are more complex than bacteria. Think about the speed in which bacteria reproduce and how they do.

Photo ID: A cross-section of a prokaryote cell.

Prokaryotic cells are comprised of fewer structures than those found in eukaryotes.

[Side Note: Prokaryote is used to refer to an organsim. Prokaryotic is used to refer to the organsim's cell! The same goes for eukaryote and eukaryotic.]

A prokaryotic cell is often pill shaped. It is comprised of the chromosome (DNA) within the nucleoid region. It also has ribosomes in their cytoplasm. These are surrounded by a cell membrane, which is then surrounded by a cell wall, which in turn is surrounded by a capsule. The capsule has fimbriae on it which look like strands of fur. It also has a flagellum.

Definitions:

Chromatin is a thread like structure of genetic material like DNA and RNA. When wound together, it forms a chromosome. It is found in the nucleoid region.

A nucleoid region is an irregularly shaped region that encapsulates the chromosome. It is found in the cytoplasm.

A ribosome is a small organelle that makes proteins. It is found in the cytoplasm.

A cell membrane is a thin sheet of tissue that encapsulates the cytoplasm and all that is inside it. 

A cell wall is a rigid layer of tissue that provides structure and support to the cell.

A capsule is the sticky, outermost layer of the prokaryotic cell. It helps the cell cling to surfaces and prevents it from drying out.

Fimbriae are hair-like appendages found on the capsule and help the cell stick to surfaces and other cells.

A flagellum is a whip-like protrusion from the prokaryotic cell that allows the cell to move.

 

Use this link to practice your knowledge

Comment: Why would a cell need to be small? (Hint: There are two answers). Discuss amongst your classmates why prokaryotic cells are pill shaped as opposed to any other shape.

View the video below to assist you with your answers.

Photo ID: A cross-section of an animal cell.

An animal cell is irregularly shaped but mainly spherical in nature. It has more organelles than a prokaryotic cell and is larger in comparison. As discussed earlier, an animal cell is eukaryotic, meaning it has a nucleus. 

Like a prokaryotic cell, the animal cell has a cell membrane, ribosomes, and cytoplasm.

Here is a list of definitions of the parts of the animal cell that you need to know:

The Golgi Apparatus is the "mail room" of the cell. It packages and sends out vesicles containing proteins for intracellular communication. It is found in the cytoplasm.

A lysosome is the "vaccum cleaner" of the cell. It breaks down enzymes and other cells (like bacteria).

A mitochondrion is often considered "the power house of the cell". It's job is to produce adenosine triphosphate or ATP for short. ATP is the energy that is needed to get things done in the cell. Mitochondrion come from your mother and it has it's own DNA, making it very useful in identifying maternal lineage.

A peroxisome contains breakdown reactions which has a by-product of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). 

The rough endoplasmic reticulum (Rough ER) has a lot of folds and invaginations but are studded with ribosomes which make them rough. It's job is to produce proteins for the cell.

The smooth endoplasmic reticulum (Smooth ER) looks exactly like Rough ER except its more pipe-like and has no ribosomes on it. It's main job is to produce lipids (fats). 

All Eukaryotic cells have microfilaments that make up the cytoskeleton which provides structure to the cell, helps the cell move, and assists in transporting materials throughout the cell.

Use this link to test your knowledge

Or try this one for extra practice

Comment: Make an inference as to why animal cells do not require cell walls. If you are stumped, you may look it up, but do not forget to cite any sources you use.

Photo ID: A cross-section of a plant cell.

A plant cell contains a lot of similar organelles that an animal cell has. They are considered eukaryotes as they have a nucleus. They contain 3 additional organelles that an animal cell lacks.

Definitions:

Chloroplast are found solely in plant cells. They contain chlorophyll and are where photosynthesis takes place to create ATP.

A cell wall can be found in plant cells and in prokaryotic cells. The cell wall in the plant makes it rather rectangular and protects and supports the cell.

Plasmodesmata is a part of the cytoplasm that connects the plant cell to an adjoining cell. This provides a pathway for communication between cells as it allows passage through the cell wall.

A vacuole can be found in both plant and animal cells. In animal cells, they are small and many. In plant cells, they are large and usually only one of them is present. They hold a lot of water and provide structure to the plant. It also acts as a garbage disposal in both plant and animal cells.

Use this link to test your knowledge

Comment: Chlorophyll are what makes the chloroplast green. This color aids in light absorbtion for photosynthesis. Hypothesize why a plant would want to be green versus any other color (such as black, which absorbs all light).

Hint: 

Photo ID: A photo of a group of people around a table. There are thought bubbles above their heads with different icons such as a thumbs up, light bulb, and bullseye target.

After reading this module, you should know the following:

1. The 6 characteristics of living things
2. Definition of a cell
3. Definition of cell theory
4. Be able to explain why living things are diverse even when made up of similar cells.
5. Be able to compare and contrast the difference between a prokaryote and a eukaryote.
6. Be able to compare and contrast animal and plant cells.
7. Understand the relationship between cell structure and function.
8. Be able to explain the organelles found in cells and their functions.

If you need a review, take a look at these two videos by the Amoeba Sisters on YouTube.

Use this link to review Eukaryotic Organelles and their functions

Comment: Organelles are incredibly helpful to eukaryotic cells by compartmentalizing the processes that occur in the cell. Infer why eukaryotes have organelles while prokaryotes do not? Remember to cite your sources if you use any!