Bringing things full circle, at the end of Cell Biology we were asked to again draw a cell from memory. This was also supposed to be drawn in 10 minutes but I went over after losing track of time on the details. I’d never consider myself an artist, but I think my original cell was pretty good. After spending the last six weeks learning more about cells, my drawing from memory hasn’t changed all that much. The biggest change was adding more depth and detail to the plasma membrane. The importance of the lipid bilayer, pores, proteins channels and receptors needed to be shown along with the nucleus and mitochondria.
While my cell drawing might not have changed drastically, my understanding of the structure and function of a cell has. Everyone learns that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, but now I know how the electron transport chain actually works. That the mechanism is not unlike the steam turbines that power ships or are used to generate electricity. I learned the complexity of cell signaling along with the checks and balances in place to keep things running smoothly. I discovered the mechanisms of gene expression that bring the microscopic data housed in the nucleus to a level we can see. I connected the dots from my genetics and biochemistry classes into a working model of how those processes actually work.
I now understand and appreciate how structure relates to function. This means I see a lot more when I look at my second cell drawing, even if it is pretty much the same.
