Daniela Toledo Mr.

De Beer Biology 09/06/2013

The cell. A city or a machine?

As we all know, the cell has an e tre!ely co!"le and intricate design in which e#ery str$ct$re has a #ery i!"ortant %$nction, and witho$t it, li%e as we know it wo$ld not e ist. This is si!ilar to &oth a city and a !achine. A city is #ery intricate and co!"licated, it is co!"lete chaos and yet it r$ns and "rogresses e actly in the way it is s$""osed to. A !achine is si!ilar in this way as it is #ery %$nctional and has a "$r"ose. 'n this essay ' will &e e "laining and co!"aring these "oints in great detail. (irst o% all, let)s start with a city. 't is a #ery di%%erent en#iron!ent to this organic str$ct$re, &$t take a closer look and yo$ will see a si!ilar trend in de#elo"!ent. *ities start o%% s!all &$t are then gro$"ed into "ro#inces, co$ntries, continents then earth. Altho$gh there are #ast di%%erences in si+e, organi+ation and in%rastr$ct$res, the cell and the city share a lot in co!!on.A city needs !any di%%erent ele!ents in order to %$nction. ,ach "art works in a di%%erent way to "rogress, -$st like in a cell. ' think that !ost o% the cell organelles can &e co!"ared to "arts o% a city. (or e a!"le, the cell !e!&rane acts as the gatekee"er to the city. '!agine entering .o$th A%rica %ro! Mo+a!&i/$e. 0o$ %irst ha#e to "ass thro$gh the &order and are only allowed entry i% yo$ ha#e all the correct doc$!entation 1"ass"ort, #isa, etc2. 3$st as the &order se"arates co$ntries, the cell !e!&rane se"arates the interior o% all cells %ro! the o$tside en#iron!ent. The &asic %$nction o% the cell !e!&rane is to "rotect the cell %ro! its s$rro$ndings. This relates to the gatekee"er o% a city. The gatekee"er o% a city is also a&le to allow certain things to enter or e it the cell and this a""lies to the cell !e!&rane. The cell !e!&rane is like a &arrier to !ost s$&stances and this "ro"erty allows !aterials to &e concentrated inside cells, e cl$ded %ro! cells, or si!"ly se"arated %ro! the o$tside en#iron!ent. This is essential %or li%e &eca$se it ena&les reactions to take "lace that wo$ld otherwise &e i!"ossi&le. .o!e s$&stances, which enter and e it the cell !e!&rane incl$de "roteins and "roteins !ade on &o$nd ri&oso!es lea#e thro$gh the cell !e!&rane. There are %i#e !ain !ethods &y which s$&stances can !o#e across a cell !e!&rane. These incl$de li"id di%%$sion, os!osis, "assi#e trans"ort, acti#e trans"ort and #esicles. This is why ' think that the cell !e!&rane is like the gatekee"er o% a city. ' think that the n$cle$s o% a cell is co!"ara&le to the !ayor o% a city &eca$se it directs all cell acti#ity and contains the cell)s D4A, which is like the !ayor o% a city. The !ayor o% a city is in charge and has to direct how the rest o% the city works, i.e. the n$cle$s has to direct how the rest o% the cell works and is the control centre o% the cell. The n$cle$s controls the acti#ities o% the cell &y reg$lating gene e "ression. The

n$cle$s also has !any %$nctions like the !ayor o% a city wo$ld. .o!e o% these incl$de cell co!"art!entali+ation, gene e "ression and "rocessing o% "re5!64A. The cyto"las! o% the cell is si!ilar to the gro$nd o% a city, it holds e#erything together and kee"s e#erything in its "lace. 't is also co!"ara&le to the roads o% a city &eca$se the cyto"las! is also a !eans o% trans"ort %or genetic !aterial and the "rod$cts o% cell$lar res"iration. There is also a tra%%ic "olice!an in !y co!"arison to a city &eca$se the cyto"las! "rotects the cell)s genetic !aterial and organelles %ro! da!age d$e to !o#e!ent or collision with other cells. The !itochondria is like a "ower "lant o% the city. ' think this &eca$se the !itochondria generates energy %or the cell, and the !itochondria generates !ost o% the cell)s s$""ly o% adenosine tri"hos"hate 1AT72, $sed as a so$rce o% che!ical energy. This is not all that the !itochondria does. 8ther %$nctions incl$de signaling, cell$lar di%%erentiation, cell death, as well as the control o% the cell cycle and cell growth. ' think that the ri&oso!e can &e co!"ared to !eat %actories &eca$se they "rod$ce the "rotein %or the cell. 6i&oso!es consist o% 64A and "roteins. 'n a "artic$lar cell ri&oso!es !ay n$!&er in the !illions. The ri&oso!es are in#ol#ed in "rotein asse!&ly. This occ$rs thro$gh the "rocess o% transcri"tion and translation. 'n transcri"tion, the genetic code contained with D4A is changed to 64A, a growing a!ino acid. 6i&oso!al 64A hel"s to link a!ino acids together to "rod$ce the "oly"e"tide chain. This is a %$nction o% ri&oso!es. ' think that the endo"las!ic retic$l$! can &e co!"ared to the resta$rants o% a city &eca$se this is where li"ids, "roteins and car&ohydrates are !ade. The %$nctions o% the endo"las!ic retic$l$! incl$de the %acilitation o% "rotein %olding and the trans"ort o% synthesi+ed "roteins in sacs called cisterns. ' think that the golgi a""arat$s is like the 97. o% the city. This is &eca$se the golgi a""arat$s "ackages and shi"s ite!s thro$gho$t the cell. 't $ses #esicles to shi" things, which are co!"ara&le to the shi""ing tr$cks. The golgi a""arat$s "ackages "roteins inside the cell &e%ore they are sent to their destination: it is "artic$larly i!"ortant in the "rocessing o% "roteins %or secretion. 't "ri!arily !odi%ies "roteins deli#ered %ro! the ro$gh endo"las!ic retic$l$!. ' think that the lysoso!e o% the cell is like the clean $" crew. ' think this &eca$se the lysoso!e clean $" the cell &y digesting worn o$t organelles and %ood "articles. They can do this &eca$se they contain acid hydrolase en+y!es that &reak down waste !aterials and cell$lar de&ris. The !e!&rane aro$nd a lysoso!e allows the digesti#e en+y!es to work at the ";< they re/$ire. This is the %$nction o% the lysoso!es and ' can relate the! to the clean $" crew o% a city. ' think that the #ac$oles can &e co!"ared to a wareho$se. A wareho$se)s %$nction is to store things and the #ac$oles %$nction is that it stores %ood, en+y!es and other !aterials. This howe#er, is greatly si!"li%ied. The %$nction o% the #ac$ole de"ends on the ty"e o% cell in which they are "resent. '% it is a "lant cell, the %$nctions ha#e !ore "ro!inence. 8ther %$nctions o% the #ac$ole incl$de getting rid o% !aterials that !ight &e har!%$l or a threat to the cell, containing waste "rod$cts, e "orting $nwanted s$&stances %ro! the cell, !aintaining an acidic internal ";, and !$ch !ore.

' think that the cytoskeleton is like the city "olice de"art!ent &eca$se they &oth hel" "rotect the cell and !aintain the str$ct$re in the cell/city. The cytoskeleton also hel"s s$""ort the cell. This is si!ilar to the "olice de"art!ent &eca$se they hel" s$""ort the city and !aintain the str$ct$re and &alance within the city. The cytoskeleton %or!s str$ct$res s$ch as %lagella, cilia and la!elli"odia and "lays i!"ortant roles in intracell$lar trans"ort and cell$lar di#ision. All o% these co!"arisons and reasons are why a cell is like a city in !any di%%erent ways, and ' think that it is a #ery hel"%$l analogy. Another analogy %or what a cell can &e co!"ared to is a !achine. ' think that this is also another good analogy &eca$se so!e o% the ele!ents o% a cell can &e /$ite si!ilar to a !achine, e#en tho$gh a cell is a lot !ore co!"le . There are !any di%%erent ty"es o% !achines, &$t -$st kee" in !ind that ' a! %oc$sing on co!"le and str$ct$red !achines s$ch as a car. A !achine can &e co!"ared to a cell &eca$se &oth a !achine and a cell need energy to "er%or! their %$nction. (or e a!"le, a car needs gas in order to %$nction. The sa!e goes %or a cell. A cell cannot generate energy witho$t another so$rce in their en#iron!ent. A car is de"endent on gas to %$nction and the cell is also de"endent on o$tside so$rces %or energy. *ells look %or their energy in the %or! o% %ood !olec$les or s$nlight. The n$trients %ro! the %ood !olec$les or other %or!s o% energy are then t$rned into cell$lar n$trients. These co!e in di%%erent %or!s, incl$ding s$gars and %ats. 'n order to "ro#ide the cell with energy, these n$trient !olec$les ha#e to "ass across the cell !e!&rane. *ells then release the energy stored in their %ood !olec$les thro$gh a series o% o idation reactions. 't is changed %ro! one !olec$le to another to change the co!"osition and energy content. Then the energy %ro! o idation reactions is con#erted into energy5rich !olec$les like AT7, which gi#es the cell its energy and acts as a =gas> like in the car analogy. Another reason why a cell is like a !achine is &eca$se a cell needs to &e aware o% its en#iron!ent and so does a !achine. A !achine, %or e a!"le a ro&ot or the electronic gates at o$r school are aware o% their en#iron!ent &eca$se o% the sensors that are &$ilt in to it. The gates know when to close &eca$se the sensors are letting the! know that a "erson has walked thro$gh and that it is alright to close the gates again. The cell is like this &eca$se it also has indications o% when to do things and it has a sense o% its en#iron!ent. ,#en tho$gh cells are sel%5s$staining $nits o% li%e, they don)t li#e in isolation. 'n order to s$r#i#e, they are de"endent on recei#ing and "rocessing in%or!ation %ro! the o$tside en#iron!ent. This in%or!ation !ight incl$de a#aila&ility o% n$trients, changes in te!"erat$re, #ariations in light, and !ore. Did yo$ know that cells can e#en co!!$nicate with one another? And change their own internal workings in res"onse. 4o cell works alone. Another reason why a cell is like a !achine is &eca$se they &oth need to $nderstand what to do in their en#iron!ent. i.e. a car will ha#e !ore s$s"ension when yo$ go o#er a s"eed &$!" and less when yo$ are dri#ing s!oothly. 't is all %or a "$r"ose. ,#erything a cell does is also %or a "$r"ose and so!eti!es it will ha#e to ="$t on the s$s"ension> %or certain %$nctions that re/$ire !ore energy or are harder to do.

Another #ery i!"ortant %actor %or why ' think a cell is like a !achine is &eca$se e#erything in a !achine is designed in a s"eci%ic way and e#erything in a !achine is there %or a reason: e#erything has a #ery i!"ortant and rele#ant %$nction. ,#erything in a !achine is necessary and yo$ need it to %$nction "ro"erly. This is also tr$e with the cell. ,#erything has a "$r"ose and the cell wo$ld not %$nction i% a "iece was !issing. ,#erything is linked and e#erything is de"endent on e#erything else. (or e a!"le, in class we watched a #ideo o% a Toyota ad#ert. The !achine in that ad#ert is -$st like the "oint ' a! trying to get across with the cell. ,#erything in that !achine is de"endent on the "re#io$s str$ct$re and %$nction and so is the cell. The cell !ight &e chaotic &$t it is a controlled chaos and e#erything is there %or a reason. The de%inition o% a !achine is a tool that consists o% one or !ore "arts, and $ses energy to !eet a "artic$lar goal. Machines are $s$ally "owered &y !echanical, che!ical, ther!al, or electrical !eans. 1cells are "owered &y che!icals and energy in this sa!e way2 and the cell $ses energy to !eet a "artic$lar goal. @i%eA A !$ch easier analogy which is also a !achine is a car. A cell is like a car in !any ways "artic$larly. The n$cle$s o% the car is co!"ara&le to the dri#er o% the car &eca$se the dri#er directs where the car !$st go and what it has to do. 't can also &e co!"ared to the engine o% the car &eca$se the engine controls e#erything that is ha""ening on the car. The cell wall is like the car &ody &eca$se they are &oth sti%% layers that "rotect e#erything inside o% the car/cell %or e a!"le the dri#er 1the n$cle$s2. ' think that the cell !e!&rane can &e co!"ared to the windows and doors o% the car. ' think this &eca$se the cell !e!&rane controls what enters and e its the cell and the doors and window o% a car !onitor what can get in and o$t o% the car. ,#erything that wants to interact with the cell 1the car2 has to go thro$gh the cell !e!&rane 1the doors and window2 ' think that the chro!atin are like the "arts inside o% the engine. ' think this &eca$se the chro!atin is located in the n$cle$s like engine "arts are located in the engine 1and the n$cle$s can also &e co!"ared to the engine2 and &eca$se there are di%%erent "arts in di%%erent engines, like how chro!atin is di%%erent in each cell. ' think that the n$cleol$s can &e co!"ared to the gas "$!". ' think this &eca$se the n$cleol$s !akes ri&oso!es like the gas "$!" !akes gas, which is the ri&oso!es in the car. ' think that the n$clear !e!&rane is like the hood o% the car &eca$se the n$clear !e!&rane "rotects the n$cle$s like the hood o% a car "rotects the engine. ' think that n$clear "ores are like the "i"es that connect to the engine &eca$se n$clear "ores are "assage ways into the n$cle$s like "i"es are "assage ways to the engine. ' think that the !itochondria is like the &attery in a car. ' think this &eca$se the !itochondria "rod$ces energy that "owers the cell like the car &attery "owers the car electronics and hel"s to start the car. ' think that the ri&oso!es are like the gasoline in the car. ' think this &eca$se ri&oso!es "rod$ce energy to !ake the car !o#e like in a cell. ' think that the endo"las!ic retic$l$! can &e co!"ared to di%%erent ele!ents o% a car, de"ending on what "art o% the endo"las!ic retic$l$! that we are talking a&o$t. The

ro$gh "art o% the endo"las!ic retic$l$! is like a gas tank in a car &eca$se the ro$gh endo"las!ic retic$l$! has ri&oso!es on it and can act as storage %or the cell like a gas tank has gas in it 1ri&oso!es2 and its storage %or gas. The s!ooth endo"las!ic retic$l$! can &e co!"ared to the e ha$st in the car &eca$se the s!ooth endo"las!ic retic$l$! has no ri&oso!es on it and it can take o$t the waste in the cell like an e ha$st re!o#es har!%$l che!icals %ro! the car. ' think that the #ac$oles is like the tr$nk o% the car &eca$se #ac$oles act as storage areas in a cell like the tr$nk in a car is a storage "lace. The golgi a""arat$s is like the "i"es and wires in the car. ' think this &eca$se the golgi sorts and sends things %ro! one organelle to another in a cell like the "i"es and wires send di%%erent %l$ids and electricity thro$gho$t the car. D$e to all o% these reasons, a cell is like a !achine, "artic$larly a car and it can easily &e co!"ared to either one. (ro! !y analysis &etween the co!"arison o% a cell &eing like a city and a cell &eing like a !achine. ' think that they are &oth /$ite acc$rate analogies to co!"are and $nderstand the cell !$ch &etter. ,#en tho$gh, they are still di%%erent in !any ways and cannot &e considered incredi&ly alike. They are #ery di%%erent in their own ways. Between the two analogies, ' can !ake an in%or!ed choice &etween which one ' think is the !ost acc$rate and &est descri&es and relates to the cell. ' think that the &est o"tion is that the cell is !ore like a city. ' %eel this way &eca$se a !achine is too si!"le to &e co!"ared to s$ch a #ast and co!"le str$ct$re. There are also !any di%%erent ty"es o% !achines that #ary in si!"licity and co!"le ity and it is too #ag$e to &e a&le to say i% it is co!"ara&le. '% it was -$st a car or a ro&ot in "artic$lar, it wo$ld &e !$ch easier to !ake a co!"arison, &$t it is not s"eci%ic eno$gh. (or e a!"le, a screw is considered a si!"le !achine, which is de%initely not co!"ara&le to the cell at all. A city is a &etter analogy %or !e to relate to the cell &eca$se it has !any di%%erent ele!ents, str$ct$res and %$nctions -$st like the cell does and it is easier to co!"are the cell to a city %or these reasons.

The gro$nd

Meat %actory

Mayor

7ower "lant

*lean $" crew 97.

6esta$rants

wareho$se

Date kee"er

Bi&liogra"hy B*ell Me!&rane.B Wikipedia. Ciki!edia (o$ndation, 09 .e"t. 2013. Ce&. 09 .e"t. 2013. B*ell!e!&rane.B Cellmembrane. 4."., n.d. Ce&. 09 .e"t. 2013. B*ells Are like Machines or 6o&ots 5 .choolBioTech.B Cells Are like Machines or Robots - SchoolBioTech. 4."., n.d. Ce&. 09 .e"t. 2013. B,ndo"las!ic 6etic$l$! 5 Cra""ing 't 9".B Biology4Kids.com Cell Str!ct!re "ndoplasmic Retic!l!m. 4."., n.d. Ce&. 09 .e"t. 2013. B@ysoso!e 1&iology2.B "ncyclopedia Britannica #nline. ,ncyclo"edia Britannica, n.d. Ce&. 09 .e"t. 2013. BMitochondrion.B Wikipedia. Ciki!edia (o$ndation, 09 .e"t. 2013. Ce&. 09 .e"t. 2013. $at!re.com. 4at$re 7$&lishing Dro$", n.d. Ce&. 09 .e"t. 2013. B7arts o% a *ell.B %arts o& a Cell. 4."., n.d. Ce&. 09 .e"t. 2013. B6i&oso!es.B Abo!t.com Biology. 4."., n.d. Ce&. 09 .e"t. 2013. BChat 's the ($nction o% *yto"las!?B Wise'""K. 4."., n.d. Ce&. 09 .e"t. 2013.