Discussion Intro to Biology
A group working at the University of California, Berkeley has developed “nanothermometers,” little nanoparticles that can be injected into cells to measure the temperature in various places in the cell. So far, they have been used in cells growing in a culture dish. Indicate what you think the group will discover about the temperature in different parts of the cell. Discuss whether you believe it will be the same or different, and explain why
I feel that the idea of placing a thermometer or nanothermomter inside a cell, that is small enough to fit 60,000 on a head of a needle, is unusual! It helps that they used quantum dots of cadmium and selenium that emit different colors or wavelengths of light that correspond to temperature, so they can see the color change with the instruments. According to an article I found online discussing this research, the information given about the temperatures inside cells is necessary, but lacking among the uncountable terabytes of scientific data available today. The inside of a cell is so complicated, and very little is known about it. When dealing with chemistry, temperature is one of the most important physical factors that can change in a chemical reaction. So, knowing more about the chemistry inside a cell, can tell more about how the chemistry of life occurs. Scientists have long suspected that temperatures may vary inside individual cells, because thousands of biochemical reactions at the basis of life are constantly underway inside cells. Some of those reactions produce energy and heat, but some cells are more active than others and the unused energy is discharged as heat. Parts of individual cells also may be warmer because they harbor biochemical power plants termed mitochondria for producing energy.
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2011/august/nano-thermometers-show-first-temperature-response-differences-within-living-cells.html
After studying the research done by the group of
I feel that the idea of placing a thermometer or nanothermomter inside a cell, that is small enough to fit 60,000 on a head of a needle, is unusual! It helps that they used quantum dots of cadmium and selenium that emit different colors or wavelengths of light that correspond to temperature, so they can see the color change with the instruments. According to an article I found online discussing this research, the information given about the temperatures inside cells is necessary, but lacking among the uncountable terabytes of scientific data available today. The inside of a cell is so complicated, and very little is known about it. When dealing with chemistry, temperature is one of the most important physical factors that can change in a chemical reaction. So, knowing more about the chemistry inside a cell, can tell more about how the chemistry of life occurs. Scientists have long suspected that temperatures may vary inside individual cells, because thousands of biochemical reactions at the basis of life are constantly underway inside cells. Some of those reactions produce energy and heat, but some cells are more active than others and the unused energy is discharged as heat. Parts of individual cells also may be warmer because they harbor biochemical power plants termed mitochondria for producing energy.
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2011/august/nano-thermometers-show-first-temperature-response-differences-within-living-cells.html
After studying the research done by the group of