Interactive cell poster

Diagnosing Xylorian Cellular Malfunctions

Intergalactic Crisis

What went wrong?

Treatment

Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane-bound. Rough ER: Has ribosomes bound to its surface, stores proteins, and is the extension of the nuclear membraneSmooth ER: Lacks ribosomes; synthesizes lipids, steroids, and phospholipids detoxifies drugs, and stores calcium ions.

Plasma Membrane A lipid bilayer with embedded proteins that regulates the movement of substances in and out of the cell and facilitates communication with the environment.

Mitochondria The powerhouse of the cell, generating ATP through cellular respiration, providing energy for cellular activities. Consists of an outer membrane, an inner membrane, and an intermembrane space. Mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles.

Ribosomes Where protein synthesis happens. Messenger RNA (mRNA) is translated into proteins. This organelle is essential for cell structure and function. These are not membrane-bound organelles.

Lysosomes Membrane-bound vesicles containing enzymes for breaking down waste materials and cellular debris. These are found in animal cells and not plant cells.

Nucleus Acts as the control center of the cell, holding DNA and organizing activities like growth, metabolism, and reproduction through gene expression. Membrane bound organelles. Nucleolus:Located within the nucleus, this structure is involved in ribosome synthesis and assembly.

Cytoskeleton A network of fibers (microtubules, microfilaments, and intermediate filaments) that provides structural support, helps in cell movement and facilitates intracellular transport. The cytoskeleton is not membrane-bound.

Golgi Apparatus Modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and lipids for secretion or delivery to other organelles. Composed of flattened membrane-bound sacs, and are membrane-bound themselves.

Cytoplasm The cytoplasm is the entire region of a cell between the plasma membrane and the nuclear envelope. Gel-like substances fill the cell where organelles are suspended and metabolic processes occur. It is not necessarily membrane-bound; it is the space inside the membrane.

Introduction: Our patient is a 4-month-old Xylorian male. Symptoms include pale skin, unusual lack of energy, problem moving eyes.

The presence of linear chromosomes within the nucleus and various forms of RNA allow for complex gene expression. This wouldn’t be possible if the cells didn’t all work together. The nucleus determines what proteins are needed, the ribosomes and ER create these proteins while the Golgi apparatus modifies and directs them. The mitochondria create the energy needed for this process, while the lysosomes take care of the waste and detoxification. The plasma membrane regulates what waste exits the cell, while the cytoplasm and cytoskeleton provide support for the cell, the cytoplasm holding the other organelles in the plasma membrane, and the cytoskeleton holding together the cytoplasm itself.

Surface area-to-volume ratio The surface area refers to the area of the cell membrane that is available for material exchange, and the volume refers to the space within the cell that contains organelles, cytoplasm, and other components. A higher ratio of surface area to volume means more membrane surface area relative to the volume of the cell. This allows for more efficient diffusion of nutrients, gases, and waste products in and out of the cell. They can take more helpful substances like nutrients and oxygen, and get rid of waste more effectively.

Cell compartmentalization refers to how organelles in eukaryotic cells work separately from each other. This is mainly due to the efficiency that compartmentalizing brings. Separating the cell into different parts allows for the creation of specific microenvironments within a cell. That way, each organelle can have all the advantages it needs to perform to the best of its ability. For example, the nuclear envelope is a double membrane that consists of the outermost layer of the nucleus, and separates the nucleus from the cytoplasm, providing a distinct environment for transcription and processing of RNA. If compartmentalization did not happen, metabolic pathways could interfere with one another. For instance, the enzymes from lysosomes could damage cellular structures if not contained.

Prokaryotic cells

Prokaryotes v.s. Eukaryotes

Prokaryotes are unicellular organisms that lack membrane-bound structures, including the nucleus and other organelles. They are smaller and simpler in structure compared to eukaryotic cells

Eukaryotic cells

Eukaryotic cells have a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. They are more complex in structure and may be multicellular.Both cells consist of cells with a cell or plasma membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes, DNA, vesicles, and vacuoles.

What went wrong?

It seems our patient has failing ribosomes. It seems there has been a genetic mutation that has caused the ribosomal proteins to begin apoptosis (the organized cell death) of erythroid creation cells. This mechanism is known as ‘ribosomal stress.' The now failing erythroid, responsible for the creation of red blood cells in one’s bone marrow, creates faulty red blood cells which put at risk the patient as oxygen has difficulty flowing through the body. Although ribosomes are not part of the endomembrane pathway, it is still important to understand what exactly it is. The endomembrane pathway is a group of membranes and organelles in eukaryotic cells that works together to modify, package, and transport lipids and proteins. It includes the nuclear envelope, lysosomes, vesicles, the ER, and Golgi apparatus, as well as the plasma membrane.

Treatment

Allogenic stem cell transplantations are a reliable way to cure the problem of ribosomal stress. We can replace the abnormal, unhealthy stem cells with healthy ones to create and boost healthy red blood cell production. The ribosomal proteins will not begin apoptosis as there are functioning cells in place, and the erythroid beings function normally.