Join a cell biology research group to find out how a poisonous compound from a yew tree can be used in cancer therapy. You will be immersed in an animation of a human cell and use light and fluorescence microscopy to study cell division.
High School
How can a toxic compound be used in medicine? Paclitaxel, isolated from yew trees, can kill large animals like horses but is also used in cancer therapy. In this simulation, you will learn how cells divide and how they are affected by poisonous paclitaxel.
Test the effect of paclitaxel
Start by testing the effect of paclitaxel on cultured cells. Will the compound kill the cells, or perhaps inhibit or accelerate cell division? Continue by learning more about the phases a cell must go through in order to divide and how this complex process is regulated.
How is DNA packaged?
Next, you have the option to dive into a blood sample to find out how DNA is packaged in an immersive animation of the cell. Find the DNA inside the nucleus and then zoom in from the chromosomes all the way to individual nucleotides. If you are already familiar with this, you can continue with the next experiment straight away!
Use microscopy to study mitosis
Prepare a sample of onion cells to observe the phases of mitosis under the microscope. Find out how each phase contributes to successful duplication of the cell.
Compare mitosis and meiosis
Now that you are an expert in mitosis, it is time to find out how this way of cell division differs from meiosis. Compare the phases and outcomes of mitosis and meiosis through an interactive learning activity and discover how meiosis contributes to genetic diversity in the population. Finally, think back to the effect of paclitaxel: does this compound affect only cells dividing through mitosis or would it affect meiosis as well?
Length:
32
mins
Accessibility mode:
Available
Languages:
English (United States)
German
Spanish
French
Italian
Course Packages:
At the end of this simulation, you will be able to:
Describe the role cell division plays in growth, tissue repair, and reproduction
Describe the principle of cell cycle regulation and control
Distinguish between the different stages of the cell cycle: interphase (G1, S and G2) and mitosis/meiosis
Model how meiosis ensures genetic diversity
Summarize the main events that occur in the sequential phases of mitosis and meiosis
Categorize outcomes of meiosis and mitosis
At the end of this simulation, you will be able to:
University
NGSS
IB
AP
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