Mitosis: Using a toxic compound from the yew tree in cancer therapy
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.
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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.
How is DNA packaged?
Start by diving 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.
Use microscopy to study mitosis
Understand the different stages of mitosis through interactive graphics and quiz questions. Then, prepare a sample of onion cells to observe the phases of mitosis and find out how each phase contributes to successful duplication of the cell. By now, you will understand enough about mitosis to replicate the process in a computer model.
Test the effect of paclitaxel
Finally, combine all your new skills and knowledge to test the effect of paclitaxel on cultured cells. Will the compound inhibit or accelerate cell division? How will it affect cancer cells or animals who eat the yew tree?
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