Ask a Biologist Thread

[Chinaski]

Gaaah have a bio test on the cell (growth, division, components, etc) and I can't remember jackshit. How does it go... Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase...? Gaaaahhhhh!!!

[Psi Wavefunction]

Gaaah have a bio test on the cell (growth, division, components, etc) and I can't remember jackshit. How does it go... Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase...? Gaaaahhhhh!!!

I P [on a] MAT

I'm doing research on that shit -- believe me, it's fucking complicated...


Feel free to ask basic questions though

[Chinaski]

Gaaah have a bio test on the cell (growth, division, components, etc) and I can't remember jackshit. How does it go... Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase...? Gaaaahhhhh!!!

I P [on a] MAT

I'm doing research on that shit -- believe me, it's fucking complicated...


Feel free to ask basic questions though

That acronym just saved my life. I'm shooting myself for not studying more... Let's see, what are the cell components... Mitochondria, vescicles, nucleus, ribosomes, lysosomes, golgi apparatus... The difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells is that the eukaryotic cells are bigger and more complex... Goddamm, I'm screwed.

[Psi Wavefunction]

Gaaah have a bio test on the cell (growth, division, components, etc) and I can't remember jackshit. How does it go... Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase...? Gaaaahhhhh!!!

I P [on a] MAT

I'm doing research on that shit -- believe me, it's fucking complicated...


Feel free to ask basic questions though

That acronym just saved my life. I'm shooting myself for not studying more... Let's see, what are the cell components... Mitochondria, vescicles, nucleus, ribosomes, lysosomes, golgi apparatus... The difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells is that the eukaryotic cells are bigger and more complex... Goddamm, I'm screwed.

It makes more sense in context: The eukaryotic ancestor was a single membraned bacterium with a wall. That wall was lost, and two new groups emerged: Archaebacteria and Eukaryotes -- collectively, Neomura (no need to know that detail). Now, it was hot when the first Neomura arrived, and they adapted by developing histones -- archaebacteria and eukarya both have them. This altered the way DNA was replicated and such, requiring special polymerase machinery; but you probably don't need to know that.

So Archaebacteria replaced the old wall with a new one consisting of... something... shit. (glycoproteins or something?) Anyway, it wasn't peptidoglycan anymore. Eukarya had to adapt differently: by evolving a cytoskeleton (actin, microtubules) to provide support against pressure. This cytoskeleton enabled the evolution of a new thing: phagocytosis; which meant that prey could now be engulfed.

Phagocytosis evolved into a more complex endomembrane system: ie: ER, golgi and the secretory pathway; also lysosomes (for digestion) and vacuoles (for storage). Bacteria don't have any of that. The ER eventually was molded to form the nuclear envelope -- a defining eukaryotic feature. Phagocytosis enabled endosymbiosis, so mitochondria entered the game (and later plastids; but there are no primarily amitochondriate eukaryotes known).

So basically, one thing lead to another, and so on... eventually resulting in this massive list of key differences between eukaryotes and prokaryotes (Tom Cavalier-Smith 2009 has a table of 60 such features... ). But you don't need to know that detail.

Did the context help at all?


Any other trouble spots?

[Chinaski]

So prokaryotes are an evolved form of eukaryotes? Makes sense. Thanks a lot ^^
I'm trying to go through my material again to find shit I don't know... Problem is I left my book at home >.< Oh well. Play it by ear

[Psi Wavefunction]

So prokaryotes are an evolved form of eukaryotes? Makes sense. Thanks a lot ^^
I'm trying to go through my material again to find shit I don't know... Problem is I left my book at home >.< Oh well. Play it by ear

(you meant eukaryotes evolved from proks, right? )


I don't know how nasty your biol class is with exams, but you should be fine! What's the topic/chapter, anyway?

[Chinaski]

So prokaryotes are an evolved form of eukaryotes? Makes sense. Thanks a lot ^^
I'm trying to go through my material again to find shit I don't know... Problem is I left my book at home >.< Oh well. Play it by ear

(you meant eukaryotes evolved from proks, right? )


I don't know how nasty your biol class is with exams, but you should be fine! What's the topic/chapter, anyway?

Wait, what?? You just said prokaryotes were the more complex version of eukaryotes that had adapted to a warmer climate.

The topic is just cells (basic stuff, I guess, compared to what we could be doing). My class starts in 10 minutes

[Psi Wavefunction]

So prokaryotes are an evolved form of eukaryotes? Makes sense. Thanks a lot ^^
I'm trying to go through my material again to find shit I don't know... Problem is I left my book at home >.< Oh well. Play it by ear

(you meant eukaryotes evolved from proks, right? )


I don't know how nasty your biol class is with exams, but you should be fine! What's the topic/chapter, anyway?

Wait, what?? You just said prokaryotes were the more complex version of eukaryotes that had adapted to a warmer climate.

The topic is just cells (basic stuff, I guess, compared to what we could be doing). My class starts in 10 minutes

Eubacteria --> {hot climate} < archaebacteria and eukaryotes

Prokaryotes are a bit of an awkward group containing Eubacteria and archaebacteria...

Good luck!!!

[Chinaski]

Now you've gone and confused me.
As long as I know the main differences between proks and euks (haha) I should be able to wing it.

[Psi Wavefunction]

Now you've gone and confused me.
As long as I know the main differences between proks and euks (haha) I should be able to wing it.

I fucking HATE it when people say this, but for the sake of your exam: Eukaryotes are more advanced than prokaryotes!!!!


Sorry for the confusion...

[Chinaski]

Now you've gone and confused me.
As long as I know the main differences between proks and euks (haha) I should be able to wing it.

I fucking HATE it when people say this, but for the sake of your exam: Eukaryotes are more advanced than prokaryotes!!!!


Sorry for the confusion...

But prokaryotes have more organelles and shit.

[Psi Wavefunction]

Now you've gone and confused me.
As long as I know the main differences between proks and euks (haha) I should be able to wing it.

I fucking HATE it when people say this, but for the sake of your exam: Eukaryotes are more advanced than prokaryotes!!!!


Sorry for the confusion...

But prokaryotes have more organelles and shit.

NO! Proks are simpler... they dont have nuclei, or cytoskeleton, or endomembrane, or all that crap....

[Chinaski]

Now you've gone and confused me.
As long as I know the main differences between proks and euks (haha) I should be able to wing it.

I fucking HATE it when people say this, but for the sake of your exam: Eukaryotes are more advanced than prokaryotes!!!!


Sorry for the confusion...

But prokaryotes have more organelles and shit.

NO! Proks are simpler... they dont have nuclei, or cytoskeleton, or endomembrane, or all that crap....

Oh fuck, I've gone and mixed my cells up. Test now... I'll report back in an hour Cheers!

[Psi Wavefunction]

Now you've gone and confused me.
As long as I know the main differences between proks and euks (haha) I should be able to wing it.

I fucking HATE it when people say this, but for the sake of your exam: Eukaryotes are more advanced than prokaryotes!!!!


Sorry for the confusion...

But prokaryotes have more organelles and shit.

NO! Proks are simpler... they dont have nuclei, or cytoskeleton, or endomembrane, or all that crap....

Oh fuck, I've gone and mixed my cells up. Test now... I'll report back in an hour Cheers!

Good luck! Remember: EUkaryote - True Nucleate ; pro is like pre...

[Chinaski]

Done
The bitch didn't even ask about eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Wtf. Instead I blanked on "Under what conditions can mitosis occur?"

Must say it went well though, considering my D- in Bio and the fact that usually I'm completely clueless.