Consider this Question

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Consider this Question

mcourtney 15 Sep 2007 22:12

Suppose a team of scientists is examining the cells of a newly-discovered species. They observe under the light microscope an organelle that appears to be different from any that has been described before. Assume that you are director of the research team.

Describe the methods that you would have the team use to determine whether the structure is a mitochondrion, ribosome, lysosome, nucleolus, or, indeed, a new organelle. Discuss the advantages and limitations of each method in revealing the role of the unknown organelle in the living cell.

Last edited on 18 Sep 2007 12:32 by mcourtney Show more

About this Question

mcourtney 16 Sep 2007 02:04

This question first appeared on the 1969 AP Biology test. Since that time, it is estimated, 75% of the current biological knowledge has been developed.

Last edited on 18 Sep 2007 12:33 by mcourtney Show more

Re: Consider this Question

Uchiha Sasuke 20 Sep 2007 14:59

Uhm…Introduce the organelle to different environments and or offer it food like particles to see if it reacts by digesting, secreeting, or creating something like RNA or DNA. The advantages, if it reacts to either conditioning, would be the figuring of this unknown organelle's purpose. The limitation is the lack of knowledge on it's nutritional needs and or current functions before the experimentation. With today's technology, finding out what it is should be pretty easy o_o.

Re: Consider this Question

pegleg 20 Sep 2007 15:09

If the structure was a lisosome it would have a membrain in closed sac. If it was amitochondion it would serve as a site for celluler reporation. Anucleus is bacicly the center/ brain of the cell with all the DNA. And finally if it was a ribosome it would contain RNA and protins. The problem is to figure some of these out you might end up killing the cell.

Re: Consider this Question

roberto avalos 20 Sep 2007 15:19

First I would see were the organelle does by putting food near it to see if it was a lysosome which would go and digest the food. I would check if it was a nucleolus by watching to see if it would help in making ribosomes. or watch and see if it was making proteins to show that it was a ribosome. and if it is not any of them it would be a mitochondrion which works in cell respieration. and if it didnt do any of these things than it should be a new organelle.

Re: Consider this Question

Jenn 20 Sep 2007 15:27

If the “newly discovered species” where to be a mitochondrion it would have to serve as a site of cellular respiration. A ribosome would have to function as the site of the protein synthesis in the cytoplasm_rRNA and protein molecules which make up make up two subunits. A nucleolus works on the structure of the nucleus, as well as, the synthesis of ribosomes. Now a Lysosome is a membrane enclosed sac of hydrolytic enzymes mostly found in eukaryotic cells – Cytoplasm. To figure out if this "newly found species" where to be either of these, you would have to test them seperatly. Finding out if this " new species" can indeed do what a mitochondrion, lysosome, ribosome, and nucleolus were ment to do, you should put them in an enviorment where the "new species" could show whether or not it can handle the situation.

Re: Consider this Question

ARC 07 Oct 2007 21:34

A method I would use is to place samples of the cells in petri dished. Each dish will have a different material as a control and extra sample of the cells in that material can be placed in different environments. Though everything must be put under close observation to see what the cell's organell does.

Re: Consider this Question

londonverhelst 20 Sep 2007 15:24

If the new structure had a nucleus with DNA, and it contained RNA and proteins, it would be a ribosome. If it was a mitochondrion, then its function would be cellular respiration. If it was a lysosome, it would have an enclosed sac, and digest food when given it. If the new cell had none of these, then I think it would be some kind of new organelle.
As to the limitations, and advantages, I agree with Uchiha Sasuke….

Last edited on 20 Sep 2007 15:24 by londonverhelst Show more

Re: Consider this Question

dragon3000000 15 Oct 2007 15:27

Mitochondrion
(plural, mitochondria) An organelle in eukaryotic cells that serves as the site of cellular respiration.
if it had a mitochondrion it would have to respirate and that would mean that it was a eukaryotic cell.
i would see how it reacts when you put it on or near food. you could aslo see if it was making proteins to see
if it was a ribosome.

Re: Consider this Question

poolman 15 Oct 2007 16:41

They have introduce the new cell, too many differant enviroments and see what it makes it tick. By that we can see what it is or what oranelles it has inside it. Maybe have some food particles, to see if it eats.

Re: Consider this Question

CoCoTheMagicalBear 16 Oct 2007 15:53

I would put it in difrent enviroments to see how it would react to differnt chemicales to see if it creates any thing
also to see how it interactes with it's enviroment. The draw back to this is the cell might die of lack of nutreains if we do not find out how it works.