Reference no: EM132383544

3.Read the paragraph below (Adapted from the Emperor of all Maladies by Sidddhartha Mukherjee)

Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer where the bone marrow makes too many immature white blood cells (lymphocytes). This type of leukemia can effect red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. It was one of the earliest non-solid (non-tumorous) cancers targeted for a cancer cure. Chemotherapy was the choice of treatment. After several tries, physicians discovered that certain synthetic organic chemicals could in fact send a patient into remission (no cancer detected in the blood). However, these remissions were short lived, as the young patients would relapse and return to their doctors with an even more aggressive form of ALL. Scientists discovered that the new aggressive cancer originated from the brain or nervous system. They discovered that the chemotherapeutic drugs did not reach the brain and accessory nervous system.

• Explain why you think the chemotherapeutic drugs could not enter the brain. (Hint think about cell to cell associations).
• If you were an oncologist at that time, how would you recommend treatment for a patient with childhood ALL? How would you make sure that chemotherapeutic drugs reached the entire body of the patient?

4.Kiwi fruit in its diploid state has a high degree of variation resulting in fruits that vary in size, sometimes making them too small to be commercially viable. In 2012 scientists set out to see if increasing the ploidy (chromosome number) of the fruit could possibly increase the size of fruit.

• What part of the cell (cytoskeletal structure) could scientists target to induce polyploidy (many chromosomes) in the kiwi fruit?
• What important role could the chosen structure play in cell ploidy?

(The above question is adapted from "Induced polyploidy dramatically increases the size and alters the shape of fruit in Actinidia chinensis" by Wu et al. 2012 in Annals of Botany )

1. Discuss the role of integrins in cell coverings.
2. Why is having a fluid membrane advantageous for living cells?
3. On an adventure trip through an Indonesian jungle, Mr.A is bitten by a viper and almost dies from hemolysis (red blood cells break open). Analysis of the snake venom reveals the presence of three enzymes (proteins): neuraminidase (removes cell surface carbohydrates), phospholipase (breaks down phospholipids) and protease (breaks down proteins). Which of these enzymes was most likely responsible for Mr. A's near death experience? Why?
4. Name the component of the cell membrane that is most likely acting as a receptor in cell to cell signaling.
5. Identify and discuss three main functions of the plasma membrane.
6. What are aquaporins? Name an organ in the human body for which they are very important.