Using a Virtual Tissue Culture System To Assist Students in Understanding Life at the Cellular Level

摘要

Truly, everything an organism does occurs fundamentally at the cellular level: from transporting oxygen in a red blood cell to providing tensile strength to lift a dumbbell via tendons, ligaments, and muscles, or regulating glucose concentration in the blood via pancreatic regulation of insulin secretion. The study of diseases (like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, and bipolar disorder), epidemics (the influenza, AIDS, or SARS, not to mention drug addiction, and obesity), or the loss of biodiversity (due to eutrophication of lakes, rivers, and ponds); each requires an understanding of unique cell types and their specific biology and physiology.