The selected organelles:
- mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell
- lysosomes, the destroyer
- ribosomes, protein builders
[My favorite organelles are] "mitochondria because they have their own genome," LauraAnn Schmidberger, a senior in high school, said.Three Parent Controversy- The mitochondria do indeed have their own genome, which is what puts them at the center of the recent 3-Parent controversy discussed on Feb. 26. However, the controversy is actually international, and the UK may approve it and produce 3-parent babies by 2014, according to The Telegraph.
Mitoflashes and Lifespan- Activity in the mitochondria of worms may be able to predict the worms' lifespan, according to the article "Lifespans predictable at early age: worm study suggests that activity in mitochondria determines ageing" published in February by Nature.com. The article explains the results of a study that found that the frequency of mitoflashes, or quick bursts of mitochondrial activity, is inversely related to longevity; the more mitoflashes, the shorter the lifespan.
Lysosomes
I like lysosomes because they destroy stuff and I like the name "lysosome," Kylie Baker, a sophomore Molecular Biology Major at Colorado University, Boulder, said.Autophagy- Autophagy, or "self-eating" is how eukaryotic organisms survive starvation, digesting their own molecules and organelles for use as energy. Lysosomes, in addition to breaking down macromolecules entering the cell to be used in energy synthesis during normal satiated conditions, can "eat" parts of its own cell through endocytosis and digest its own macromolecules for energy, according to Scitable.
Missing Enzymes and Empty Lysosomes-When one of the ~60 enzymes is missing from the lysosome, a lysosomal deficiency or disease occurs, Biosciencetechnology explains. In extremely rare cases of (Type III) in which none of the enzymes work, the lysosomes remain empty and the children die by age ten.
[My favorite organelle is the] "ribosome... definitely the ribosome. Conserved in all cells and absolutely essential for life!" Amanda Evans, a freshman Biomedical Science Major at Colorado State University said.Self Assembly- One of the requirements for a molecule that assembles RNA is that it must assemble its own 50-part structure, with the help of some proteins. Phys.org published an article in February, "Advanced techniques yield new insights into ribosome self-assembly" that explains how some of the auxiliary proteins, rather than locking the ribosome into its structure, bind the ribosome's components in other conformations (shapes not found in the ribosomes themselves) to allow other parts to come together. "The team was most interested in a central region of the 16s RNA because it contains signature sequences that differentiate the three cellular 'domains,' or superkingdoms, of life," the article explains.
Energy dependent translational throttle A (EttA)- A collaborative effort between researchers at Lethridge University (Canada) and Columbia University led to the suggestion that a protein, now EttA, binds to ribosomes to slow down protein production once a cell is fully grown, according to Caroline Zentner for the Lethbridge Herald. "Just like a laptop computer that will go into power-save mode when its battery is running low, YjjK [EttA] senses when the cell’s energy is low and then acts like a throttle to put it into energy-saving mode." Zentner writes.
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Leave a comment if you would like me to look into any other organelles!
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