Carly P. answered • 11/08/19
Experienced High School Teacher Specializing in STEM Fields
How is ATP different from glucose?
Glucose is a carbohydrate, contains the elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen; broken down through glycolysis and Kreb's cycle of cellular respiration to form ATP, cannot be used directly by cells as an energy source; longer term source of energy for cell
ATP is a nucleic acid, contains the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus; broken down into ADP (adenosine diphosphate) in process called hydrolysis; can be used directly by the cell for energy; shorter term source of energy for the cell.
What is cell differentiation? When does it occur?
Process where young, immature (unspecialized) cells change into a mature, specialized cell. A few things, for a cell to be specialized it means the cell now has a specific structure and function (job).
In contrast, unspecialized cells contain the basic organelles to perform general tasks but don't have a specific function yet. Since they don't have a specific function or structure they can change into different cells like blood cells, bone cells etc. through differentiation. Most cells are going to differentiate from stem cells. The process of differentiation begins about 3-5 days after fertilization. Differentiation helps form the blastocyst during early embryonic development. The blastocyst is a group of cells that eventually differentiate to form all of the specialized cells in the body like heart cells, skin cells, bone cells etc.
Why do cells differentiate or specialize?
Recall, that specialized cells have a particular job that they have to fulfill in the body. For example, blood cells must transport respiratory gases through blood or nerve cells transmit signals. The process in which they develop into these specialized cells is differentiation. Consequently, if differentiation didn't happen then we wouldn't have cells to perform those important functions inside the body. For example, undifferentiated cells cannot send nerve signals or transport respiratory gases- we need special cells to do specific jobs inside the body.
Distinguish between a chromosome, a gene, and a chromatid.
A chromosome is tightly coiled DNA strand that is located inside the nucleus of the cell. Chromosome formation begins when the double-strand of DNA is wrapped around special proteins called histones. Through a series of further coiling mechanisms, its finally wrapped into X shaped structures known as a chromosome.
A chromatid is half of the replicated chromosome- half of the X. Chromatids are joined together in the middle of the X by a special part called the centromere. Helps during cell division to ensure that each newly made cell gets the correct number of chromosomes.
A gene is a sequence of DNA that codes for a particular genetic trait. Genes code for traits like your hair color, whether you can roll your tongue, height, skin color... I could go on and on. Genes code for traits by telling the cell how much/what type of protein(s) to make. Different types and amounts of proteins are going to determine which trait is physically expressed.
I hope this helps! If you need further explanation or clarification please feel free to reach out!
