BIOC 223

One of the most fascinating things we talked about in lectures this week was how water is everywhere and how big of an impact it plays in our lives due to its chemical strucutre. We talked about water microscopically, particularly about the hydrogen bonds  form between the hydrogen (donor) and oxygen (acceptor). Now whenever I drink water or use water to wash, I keep thinking about the bent structure of water.

This may be weird or may be I’m just over thinking it, but when I’m drinking water, I imagine myself drinking down molecules of water. I don’t necessarily see it just as a clear liquid anymore that can hydrate me when I’m thirst. Similarly, when I am brushing my teeth and cleaning the bristle part of the toothbrush, I imagine bonds being broken between the water molecules when the water hits the bristle or in fact any part of the toothbrush. I can just imagine how a small amount of energy is being released when the bonds are broken yet I don’t see any part of the vigorous activity that water must be going through.

Additionally,  in my psychology class, we were all primed this week to see if we thought the clear water product at the end was disgusting if the different stages of the filtering process with different colors of the water is shown to the viewers. The water initially started out black and through the multiple filtering stages, we saw the color of the water become lighter and lighter until it became pure white, just like the water we drink. To me personally, my gut reaction was realizing how disgusting the clear water must have been even after through the many filtering processes. Now looking back, I can only see in my mind water molecules surrounding the other non-water molecules (impurities). During the filtering process, maybe the bonds between the impurities and the clean water molecules were broken since many polar molecules can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules? Then maybe the impurities were filtered off, leaving just the water molecules to bind to itself and to give it the clear color, which is the water we drink?

Today in class we talked about nucleic acids. Every time I see figures in the textbook, I have difficult time to visualize them beyond how they are portrayed. Likewise, when we saw the nucleic acid pictures in class today, I thought of them more as flat figures in the 2D shape that they are portrayed as in front my eyes. I forgot that these hexagon and pentagon figures we see are actually in 3D. They can rotate, they can go into and out of the page, but they just can’t printed on the page like that. I often forget the larger picture of the biomolecules, in this case nucleic acids, that can in reality twist and turn to ultimately form all the genetic information in our bodies.

I think that using figures or using program to allow us just to see them in 3D would definitely help for us to see how nucleic acids really are in our bodies and not just flat figures!

For the low, low price of $4.99 you could be the proud owner of premium RNA & DNA tablets from Swanson Health Products (or if you’re feeling truly ambitious you could spring for the CellFood DNA-RNA Spray which also includes methyl groups and ATP for $38.95) . According to the company, the supplements will “Promote healthy skin, cellular health and general health” and also “help promote the structural integrity of cells.” As far as I can tell, the only documented effect is that RNA taken in combination with L-arginine and EPA may decrease recovery time after surgery (according to the NIH which rated the treatment as “possibly effective”). This seems like yet another example of ways that companies exploit people’s basic understanding of science, and the loose regulation of the supplements industry.

Thinking back on the movie, I wonder how accurate the movie was in it’s portrayal of all the characters, especially considering that Crick hated the movie (and how creepy Watson looked— those are some serious crazy eyes!). I loved that Franklin was portrayed as a brilliant, strong woman (though Katie pointed out that it might have been guilt on Watson’s part). I definitely agree with Mwangala that collaborating with other scientists, even though she definitely seemed much brighter than they did, might have helped her get the credit she deserved.

I looked through Watson and Crick’s original paper and i honestly really disliked it. I felt as though it was really smug and written to directly spite Linus Pauling. If it was really about the science, not a race like they said in the movie, you’d think they would have been a little more tactful about it!

Despite being used in commonly lab as an aprotic solvent, DMSO, or dimethyl sulfoxide, is used by many people as a topical nonsteriodal anti-inflamatory drug (NSAID). DMSO is used topically as an incredibly powerful and immediate anti-inflammatory treatment, as it can immediately travel through the skin. However, because of its immediate skin penetrating ability, it can also be used as a carrier to transport other medications into the blood stream much faster. Not only can DMSO decrease the amount of time needed for a medication to reach its target location in the body but it can also increase their concentration and effectiveness once it does reach its target. Furthermore, when you use DMSO on your skin, it has been said that within seconds you will taste it in your mouth, usually as a garlic-y taste. This is because when the DMSO is absorbed into your blood stream, it can very quickly interact with your sensory nerves and taste buds. Common uses include using DMSO to reduce discoloration from bruising and mixing DMSO with aspirin as a topical ointment for immediate sore relief. Interestingly, DMSO is used very often with horses, especially racehorses. When a racehorse is injured, it is often necessary for that horse to recover as soon as possible so that it may continue to compete. Because of the very fast antiinflammatory properties and thorough skin absorbance that DMSO has, it is used very often to get horses ready to compete again much faster. Furthermore, a common method for treating horses with open wounds quickly is the use of Furazone, an anti-microbial ointment, with DMSO. This combination allows DMSO to act as a carrier for the Furazone to travel further subdermally than it would on its own and react not only faster but better. (So now, if you ever need to treat a racehorse’s leg quickly, you’ll know how…you’re welcome!)

As a biochemist though, I’m more concerned with how DMSO is able to absorb so quickly and deeply through the skin and through cell membranes. What I found was super cool. So as we know, dimethyl sulfoxide is an amphipathic molecule, with one nonpolar end and one polar end (dimethyl = nonpolar end, sulfoxide = polar end). So when the DMSO molecules come in contact with the cell membrane, the nonpolar regions actually push the membrane apart, while leaving their polar ends out to allow water and other medications (especially hydrophilic ones) to pass through the membrane without needing any type of carrier. When this happens, the bilayer actually curves downward and then a pore is created. Obviously, this is also why we need to be very careful when using DMSO since it can enhance the membrane permeability of almost anything else that’s also on your skin. The DMSO molecules have been found (link below) to fit in just below the polar head group of the phospholipids in the cell membrane bilayer. At very high concentration of DMSO, DMSO can actually form a water pore for the cell! I would check out the article I posted the source for below, they have a super cool figure showing this mechanism with computer generated animation screenshots, but for some reason it won’t let me post the image here. Enjoy!

Hi Everyone,

Just thought I’d share this little poem I wrote over break:

Amino Acids Making Friends

Hi, said the Amino

Of the backbone chain.

I’ve been looking for friends

Have I tapped you in vain?

No, said the Carbon

But this is my state,

I’ve no room for bonds now

I’m a carboxylate!

I’ll make you a deal,

Said the Nitrogen then

I’ll give your O’s some H’s

Then they’ll be happy again!

A great idea, the Carbon responded

And through dehydration the two atoms thus peptide bonded.

Watching the movie on the discovery of DNA yesterday I couldn’t help but feel bad for Rosalind Franklin about the fact that she was absent at the moment of the formation of the DNA model. Dr Franklin was a brilliant scientist whose work was without doubt crucial to the formation of the model. She pretty much collected all the data! Even though she indicated being satisfied about the model being built by someone else, I can’t help but think part of her felt cheated.

That said, I do have critique about her way of doing science. She worked in isolation, closing doors to all collaboration. Granted the people around her did not inspire cooperation and had questionable motives I still wonder how differently the story would have gone if she had allowed herself to listen to the others and worked with them. DNA structure may have been discovered earlier and Dr Franklin may have received the credit she deserved before her death.

http://appliedeco.org/news/extinct-wheeled-creature-discovered-ice-recedes

Quote:

The fossils were discovered over a broad, relatively flat plane exposed as the ice was receding on the northern shore of Wrangle Island where the researchers were studying the effects of climate change on consumption of spirits.

And this is how we science!