Cell Theory 8/28

http://biology.usf.edu/cmmb/images/cells2.jpg

Did you know that all living things/organisms are composed of cells? It's true, all life is made of cells. In fact, no living thing could survive without cells. So what are cells anyway? And I'm not talking about the rooms in which a monk or nun sleeps. Although, oddly enough that is how the the cell I'm referring to, got it's name. However, this type of cell (the type I'm talking about) is made up of atoms. This cell is the basic unit of structure and function in living things. Now that we know what a cell is, let's learn more about it. All cells come from pre-existing cells. Meaning, all cells come from other cells that already exist. They don't just pop up out of nowhere! In addition, all cells are not the same. There is a kind of cell that is in us human beings and animals and there is a type of cell that is in plants. The way you can tell the difference is not only by their size and shape, but also by specialized structures that are within these cells. These specialized structures are called organelles. The plant cell is different from the animal cell because it has a few additional structures or organelles that the animal cell does not have. These structures include the chloroplasts, the cell wall, and vacuoles.

SP&E - SP7: Engaging in argument from evidence
I used evidence to defend my explanation. I answered a atoms and cells worksheet providing my group and I's previous knowledge about atoms and cells and a video we watched in class as evidence. I formulated evidence based on solid data when I stated that a cell is made up of atoms, using my class's previous knowledge as evidence. I examined my own understanding in light of the evidence. I used to think that sugar does not have cells, but because of the discussion my class had now I think that sugar comes from a plant called sugar cane that has cells. I collaborated with my peers in searching for the best explanation. I did some research on what has cells and what does not have cells which I discussed with my table. Together we figured out that a piece of metal does not have cells, olive oil does not have cells, and a diamond necklace does not have cells because they are not organisms.

XCC: Patterns
In class, we were working on a worksheet that required us to find the "odd one out". In order to do this we would have to identify a pattern or common interest in each list of items. Then we would have to find which item out of each list did not belong or was the "odd one out". There were predictions that could be made. These predictions were mainly related to trying to find the common interest in the different items. These patterns that were found in the different lists of items helped answer questions about cells and atoms. Such as, what items did or did not contain cells or atoms. These patterns helped my group and I learn more about cells and atoms and where they occur. This information could help us "take over the world" by giving us some knowledge of cells and atoms, which could come in handy in the future.