100 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matterb2861 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter “6x9”Table 3.8 The five classes of factors affecting the behavior of living cells.
Determinants Examples Explanations- DNA Mutations in certain genes
(e.g., p53 gene) lead to
cancer and other
pathological changes
Mutated genes lead to alterations in
protein amino acid sequences which
often lead to altered protein
conformations and functions- RNA Colon cancer cells show
statistically significantly
different patterns of
changes in mRNA levels
compared to those of
normal cells
RNA molecules not only mediate (through
mRNA), but also regulate (through
snRNA, and microRNA) the coupling
between genotypes (DNA) and
phenotypes (proteins)- Proteins A diarylquinoline drug,
known as R207910,
binds to the membrane
component of the ATP
synthase in
Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, thereby
killing the organism
Proteins are the only macromolecules in
the cell that can harvest free energy
from chemical reactions they catalyze.
This means that, without proteins, no
energy-requiring processes (without
which no life can exist) can be carried
out by the cell. Proteins are molecular
engines/motors/machines out of which
the cell is constructed- BiochemicalsDepriving oxygen kills all
aerobic cells
Without biochemicals, no chemical
reactions would occur inside the cell,
depriving the cell of all free energy
sources and conformons and hence
ultimately of life- Environment Most cells can survive
only within narrow
ranges of environmental
conditions to which they
have adapted through
long evolutionary
history, including
temperature, pressure,
humidity, neighboring
cells, availability of
light and nutrient
chemicals, etc.
Cells have evolved to survive and perform
their specialized functions only under
stringently defined environmental
conditions. For example, although all
the cells in the human body have about
30,000 genes, different subsets of them
are expressed in different parts of our
body, depending on their local
environmental conditions, leading to the
liver, the kidneys, the heart, blood, or
the brain, etc.b2861_Ch-03.indd 100 17-10-2017 11:46:25 AM