1)

     Each of the cell structures from last week’s assignment are crucial to the proper functioning of a cell. For starters, the golgi body, or golgie apparatus is the basis of transport in the cell. It is what sorts, stores, manufactures, and transports materials in the cell. The golgi body also specifies the location in the cell to which its products are sent are their production. Next is the nucleus, which is actually the brain of the cell. It controls the transport of DNA and RNA through the cell and controls the functions of other organelles in a cell. The nucleus also contains most of the genes found in eukaryotic cells. When thinking of eukaryotic cells one must consider the endoplasmic reticulum, both rough and smooth. The smooth ER synthesizes lipids, is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, stores calcium ions, produces sex hormones, and is involved in the detoxification of drugs and poisons. Next the rough ER is basically a membrane factory in the cell. The vacuole is a storage sac in the cell, sometimes pumping water out of a cell to maintain a proper balance of water and solute in a cell. Simply put, ribosomes build proteins. Peroxisomes contain enzymes that transfer hydrogen from substrates of oxygen to produce hydrongen peroxide. Their compartmental structure is crucial to their function because they also enclose enzymes that produce this toxic compound in close proximity to those that dispose it. Lysosomes digest materials taken into the cell and recycle intercellular materials. The cytoplasm is what gives a cell mechanical support by allowing a cell to maintain its shape and anchor organelles. It is very important to animal cells since they have no cell wall. The mitochondria generates ATP through a process of extracting energy from sugars, fats, and other fuels with the help of oxygen. Finally, chloroplasts help plants maintain their color by producing green pigment in cells.

2)

      Increasing soil salinity would be a bad idea because the plants would go from having a low salt concentration to a high salt concentration. This causes water in the plants to diffuse out of their cells and causes them to dehydrate and die. A simple solution to this problem would be to bring in fresh water instead of salt water. This would be done at a high price, but the price paid to bring in the water would be worth it to continue to have healthy crops. Also rain water could be tested as to find out if it has a high or low salt concentration and if it meets the proper standards, it could be used.

I. Structure

A. Peroxisomes are specialized, roughly spherical compartments.

1. Often have a granular or crystalline core that is thought to be a dense collection of enzymes.

2. Bound by a single membrane.

B. Found in leaf cells very close to mitochondrion and chloroplasts. Both organelles sometimes work with peroxisomes to perform specific metabolic functions.

C. Contain an enzyme that converts hydrogen peroxide to water.

D. Do not bud from the endomembrane system.

E. Grow larger by incorporating proteins made primarily in the cytosol, lipids made in the ER, and lipids synthesized within the peroxisome itself.

F. May increase in number by splitting in two when they reach a certain size.

II. Function

A. Produces hydrogen peroxide.

B. Peroxisomes’ compartmental structure is crucial to crucial to its function.

1. Contains enzymes that transfer hydrogen from subtrates of oxygen to produce the hydrogen peroxide.

2. Peroxisomes get their name from the hydrogen peroxide they produce.

3. Encloses both the enzymes that produce hydrogen peroxide and those that dispose of the toxic compound.

B. Some peroxisomes break down fatty acids down into smaller molecules that can be transported to the mitochondria for use as fuel in cellular respiration.

C. Detoxify harmful compounds by transferring hydrogen from them to oxygen.

III. Glyoxysomes

A. Specialized peroxisomes found in the fat-storing tissues of plant seeds.

1. Contain enzymes that initiate the conversion of fatty acids to sugars for the use of energy until a seedling can produce its own sugar.

Hello. Hola. Buenas tardes. How are you? Just testing…