Post date: Mar 10, 2022 2:52:26 PM
Background
What do you want to be when you grow up?
There are many important jobs that grown-ups do to keep our world running smoothly.
Whether doctors, teachers, builders, engineers, farmers, etc, everyone learns a specific skill which they can then use to help everyone else.
Just like people, cells specialize in important jobs. Some cells work to digest food for the rest of the body, others attack disease, and others, like blood cells, specialize in carrying things throughout the body.
There are over 20 different types of cells in your body, and more continue to be discovered. At the embryo stage, cells begin to differentiate and are modified to perform a specific function. Cells can then be tailor-made for particular tasks, to perform only the functions needed to best provide for a specific tissue or organ.
These specialized cells, e.g., neural cells, blood cells, are derived from the embryo through cell differentiation.
TASK DESCRIPTION
1) You are a specialised plant / animal cell. Write a short speech (not more than 150 words) / draw illustrations to convince a clueless but excited embryonic cell to become just like you.
Be familiar with the following:
- Function of this specialised cell in the animal or plant body
- How the cell is different from a typical plant /animal cell
- How each difference helps it to perform its function
2) Complete the task below.
ROLE
You are a specialised plant / animal cell, Cell X!
SITUATION
An excited embryonic cell will be going through the process of differentiation to be a specialised cell soon.
However, it is confused as to what role it should take on (please note this is a fictitious situation!!! )
Being an experienced specialised cell, you need to use all your persuasive power to convince the clueless embryo to differentiate into a cell like you!
TASK (Recommended duration: 30 mins – 1 hour )
As a specialised cell X, you are to write a speech OR draw on a piece of A4 paper (you need to take a photograph and upload) to convince an embryonic cell to differentiate into a cell like you.
In your speech / drawing, you may include the following:
- How it will look like
- How important its role is as Cell X in the body of the animal / plant
- How its structures will be modified to perform the function.
- Why it is important for the embryonic cell to become like you
You may refer to the attached notes on examples of specialised cells and use one of the cells as a reference for this task.
Alternatively, you may choose another specialised cell of your choice, read up online on its unique features and use it for this task.
You will publish your speech / drawing on Padlet at the link given below:
https://padlet.com/mijiworkshop/whatdoyouwanttobewhenyougrowupp
Deadline: 15 March (Tuesday)