Research Project: Take 2

So after much detailed research on telomeres, and a little bit of sketching of my diagram, my project did not take off like I had hoped, but instead, sort of did the opposite and came to a rearing stop. I could only go so far in diagraming the processes associated with telomeres, because although it is pretty obvious that telomeres are simply a structure, somehow I thought it was possible to diagram its mechanism. There was some cause-and-effect associated with telomeres, but not much, and as my research progressed, my project idea transformed to the process of aging. So far my two main ideas are telomeres and mitochondria. I'm going to work on mapping out those two processes, and look into more research as it's necessary. Here goes nothing at 2:40 am...

An Idea!!

I am SO beyond euphoric right now because an idea that may possibly work for the research project just popped into my mind!!!! (Yes, I did just use a set of quadruple exclamation points, because that really is just how excited I am). The topic at hand: telomeres. Telomeres are something that I learned briefly about a few years ago in an AP Bio course, and after researching them a little bit on the web, there is definitely a spark of interest to continue researching them.

A few questions that I may have are:

- How does the structure of telomeres affect their function?

- What effect would the absence of telomeres have on human beings?

- What type of medical potential do telomeres hold?

- How does the structure of telomeres vary within a species, and among different species? Does this affect the function?

- What is the relationship between telomeres and cancer?

- How does the process of telomere shortening and lengthening actually occur?

Although these are not my finalized questions, they are a starting point for my research. Go telomeres!!

Photo 1: http://www.ccs.k12.in.us/chsBS/kons/kons/telomere.jpg

Photo 2: http://stemcells.nih.gov/StaticResources/info/scireport/images/figurec2.jpg

Research Project: Where to Start...

My entirely life I have been an epic failure at decision making. It is just not my strong suit. I go back and forth in my mind about a decision, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days, before finally making one. And once I do, it's not as if I can just be content with my decision. I have to ruminate over it, the pros and cons multiple times, until finally I cross my fingers and hope for the best, and that my decision was the right one. Consequently, I have yet to make a decision on what I would like to study for the research project. Yes, I do realize that it is Monday night, and Thursdays recitation is three days away, and yes, I do need to have my final questions somewhat in order by that time. For now, though, all I can narrow it down to is something under the umbrella of genetic engineering. I have spent time researching the overall concept of genetic engineering, but I haven't found something specific, yet general enough, to really satisfy both the requirements for the research paper and my own interests. To be honest, I'm sort of stuck. So on that note, I'm going to think about it for a night, cross my fingers, and hope for the best, and tomorrow, begin researching again. Oh, and if you have any ideas, I am definitely open to hearing them...

Van Pelt versus the Human Body

So in reflecting more on Van Pelt library being separated into different length scales, I thought that it would compare relatively well to the different length scales of the human body. Just as Van Pelt contains millions and millions of tiny books, the human body contains about 10 trillion cells. And just as these books are only about 8-10 inches in length by 6-9 inches in diameter, an average cell has a diameter of about 20 micrometers. The books in Van Pelt library are separated into different floors, where each floor is organized by a specific subject. The cells in the human body are organized into various organ systems, each separated by function of the cell. Each book provides specific information based on that subject. Each cell provides a different function to the body based on the organ system that it is a part of. Finally, each floor in the library makes up Van Pelt as a whole. Each organ system makes up the body. These two objects are extremely similar when looked at on specific length scales, but differ greatly when just looked at macroscopically as a whole.

Seeing Things

Eventually, I was able to choose a structure to compare on three different length scales. It came to me when I was sitting in the library one day, studying for midterms, pondering the very thing I could possibly take three photographs of for my bioengineering class. That thing was Van Pelt Library, itself. My smallest level of length scale is an individual book. I estimate the average book to be between 8 and 12 inches in length, and between 6 and 9 inches wide. The next level of length scale is each floor of the library. Each floor contains thousands and thousands of books, separated by subject. The fifth floor, for instance, houses the language and culture books. Finally, the largest length scale is Van Pelt Library as a whole, housing millions of books and separated into 6 floors plus a basement, each floor containing thousands of its own books. Thus, each increase in length scale is a dramatic jump in number, ranging from an 8 by 6 inch book to that number multiplied by the millions of books that are housed in Van Pelt.

What is length scale?

So this week's assignment posed some difficulty for me. I needed to find a structure, on the Penn campus, that demonstrated three different length scales. I thought about this for days on end, but nothing really came to mind or struck me with the thought of, "that definitely would work." I guess for me, the problem was what exactly defined a length scale? If I don't know what it means, how can I find an example of one? This is a concept that I struggled with for a while. To be honest, I still don't fully understand it. If a length scale is something that is determined by an individual, and can be custom altered to fit to a specific thing, then how does one define it? I guess what I figured out by the end of this week, though, is that there isn't really a definition for length scale. It varies based on whatever it is being applied to, but that's what makes it so useful. It can be used for whatever you need it to.