Moonflower
Are you aware of the existence of a plant that produces white flowers that open at night and close by the time the sun rises? That is a plant known by many names. The most common is the moonflower due… Continue Reading
Cell cycle regulation
In previous articles, we learned about the phases of the cell cycle and how these gradually lead a cell to division. However, do all the cells of our body have the ability to divide? If not, what is the factor… Continue Reading
DNA in numbers
In previous articles, we talked about the two types of cell division, mitosis, and meiosis. We also described the differences between the terms chromatin, chromosome, and sister chromatid. However, if at this point someone asked you to find the number… Continue Reading
Meiosis
In organisms that follow sexual reproduction, gametes combine to form the zygote, the first cell of a new organism. We will discuss the familiar case of humans, but the same applies to other organisms as well. The two gametes, sperm… Continue Reading
Mitosis
Mitosis is a type of cell division that results in two daughter cells that are identical to each other and their parent cell as well. Mitosis is an important process for many organisms since it serves different purposes. The zygote,… Continue Reading
DNA organization inside the nucleus
Chromosomes, chromatin, nucleosomes, genes, alleles? What is the difference between these terms? What are their roles? And how are they organized inside each one of the small cells of an organism? When you hear these words, you might think that… Continue Reading
Types of cell division
Have you ever wondered how the organs of an embryo develop inside the womb, how the immune system heals infections, or how a tree becomes taller with time? All of the organisms survive, grow, and reproduce by creating new cells.… Continue Reading
Unraveling the double helix
We learned in a previous post that in 1952, after a lot of experiments, DNA was accepted by the scientific community as the genetic material of the cells. However, something was still missing, and that was its structure. For many… Continue Reading
Classic experiments: DNA as the genetic material
In a previous post, we learned that DNA is the genetic material of the cells, and one of its most important functions is that it contains genes that carry the information for the determination of the hereditary characteristics. However, scientists were… Continue Reading
The genetic material
DNA or Deoxyribonucleic acid is the genetic material of all the cells and most viruses, with the exception of some viruses that use another type of nucleic acid, called RNA or Ribonucleic acid. As we will see in the following… Continue Reading