Cell Biology - Lecture 1 Introduction

This set covers the scientific history, terminology, and key methodologies of cell biology, including various microscopy techniques and milestone Nobel Prizes as discussed in the introductory lecture.

Robert Hooke

The scientist who first used the term 'cell' (Zelle) in 1665 in his work 'Micrographia' while describing the structure of cork tissue.

Cella

The Latin root for 'cell,' meaning a 'small room' or the inner main room of an ancient temple.

Antoni van Leeuvenhoek

Developer of advanced microscopes using specialized glass grinding that achieved approximately $200\times$ magnification.

Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link

In 1805, he described the boundary of a plant cell as a dense but 'sap-permeable' membrane.

Robert Brown

The scientist who discovered the cell nucleus in 1831.

Matthias Jacob Schleiden

Scientist who studied plant cells in 1838, linking the nucleus to cell origin and proposing the 'Uhrglastheorie' (watch-glass theory).

Theodor Schwann

Scientist who in 1839 identified cells as the 'elementary structure' of both plants and animals, leading to the 'Theory of Cells' (Zellentheorie).

Cell (Definition)

The smallest unit of an organism capable of life, typically measuring 10-20\text{ }\boldsymbol{\text{\mu m}} in diameter.

GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein)

A protein discovered in the jellyfish Aequorea victoria; its development for molecular labeling earned the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Super-resolution Microscopy

Advanced light microscopy techniques developed by Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell, and William E. Moerner, awarded the Nobel Prize in 2014.

Ernst Ruska

Recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in electron optics and the design of the first electron microscope.

Electron Microscopy (Classical Preparation)

Includes chemical fixation with aldehydes, dehydration, heavy metal staining (e.g., OsO4, Lead Citrate), and plastic resin embedding.

Colloidal Gold

An electron-dense particulate marker used in EM, typically ranging in size from $Au_{11}$ ($0.8\text{ }nm$) to $25\text{ }nm$.

Vitrification

A fast-freezing process used in CryoEM to preserve spatial relationships in a near-native, frozen-hydrated state without chemical fixation.

Cryo-electron Microscopy (CryoEM)

The technique for high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution, awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize to Dubochet, Frank, and Henderson.

Macromolecular Crowding

The concept that the interior of cells is highly packed with molecules at natural concentrations, as opposed to diluted 'test tube' conditions.

Cellular Electron Cryo Tomography

A modality of cryoEM used to study macromolecular machines and complexes 'in situ' within their native cellular environment.