The Cell, the basic constituent of all living organisms,continues to fascinate us, for, it holds within its core the very secret of life. Today, with the aid of cutting edge-technology, scientists are making use of cell-therapy and manipulation of genes for treatment of various diseases, including cancer. “The Song of the Cells”, a recent book by Siddharth Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize winner, takes us through the exhilarating journey of cell research and describes its new possibilities.
The
Cell All of us know about the Cell;
cells group together to form tissues, tissues into organelles, and organelles
into the whole organisms. Some organisms like the bacteria, of course, are
unicellular.
Although Robert Hook, the English polymath,
and, Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch cloth merchant, discovered cells under
the microscope in 1600, it took several centuries after that for scientists to
unravel the structure and functioning of the Cell.
Today
we learn that a cell comprises of the nucleus having the genetical material tucked
within, the mitochondria, or the cell’s power house, Ribosomes involved in
protein synthesis, the Golgi apparatus connected with transport, sorting and modification of
both protein and lipid, vacuoles
for eliminating wastes, plastids in plants which helps in photosynthesis etc.
Plants cells are bound by cell walls, whereas, animal cells have only cell
membranes.
Stephen
Sir &What he taught usWhen I think
about the Cell, I can’t help remembering Stephen Sir.It
seems only yesterday that we were sitting in hisCytology class, listening to
serious lectures on the Cell, its structure and functions.
Sir
always looked too old for his age, with veryfew hairs standing erect on his
bald head. He wore clothes that didn’t fit him.He walked with a slight stoop.
He looked like a man in deep thoughts; there were furrows on his forehead. No
wonder, we, his students, aptly gave him the nick-name him ‘wet hen’. However,
to his credit, he led us to the hither to unknown world of Cells, when new
research findings on Cells had just started getting published. He gave us
innumerable references from top scientific journals, ensuring that we were fed
with the latest information. Noting down all those tedious details did not give
us any chance to chat or laugh, as we did in other classes.
In
our practical classes we started looking at the cells, especially the stained
chromosomes in the cells of Onion roots, grown in petri-dishes, crushed and
stained. This opened before us a new world, confirming what we already learned
in our theory classes.
Years
passed by, and I chose a non-scientific profession. Even then, I used to come
across the latest research findings on cells, especially the Human Genome
Project and the like, from time to time. I had no problem relating to the
latest discoveries, for, Stephen Sir had laid the foundations of cell studies
so firmly in our minds. In my last visit to my nativeplace, I came to know,
with deep regret, that Sir had passed away, sometime ago. However, the
knowledge he painstakingly imparted in us still lives in our minds.
The
Song of the Cell
There
are numerous text books, articles and scientific papers describing the
functioning of the cells. However, the book entitled “The Song of the Cells” is
a class apart. Written by Siddhartha Mukherjee, it is a fascinating foray into
the life of cells. I came across this book after reading an interview of
Mukherjee in a leading newspaper. By then, his book had already started making
waves. There were raving reviews. Those prompted me to get a copy of the book.
Siddhartha
Mukherjee is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University and a
cancer physician and researcher. A Rhodes scholar, he graduated from Stanford
University, University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School. He was the winner
of Pulitzer Prize in 2011.
The
booknarrates the history of research into the biological and medical aspects of
the cells, painstakingly carried out by scientists, since the 17th
century. We come across the description about the structure and functions of
the cells, organization of the cells into tissues, organelles and organisms. It
gives us a graphic description of the blood cells, anti-bodies, B cells,
T-cells, platelets and neutrophils. It tells us about cell division, cell
death, cell repairs, and cell regeneration. It discusses leukemia and other
types of cancers and auto-immune diseases. It also shares the exciting
developments and future possibilities in cell therapy and gene manipulation. And
finally, he discusses “The Song of the Cells.”
Had
he been alive, Stephen Sir too could have reeled out all the facts relating to
cells and would have given an account of the latest developments in the field.
But any comparison is unfair in this regard, as one was a dedicated teacher,
and the other, a gifted science writer. Here not only the cells, but also the
scientists, their experiments, the laboratories, the people who are subject to
experiments---all come alive. It looks at each patient with sensitivity and
compassion. He explains difficult concepts on the basis of his own experiments
or experiences or through personal stories. The whole text is interspersed with
the life stories of scientists, the despair or courage of the patients and the
trial and errors in cell research.No wonder the Washington Post wrote about the
book thus “----(He) swaddles his medical rigor with rhapsodic tenderness,
surprising vulnerability and occasional flashes of pure poetry---"Yes,
there is the fine blending of science and poetry. One generally finds that at
the ethereal level of thoughts,the boundary between science and poetryblurs,
and they become indistinguishable from one another.
The
book gives us many insights. It explains why the body’s immune system does not
attack the body’s own cells, why in cancer cells divide without control, why in
Arthritis stem cells remain inactive and the like. Latest experiments in cell
therapy and gene manipulation provide us new information. Future possibilities
are also indicated.
Behind
the dramaAfter reading the book I started
thinking-what is behind the pattern- the architecture of the cell, its organization
and methodic division, orderly replication of chromosomes, synthesis of
countless number of proteins through which the genes express themselves and
control each and every activity of the cell, the capacity for cell repairs and
regeneration, and a host of other things. Some scientists believe in intelligent
design and a designer behind the patterns we witness in nature. The
prevailing view is that nature is blind; evolution takes place randomly. The
constant flux of creation and destruction takes place in nature. Organisms
evolve trough natural selection. The quintessential pattern remains the same in
all organisms, although they diversify due to natural selection.When the author
refers to the Song of the Cell, he refers to the inter-connectedness -both
internal and external to the cell. But when we visualize the whole nature
endowed with plants and animals composed of billions in harmonious ensemble,their
communication is not just a song any more,but an eternal symphony!
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