Microtubule Quantity for Mitosis

                                                  


                                                Microtubule Quantity for Mitosis as
                                             Revealed by Electron Cryotomography
                                                                        
                                                                  Article Used:
                        http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110908124152.htm
                                                                       MLA:
                 California Institute of Technology. "Mitosis: New techniques expose surprises cell in division." ScienceDaily, 12 Sep. 2011. Web. 21 Oct. 2012.

                                                                   Summary

          As described by Grant Jensen, a biology professor, researchers at the Califonrnia Institute of Technology have used electron cryotomography to determine the number of microtubules necessary for mitosis. The article describes electron cryotomography (ECT) as, "Unlike traditional electron microscopy -- for which samples must be dehydrated, embedded in plastic, sectioned, and stained -- ECT involves plunge-freezing samples so quickly that they become trapped in a near-native state within a layer of transparent, glass like ice. A microscope can then capture high-resolution images of the sample as it is rotated, usually one degree at a time." (paragraph 4) By doing this, the perception of the number of microtubules necessary for segregating chromosomes during mitosis has dramatically changed. Beforehand, it was thought that roughly 40 microtubules were necessary for this process, which occurs during metaphase to anaphase, however the ECT has shown that solely 10, not fully developed, microtubules were necessary to separate the chromosomes of a small, prokaryotic bacteria.


                                                               Relevance

          The current section being studied in class involves the process of mitosis. This article extrapolates upon the metaphase and anaphase parts of the process. Furthermore, it displays topical information regarding the role of microtubules not found within the text book. The article theorizes that the microtubules are necessary for metaphase, so that anaphase can follow.  Also, it relates to the usage of microscopes, as it describes a method that eases the usage of microscopy for these cells. This method is the electron cryotomography. The scanning electron microscopes are used in combination with the ECT.