Final Reflection on Cell Biology

Looking back at my first letter to myself I have to laugh because it was spot on.

Taking Cell Biology  did give me more of an interest in genetics and at how complicated the transcription and translation process, past a 100 biology level; the RNA polymerase, and the subunits involved in RNA polymerase II, and more about RNA to include mRNA, tRNA, and other smaller RNA’s, and more about the actual chemistry of DNA. And different things that can cause mutations and genetic errors. Learning more about cell signaling, cell signaling pathways, and gene expression. Has given me a greater interest and appreciation of Biochemistry.

The class also made me want to take Biochemistry and have an interest in Biochemistry. To actually understand more about the chemistry of organic compounds; proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids; understanding “the how and why” vs just saying “chemistry” and actually getting a better understanding how enzymes work and how protein’s do their job. And why Organic Chemistry is important and reaction mechanisms from organic chemistry are not just something we had to know but to actually use them. Granted Biochemistry is not an easy class and it does scare me academically. But think the interest and passion is there for me to take it, after making it through Organic Chemistry and Microbiology.

The literacy papers were…were tough to understand and digest and difficult papers for me to write. (Scientific writing and English are not my best subjects.)…And it has been awhile since I wrote a scientific paper besides lab reports. But glad to have them at a sophomore or 200 level class vs senior year. It was good and think it is important that we as students can understand a published scientific article from an experiment: 1) So we know how to write a scientific article, 2) Its gives us some practical knowledge about the why we are learning something, 3) So that we know how to interpret a research article and talk intelligently and at an academic level about the article. This is good because as Dr. Steel has said before as biologist and scientist we need to be able use science and explain things sometimes to business people, entrepreneurs and advertisers that what they are doing or trying to do may not work or give them the outcome they desire. And so we as scientist can recognized bad data or flawed experiments…These are things that are best learned sooner in one’s college career rather than ones senior year when writing their capstone research project….That and Dr. Steel’s saying about how sometimes in biology we can see the result of something or know something works or does not work. But may not understand the why or the how, just the results and not the chemical or biological reactions and causes. Which is where research and a more detailed micro level understanding comes into play, at the cellular and chemical level, along with being able to see the big picture. Besides the book knowledge, think that will be a big take away from this class and Dr. Steel for me.

My studying improved during the semester. And see how in upper level biology and chemistry classes they build on each other and relate to each other. Just memorizing definitions or terms is enough to get by or get a “C”. But to succeed you have to understand the information and be able to use it not just recite something back. But actually comprehend the information and apply what you learned whether that be in lab, writing a paper, or reading a journal article or an experiment.  Getting a “C” is just getting by or treading water but will not get you a job or get you into grad school.

Taking the class online was harder and wish I had the interaction with other students and the professor. If I had to do it over again I would have tried to visit Dr. Steel more during office hours not just at the end of the semester for help on my scientific literacy paper’s.  That and found collaborating with other students was helpful for me in Organic Chemistry and Anatomy and Physiology. But was hard in this class being that it was an online class. Though I did a little collaborating and asking other students in the class for help on  the leukemia scientific literacy paper via email, but it was not the same. I did like the video you tube lectures and would pretend I was in class watching them making notes on my power point slides and taking notes and referring back to the txt book. But missed some question’s on quiz’s that were more detailed and specific then I thought, that were not covered or highlighted in the video lectures or power points.

I wish I got an “A” in the class. But a “B” is not bad. Disappointed, not mad or upset, just disappointed. Did not realize how competitive grad schools are when I was in undergrad.  Not many people from my undergad college went to grad schools. And the professors I had there did not highlight or emphasize grad school and continuing past undergrad like the professors at TCC or ODU have to me.

My only complaint talking to people who took this class before was I wish we had the chance to cover the chapter on “Cytoplasmic membrane systems: structure function, and membrane trafficking”; Covering the Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi Complex, Vesicle’s and Lysomes. And learn a little bit more on prokaryotic cells; their electron transport chain, their plasma membrane. Granted most taking this class are going to the medical field and this is not microbiology but still prokaryotic cells could have been mentioned more.