February 19, 2019 Tuesday
Bedtime Story
Picturing the Environment Inside Cells
Monte Carlo method of computation was
central to the simulations for nuclear reactions required for the Manhattan
Project.
Understandably I cannot go into the details
of radioactive and particle physics that involved mathematical hydrodynamical
calculations of implosion, statistics of branching and multiplicative
processes.
It involved creating a new type of
mathematics that is now known as probability-generating functions and I am
handicapped by my innumeracy and illiteracy of higher mathematics to be able to
explain its details to you.
Later it was realized that biological
processes are inherently stochastic considering their gargantuan complexities.
Most signaling and metabolic pathways
include interactions between various ligand molecules, receptors, enzymes,
nucleic acids and so on and so forth.
Ligands as you would recall from your high
school chemistry are a completely fascinating field of study that goes by the
name of coordination chemistry.
Ligands are also known as complexing agents
because they are molecules that consists of central atom or ion which is
usually metallic such as Fe2+, Cu2+, Al3+, Cr3+
and Co2+.
These central atoms that are usually ionic
are called the coordination centers because around them are linked an array of
bound molecules which are called ligands.
The word “coordination” refers to the
coordinate covalent bonds (2-center, 2-electron covalent bond in which the two
electrons derive from the same atom) between the ligands and the center atom.
One of the well known compounds among
medical fraternity that is a coordination complex is the dye Prussian Blue or
(Fe)7(CN)18.
In this dye and coordination complex the Fe2+
form the center atoms or ions and they are surrounded by six carbon ligands in
an octahedral fashion.
This dye is a popular histopathology
staining agent used by pathologists to stain certain biopsy specimens such as
bone marrow.
It is the iron deposits in the tissues that
are highlighted through this staining.
The “linear pathways” of cascade reactions
that we were discussing concerning ischemia are similarly stochastic involving
physical processes such as Brownian motion, diffusion, thermal fluctuations,
osmosis and much more.
Cellular biology is embedded in a world
that is dominated by random dynamics and chance.
The molecular machinery within the cytoplasm
and nucleus of cells move along random undefined trajectories.
They make random collisions with the other
biomechanical inhabitants of the cell.
The situation inside the cells for
individual molecules is worse (far far worse in terms of collisions and
interactions each second with other molecules) than a Hindu negotiating his
family through a teeming Indian bazaar in peak hours.
Stay tuned to the voice of an
average story storytelling chimpanzee or login at http://panarrans.blogspot.com
Good night Mon Ami and my fellow cousin ape.
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Another great educator and a teacher that I am aware of is
Professor Subhashish Chattopadhyay in Bangalore, India.
While I narrate stories, Professor Subhashish an electronic
engineer and a former professor at BARC, does and teaches real mathematics and
physics.
He started the participation of Indian students at the
International Physics Olympiad.
Do visit him here:
All his books can be downloaded for free through this link:
For edutainment and English education of your children, I
recommend this large collection of Halloween Songs for Kids:
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