Recently, my classmates and I have been learning about the fascinating phenomenon of intracellular transport of molecular cargo by means of molecular motors that walk along microtubules and actin filaments in neurons. Apparently, these microscopic tubules “grow” on one end (by polymers that assemble to the end of the tubule that is positively polarized) and break apart on the opposite negative end at the same time – effectively “treadmilling” (to use the characteristically biological descriptive term that the professor used in class) from one location in the cell to another.
Today, on a whim – while walking through campus to get my brief exposure to sunlight before I lock myself into the storage closet where I will work on my rotation project until dusk – I went to a coffee shop at the top of the architecture building with the strategy of keeping my day interesting. As testified by one of my classmates, the coffee shop served great coffee in a unique atmosphere. After I ordered, I stepped aside to make way for the person behind me. Not 5 seconds later I look behind me again and noticed that there are now two more new people waiting in line behind me. I step aside (again) and say “oh I’m not in line you can go ahead.” Another 5 second pass, I look behind me once again. This time there are now four more people waiting in line behind me. “Are you in line!?!” the girl directly behind me asks. “No, I’m just waiting for my drink and apparently, in the wrong spot” I reply. Finally, I wise up and “cut” back up to the counter to await my drink. The line is now an easy eight or nine people that just happened to coalesce within a period of 10 seconds. Their sudden organized congregation was most likely “signaled” by the end of a nearby lecture – apparently I was their positively polarized target.
Sometimes being positively polarized can be a real nuisance.
3 replies on ““Macro”tubule growth”
That’s the spirit! Maybe they thought you were an unphosphorylated tau tidbit ‘recruiting’ them to the counter?
Of course you got to see a famous video of the tubes becoming erect and then flaccid like so many microstructural dinguses? doG made GFP and YFP just so that we can see her handywork up-close and personal, in real-time, and then give its obviously clockwork mechanisms fun names! Were neuroscientists! Let’s have a blast! Who wants another shot of Jager?
Why, Crapartist, are you up so fucking early, you ask? I have eaten so much doG damned fast food in the last week that my colon is screaming for vegitables and exercise, two things so truly out of character for me. Alas, I’m heading to the gym.
Sounds like youre starting to have some fun in signal transduction class?
I can’t believe you haven’t yet posted that you’re an uncle!!! Congrats!!! :o)