Cellular organization, physiology & dynamics

The study of how cells are structured, function, and change over time, including how molecular components organize and interact within them.

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Cell membrane: A selectively permeable boundary that separates a cell from its surroundings and regulates exchange. It defines the cell’s boundary and controls the movement of substances across it.
Membrane transport: The movement of substances across biological membranes through passive or energy-dependent processes. Transport maintains cellular composition and supplies substances needed for physiological work.
Fluorescence microscopy: Microscopy that detects light emitted by fluorescent molecules to image specific structures or activities. Fluorescent labels reveal where cellular components are and how they change over time.
Systems biology: The study of biological systems through interactions among their components and quantitative models. It places cellular interactions within broader networks of genes, proteins, and processes.
Cytoskeleton: A network of protein filaments that supports cell shape, organization, movement, and intracellular transport. Its filaments organize the interior and enable cells and their contents to move.
Intracellular transport: The movement of molecules and structures within a cell, often along cytoskeletal tracks. It distributes materials between cellular regions and organelles.
Live-cell imaging: The observation of living cells over time using imaging methods that preserve their viability. It captures cellular dynamics that fixed specimens cannot show.
Developmental biology: The study of how organisms grow and form specialized structures from cells. Cellular changes in shape, identity, and behavior build tissues during development.
Organelle: A specialized structure within a cell that performs particular functions. Organelles are the specialized compartments whose arrangement shapes cellular function.
Protein targeting: The processes that direct newly made proteins to specific cellular locations. Targeting gives proteins access to the compartments where they can function.