Dear Friends,
I came across a question from my superior "what is single cell biology". I tried answering him saying that studying the biology of cells that are obtained from a single cell and he is not happy with that answer. Can any body help me
Single cell biology refers to the isolation and posterior manipulation of one cell for whatever posterior biological analyses but without allowing it to divide. In this sense I agree with your superior
Well, you are right, biology of single cells is probably not special in the way that it requires textbook chapters specifically devoted.
However, single-cell techniques are an important recent development enabling researchers to study cells individually within biological samples. Techniques include coloring techniques for microscopy, techniques for single-cell extraction of DNA or RNA with sensitive downstream assays (like next-generation sequencing), DNA-based barcoding etc. Current magazine issues are full of examples describing new insights: cell fate during differentiation, tracking of circuits in neuronal networks ...
individual cells within the same population may differ dramatically as a function of cell cycle stage or microenvironment, and these differences can have important consequences for the health and function of the entire population. Furthermore, individual cells can exhibit enormously heterogeneous behavior from one region to another, as shown for example by evidence for lipid rafts and protein islands that segregate membrane components into microdomains with distinct compositions and functions. Imaging single molecules allows the measurement of quantitative parameters, such as the number of molecules, reaction rate constants and diffusion coefficients, at the subcellular level with spatial distributions and temporal fluctuations. This detailed information is essential for constructing quantitative models of reaction networks that provide a systems-level understanding of the mechanisms by which various cellular behaviors are emerging.
Mahmoud Abdelaal's answer is nice. Most biology concentrates on the average - take a huge number of cells and mash them up, or watch a population of them, or whatever. But it's much more interesting to look at cells individually, then compare & contrast them to other individual cells.
But it needs quite a culture shift - most old dudes (like me) were trained to start by mashing up a tissue (or cell pellet, or whatever) and using the resulting lysate as the starting material for experiments. And peoples' metal picture of the starting material for experiments also defines the origin of their thoughts and plans...
Naveen,
I like to keep things simple, so my answer is going to be simple. You were asked, "What is single cell biology?"
Well, since Biology, at its core, is 'The study of life' or 'The study of living things' or 'The study of living systems' etc....I would say that Single Cell Biology is 'The study of the life of a single cell' or 'The study of the systems within a single cell and how they maintain the life of a single cell.'
I noticed that the question did not say, "What is the biology of A PARTICULAR cell?" or "What is the biology of this very specific cell?"
I love studying biology at the cellular level. To me, each and every cell is a very real LIVING thing. Whether it is a single-celled organism, or a single cell of a very complex animal. Whether we look at a bacteria or an epithelial cell from a human being or a lung cell from a cheetah or whatever, the ALL are living systems; They ALL:
- reproduce in some way- use energy- have complex structures- respond to environmental stimuli / interact with their surroundings
So, if the question of, "What is single cell biology?" were addressed to me, my first response would be, "The study of the systems that maintain and make the life of a single cell." Every cell is a living thing that on some level eats, sleeps, breathes, metabolizes, reproduces, and basically tries to keep doing so as long as it can...
Good luck to you.
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