Election Day November 17, 2006

The final organelle that I have illustrated in “Cell Central” is the centriole, a barrel shaped microtubule found in the majority of animal cells and algae that is involved in cell division and reproduction.

It is election day in the comic strip, and the votes are split, with 50061.5 votes going to the red party centriole, and 50061.5 votes going to the blue party centriole. Now, the blue and red parties hate each other, and they both decide to divide into different countries, or cells. Thus, these blue and red centrioles organize the pericentriolar material, and form their own countries through the mitotic spindle, in which they separating the DNA, or the laws, to form their laws for their own countries.

 

Well, this is the last webcomic that I will create for the animal cell series. In these series of strips, I have shown to you everything you need to know about the eukaryotic animal cell, including their functions and their structures. As I have said, I enjoy making these for “Cell Central” fans. So stay tuned for my next miniseries, “The Attack of the Mutant Ebola Virus Zaire,” which shall come out…in about a month.

So, You Wanna Create A Webcomic? November 9, 2006

Here, in the second to last comic in this series, we have the lysosomes in the cell. These serve as the digestive site and recycling plants for cells. Their purpose is to digest and reuse worn out and excess organelles, food particles, and engulfed viruses or bacteria. Also, the membrane surrounding the lysosomes prevent the digestive enzymes inside it from completely demolishing the cells that it contains. Because of these functions, I decided to compare the lysosomes to execution sites. In this comic, we see a germ being expelled from the cell through the cell membrane. In another panel, we see bacteria being assaulted by enzymes to be purified and removed from the cell.

 

Now, I’ve been receiving some questions on how to create these webcomics, and, seeing as how I’ve gotten so many requests on this matter, so I’ve decided to grant your requests and post how to create successful webcomics. First and foremost, you need motivation and devotion. No matter how much talent you have, without these two things, you will never, and I say never, become successful at creating webcomics, such as the ones I have created. In addition, you just need to keep making; for fun though, you can’t make it a career. Once that happens, you’re a failure. It has to come out from the heart, and not because you have to do it. And one last thing: just keep drawing. No matter what they may say, that’s all there is to it.

Charity, Boys October 21, 2006

For this post, we see the protein narrator by the cytoskeleton. He explains how the cytoskeleton is comprised of microtubules, which acts as a method of transportation for the vesicles. It is described as a monorail because it is a swift, yet efficient method to send all the vesicles that are released throughout the cell in and out of the cell. In addition to transporting the vesicles, it helps to move organelles and copy DNA during cell reproduction. As one final function, they help to hold up the cell and help movement.

Hey guys. Ok, so here’s the thing: there’s this guy, my friend, John Bolton, and he’s got cancer. So, here’s what you guys gotta do. Go to my home page and click on “Donate for John.” All proceeds will be sent to St. Peters Hospital of Health Care. The more you donate the better. All right guys? So help out someone in need and donate what you can for me. Thanks a lot!

Now “Celling” October 14, 2006

Halloween is just around the corner, and you don’t want to miss your chance to get the perfect costume! I am offering cool costumes to fans of “Cell Central.” Choose from a variety of cool “Cell Central” costumes, including ones of Bob the Protein, Lenny the Lipid, and Greg the Glucose Molecule. They are now on sale for $9.95, but hurry, this offer sends soon.

Your costume will stand out in your school or neighborhood, while you are trick-or-treating, guaranteed! We “cell” the hottest costumes in town. Get yours today!

 

In this week’s edition, we shall explore the mysterious command center of the cell, the nucleus. The DNA in the nucleus of the cell controls all cellular activity, and is considered the headquarters, or the capital of the cell. The protein narrator in the strip muses about what really happens in the nucleus. Inside the organelle, the RNA polymerase is preparing to “rip” and “unravel” the DNA and copy it onto a narrator clone, to the horror of the DNA.

Next, we see two enzymes in another structure inside the nucleus, the nucleolus, having a philosophical moment. Inside the nucleolus, it takes over 200 of those enzymes to formulate the ribosomes.

“Tis the Season To Be Jolly” September 14, 2006

As you can see, this next comic is about ribosomes. This comic shows how two ribosomes work together to assemble proteins. They use amino acids and synthesize them into the proteins in an organism necessary for it to survive. They are composed of ribosomal RNA and ribosomal proteins. In the cell, they can be found in two different ways. It can either be found free-floating in the cytoplasm, or it could be attached to the endoplasmic reticulum, or ER, or the nuclear envelope

 

Because of this function, I am comparing the ribosomes, both free and attached, to that of a sweatshop. The ribosomes that are used to create proteins from the amino acids are like the workers in the sweatshop, while the amino acids are materials that are used to create the proteins, which would be the final product of the construction, or synthesis.

Oh, and don’t forget to check out my newest product. Check out this cool new Christmas card that I’ve been able to produce for your holiday spirit from our ribosome workshops. They cheer and they sing for you when you open them. Order now and you’ll receive a special bonus discount. Get yours today!

 P. S. I know, I know, it’s too EARLY for christmas. Well…Bah humbug to that! The eggnog’s good all year round.

More Merchandise, Anyone? September 10, 2006

Hey, remember that mitochondrion t-shirt I talked about several weeks back? Well, now we’ve got more merchandise for those “Cell Central” fanatics out there.

This week, I’m offering some new wallpaper. I’ve got ones on all different kinds of organelles, such as the cell membrane, the Golgi apparatus, the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum, and the mitochondrion. Don’t miss out on your chance to get your wallpaper! Their colorful, their attractive, and their perfect to hang in any room of the house. Yet they only cost $2.00 each.

The wallpaper that is shown on the right displays the enzymes in the organelle known as the Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum. This is the organelle that is shown in this week’s comic.

Unlike the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum, the Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum is not studded with ribosomes, which is how it got its name. Thus, the functions of these two organelles, despite the fact that their names are similar, are completely different.

For instance, from the wallpaper, it may be evident that the Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum is responsible for the detoxification of drugs and other harmful chemicals. When people drink alcohol, enzymes in the Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum are responsible for “cleaning out” and “expelling” the toxic chemicals, as they are harmful to the cell. The Smoother Endoplasmic Reticulum is especially frequent in the liver, where most of the toxic chemicals are flushed out of the body.

As a result of its function, in the comic, the Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum is shown as a place for “treating” criminal toxins, where the enzymes that flush out the harmful chemicals are detoxifying and treating the drugs that enter the cell. Also, another function that is mentioned in the last box is that the Smooth ER is also functions in the synthesizing of various lipids, such as for building membranes, steroids, and hormones.

Well, it’s 11:42 P.M. on Tuesday night right now, and I’m feeling a little tired, so I think I’ll go catch some sleep…

Yellow Line Rule Now In Effect September 6, 2006

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: During the last book signing at the book convention at the Hillsborough Public Library, I contracted a fever, which has forced me to re-evaluate the way things will proceed at public appearances in the library.

I mean seriously, the conditions at the book conventions make it quite difficult to stay healthy. All that dry conditioned air being cycled over repeatedly in a room filled with bodies…It’s a wonder I’m not sick more often! This calls for desperate and drastic measures.

Consequently, I have decided to take proactive steps to keep myself healthy and maintain a strong immune system for myself during these conventions. You may be asking, “How?” My answer is the yellow line rule.

Beginning with the next convention and book signing, people who come to my booth have to stay behind the yellow line right in front of my table. If for some reason someone crosses the yellow line, he or she will be taken out of the building immediately.

 

Okay, well back to this week’s webcomic, which is about the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum. It’s base structure is similar to that of the cell membrane; however, it is an extension of the nuclear membrane. As you can see in the comic, it shows that the Rough ER is studded with dots, which in fact are ribosomes attached to the organelle. Thus, it becomes obvious that the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum is the location for protein production in the cell. Furthermore, this organelle also transports proteins destined for membranes and secretion. Specifically, it serves as a passageway for proteins to move through the channels in the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum.

In this particular comic, the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum is compared to the highway, simply because of its function of transport for the protein molecules through its channels. Bob the Protein is informing the camera about the Rough ER’s function of being the location for protein production. The ribosomes on the organelle are producing Bob the protein’s siblings, and are the “parents” of the proteins.

Stay tuned for next weeks comic. But for now, Crusader OUT!

Cell Relations August 29, 2006

 

This comic shows how gap junctions work. When multiple cells are joined together, the gap junction is formed by a union of the cytoplasm from both cells; they are quite common in certain animal cell-types. Its main function is to connect the cytoplasm of the two cells and to allow the free movement of different molecules and ions between cells.

 

Because of this structure, I decided to compare gap junctions to peace treaties. The gap junctions between the two cells acts like a treaty between the two countries. Once a treaty is established, people can travel in and out of the countries as they please, so the gap junctions are connections for the molecules travel back and forth, which would not be possible if there wasn’t some sort of alliance between the cells.

I’m gonna need you guys to work with me here. Seeing as how I’m kinda new to this kind of stuff, any and every possible bit of criticism—the constructive stuff mind you, not any of the flames that I hate—would be much appreciated. Tell me how I can improve, what you guys would like more of; just the general stuff like that. If there are any specific requests, I’m always willing to entertain those too. So, I thank you in advance for all your tips and don’t forget to put a rating for this page when you comment; scale from 1-10

I’ve Got the Power! August 21, 2006

For my third webcomic, I’ve chosen to do one of the most significant organelles within an animal cell-the mitochondrion.

Many may have heard that the mitochondrion is the “power house” of the cell, or the “cellular power plants,” which is simply what it is. Through the process of oxidative phosphorylation, they convert food molecules into free energy in the form of ATP.

The concept of this week’s webcomic is quite simple. Because of the mitochondrion’s function, it is easy to see that the mitochondrion is a power plant in the webcomic. In the comic strip, a glucose molecule is going to work, and is traveling in a vesicle to go to the mitochondrion power plant, where the food molecules are converted into ATP. In the mitochondrion, while the glucose molecules are “working” to produce energy for the cell, there is suddenly a blackout in the power plant. Consequently, no energy is being produced for the cell, and the animal cell dies.

Also, don’t forget to check out this new “I’ve Got the Power” t-shirt with a mitochondrion power plant. It’s cool, it’s comfortable, and it’s perfect for people, including boys and girls, of all ages. It’s sweeping the nation, and it only costs $20.

“Wear it to school, wear it to the grocery store, where it at your house, wear it to the movies! Wear it anywhere, just wear it with PRIDE!” Get yours today!

Sorry August 7, 2006

I apologize for not updating for a while to those who look forward to reading these comics. I recently went on a trip to China and did not have time to post any blog entries for a couple weeks. My schedule is normal from now on, and I will be updating

 

Anyway, as you can see, my second comic is about the Golgi apparatus. The comic begins with Bob the protein traveling in a vesicle train as a passenger. He soon reaches the train station, or the Golgi apparatus, where he switches onto another vesicle train. However, after he arrives at the destination, he is ejected out of the cell, because he had taken the wrong train and is not accepted into the cell through the nuclear membrane.

This webcomic shows that the Golgi apparatus, which is composed of a stack of flattened, membrane-bound sacs known as cisternae, is integral in modifying, sorting, and packaging macromolecules in vesicles for secretion of for delivery to other organelles. Its main function is to modify proteins sent from the rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Because of its function, I decided to compare the Golgi apparatus to a train station. The trains are the incoming and outgoing transport vesicles, which the Golgi apparatus “sorts” the passengers, or proteins, into. Once the proteins are in the vesicles, which are small intracellular, membrane-enclosed sacs that store and transport macromolecules, they are sent to different organelles in the cell. But because Bob the protein was stupid and took the wrong train in one of the vesicles, he was ejected out of the cell.