(IV) Our Gains

This project has revealed another side of the biological study of cells. It has helped us to understand more about the work of an actual scientist or researcher, who specializes in cells. The methods that we were taught and worked on today were some methods which are commonly used to detect or identify a specific organelle or cell. As we worked on the project and had our project advisor and his students around to guide us, we have indeed gained a lot of knowledge from them as we clarify our doubts.

Generally, we have learnt more about staining of specific organelles, such as which dyes would dye which particular organelle; the application of antibodies to specific substances; the purposes and applications of these methods, such as in cases when scientist want to observe and study the morphology of the cells; how cells are affected and how they would react when cancer cells are present in the tissue; and how to operation the complex microscopes.

This project has raised our awareness of the importance of such research and studies. These research and studies leads to new discoveries that will contribute to medical advancement, to save more lives. With these technology, doctors are able to diagnose illnesses and at an early stage so that the patients can receive treatment.

During this project, we have learnt and obtain a deeper understanding how the tissue and cells react when the some cells mutate. We have learnt that in the early stage of, for this instance, liver cancer, the liver cells will firstly multiplied itself more than usual. This is evident as when we carried out the Immunohistochemical staining, we were able to observe that there were cluttered areas of proteins; this shows that the cancer cell multiple itself more than usual, which formed a ‘thick’ and cluttered area of mutated cells. Before, we were taught that cancer cells would have a longer life line and multiple itself more than a healthy cell. We believe that the knowledge that we have learnt today will definitely be applied in the near future when we do more of laboratory research and have to deal with cells.