Running head: WEEK 2 JOURNAL 

 
 

Week 2 Journal  

Cindy Testa   

Bay Path University   

Prof. Dawn Gearin   

February 5, 2021  

 
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Week 2 Journal  

The article that appealed to me was ​New human cell structure discovered, 

from the Karolinska Institutet. As the title states a new human cell structure 

has been discovered by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The structure is a 

“new type of protein complex that the cell uses to attach to its surroundings 

and proves to play a key part in cell division” (Karolinska Institutet, 2018). 

This discovery provided answers to the question-- “how the cell can remain 

attached to the matrix during cell division.” The previously known adhesion 

complexes dissolve during the process to allow the cell to divide, however in 

this structure the adhesion complex remains and attaches the cell during cell 

division (Karolinska Institutet, 2018). The researchers also found that this new 

structure has the ability to control the daughter cells to occupy the right place 

after cell division. According to the article, the study was done on human cell 

lines mainly using confocal microscopy and mass spectrometry. Further 

research is now needed to examine the new adhesion complex in living 

organisms (Karolinska Institutet, 2018). 

This article relates to this week's modules as we studied the importance 

of each cell structure and how these structures work together. This article 

mainly focuses on cell division which is a very important event that occurs in 

our body. A single cell divides to make two cells and these two cells then divide 

to make four cells, etc. This process is called "cell division" and "cell 
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reproduction," as new cells are formed when old cells divide. There are two 

ways that cells divide- mitosis and meiosis. Cells divide for many reasons, for 

example, when you skin your knee, cells divide to replace old, dead, or 

damaged cells. Cells also divide so living things can grow (Shyamala, 2014).  

Cell division is unique for living organisms and there are still questions 

on the full process of this function. This new discovery of a human cell 

structure answers a few of those questions, however more research needs to be 

done in order to fully understand. In fact, according to P

​ rofessor Strömblad, 

one of the lead researchers, “We believe that they’re also involved in other 

processes than cell division, but this remains to be discovered”(Micu, 2019). So 

not only does this new discovery answer questions regarding cell division, this 

discovery could lead to other unknowns being discovered.  

 
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References 

Karolinska Institutet. (2018, October 22). New human cell structure discovered. 

ScienceDaily​. Retrieved February 3, 2021 from 

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181022122815.htm 

Micu, A. (2019, October 25). New structure that keeps cells bound together 

discovered in human cells. Retrieved February 07, 2021, from 

https://www.zmescience.com/science/reticular-adhesions-cell-295263

5763/ 

Shyamala Iyer. (2014, February 03). Cell Division. ASU - Ask A Biologist. 

Retrieved February 5, 2021 from 

https://askabiologist.asu.edu/cell-division