My Favorite Teacher
Joe and I get to write something personal at the beginning of each Unit of our book, and here's what I wrote at the beginning of our Unit on Cells, which begins with Chapter 7:
I wasn't kidding when I wrotethis. It was my 9th grade biology course, taught by a wonderful teacher (and youth league baseball umpire!) named Paul Zong. I knew I was interested in science, but it was Mr. Zong's Biology course (and his wonderful classroom, which included a greenhouse) that turned me into a Biologist. I've always been grateful for that time as his student - and I've always remembered the influence that a science teacher can have on his students.
Why Cells?
The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) has a slogan, which sometimes appears on T-shirts at its meetings (yes, scientists wear T-shirts!), that "The Secret of Life is Inside the Cell" (see images at left). All I can say to that is "right on!" Literally everything we study in Biology has a cellular basis, from embryonic development, to muscular contraction, to color vision, to reproduction. Life is all about the cell. In a sense, Unit 3 (Cells) is the very heart of Biology itself.
Want to learn more from Cell Biologists themselves? Visit the iBio Magazine pages, hosted by ASCB, for videos on cutting-edge topics in the field. I think you'll enjoy them!
