This portion of the writing assignment asks you to analyze the figures from the Scientific Literacy paper that is assigned. Note that the full PDF has been provided and there is a walkthrough video as well.
MAJOR FINDINGS/QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS:
What are the characteristics of the PXo bodies shown, based on Figure 2?
How do we know that PXo regulates levels of inorganic phosphate in the cytoplasm based on Figure 3?
How can we tell that the formation of PXo bodies depends on availability of inorganic phosphate based on Figure 4?
What happens to the types of phospholipids found in PXo bodies when phosphate levels drop in the cytoplasm (based on Figure 5)?
How does this data relate to the structure of phosphatidic acid?
Conclusions paragraph: Does this data convince you that these PXo bodies form distinct organelles with a unique biochemical function in the cell? Why or why not?
This essay requires in-text citations for your sources. You MUST CITE the original scientific paper. References should follow the format of the journal Cell (since this class is Cell Biology). References do NOT count toward your word or page length. If your reference does not appear as an in-text citation, it should not be in your references list. DO NOT use MLA or APA format. Science and medical journals actually rarely use those formats, so it is good for you to branch out some and get some experience. Links to an external site.
Finally, one more warning: scientific writing RARELY uses quotes. They tend to imply that you don’t understand something and are relying on someone else’s writing. You should have NO MORE THAN ONE sentence-length quote in your paper. I will probably only read the first quote; after that, I skip that (since it’s not your writing) and you lose points.
You may (and are encouraged to) include pictures that YOU DRAW or that are creative-commons licensed (with proper attribution, if you know what this means; if not, best to avoid it). You may also include links to videos that you find helpful . Images and videos do not contribute to your page length requirements, either!
REQUIREMENTS
This portion should be approximately 500-1000 words. It is generally not a problem to exceed this length.
Content: Address the major questions above. Writing should NOT be in a question-and-answer format, but should be in paragraph style/essay form.
Logic and flow: I listed the questions in what is a logical order to me, but you are welcome to organize your paper in a way that makes sense to YOU.
Spelling and grammar: this goes on your ePortfolio after submitting here, so pay attention to these. They are penalized. Don’t use quotes (see above warning).
Citations and references: preformatted references are actually provided for items provided. Anything you look up and use/refer to in your essay should be cited according to the format described.
File format: PDF or DOC ONLY.
