• Dimensions in biology
• Bottom-up hierarchical organization across scales
◦Macromolecules
‣ ca. 5 nm
◦Supramolecular complexes
‣ ca. 30 nm
◦Sub-organellar structures
‣ 30-250 nm
◦Dynamic organelle network
‣ 10-50 µm
• Lipids: membranes and vesicles
◦Phospholipids are amphiphilic molecules that assemble into bilayers
,•
• 20 a-amino acids are the building blocks of proteins
,• Hierarchical organization of chromosomal DNA
• Mechanisms of membrane shaping
, • SUMMARY
◦The cell is spatially organized at different length scales based on self-assembly at molecular
level
◦The sequence of polymeric biomacromolecules defines their structure and functions.
◦Organelles are subcellular compartments characterized by specific membrane properties.
◦Binding of histones to genomic DNA is the basis of hierarchical organization into micron-sized
chromosomal structures.
◦The bacterial cell is a highly crowded system probably organized into coexisting liquid
phases.
◦Liquid-liquid-phase transitions are important for the functional organization in the nucleus and
the regulation of transcription.
◦Mitochondria host the respiratory chain complexes, which are (co-)organized in the crystae of
the inner membrane.
◦The endomembrane system is an interconnected network responsible for generating and
maturating of (membrane) proteins and lipids and for cycling these across to the plasma
membrane and back into the lysosome.
◦Actin and intermediate filaments as well as microtubules are filamentous cytoskeletal structure
dynamically formed by polymerization and depolymerization.
◦Motor proteins move directionally on different types of filaments to mediate transport and to
exert forces.
• Bottom-up hierarchical organization across scales
◦Macromolecules
‣ ca. 5 nm
◦Supramolecular complexes
‣ ca. 30 nm
◦Sub-organellar structures
‣ 30-250 nm
◦Dynamic organelle network
‣ 10-50 µm
• Lipids: membranes and vesicles
◦Phospholipids are amphiphilic molecules that assemble into bilayers
,•
• 20 a-amino acids are the building blocks of proteins
,• Hierarchical organization of chromosomal DNA
• Mechanisms of membrane shaping
, • SUMMARY
◦The cell is spatially organized at different length scales based on self-assembly at molecular
level
◦The sequence of polymeric biomacromolecules defines their structure and functions.
◦Organelles are subcellular compartments characterized by specific membrane properties.
◦Binding of histones to genomic DNA is the basis of hierarchical organization into micron-sized
chromosomal structures.
◦The bacterial cell is a highly crowded system probably organized into coexisting liquid
phases.
◦Liquid-liquid-phase transitions are important for the functional organization in the nucleus and
the regulation of transcription.
◦Mitochondria host the respiratory chain complexes, which are (co-)organized in the crystae of
the inner membrane.
◦The endomembrane system is an interconnected network responsible for generating and
maturating of (membrane) proteins and lipids and for cycling these across to the plasma
membrane and back into the lysosome.
◦Actin and intermediate filaments as well as microtubules are filamentous cytoskeletal structure
dynamically formed by polymerization and depolymerization.
◦Motor proteins move directionally on different types of filaments to mediate transport and to
exert forces.
