As an aspiring science teacher to elementary students, I rarely know everything about the subjects I have yet to teach. While text books are a great source of information, sometimes the best learning comes from ones peers.
We are finding out in school now how important academic conversations are having on students abilities with content. So in learning myself, I asked an open-ended question to my colleagues that may not be answered with a simple yes or no from a google search. I asked, Could cancer cells adapt to the point where it infects bacteria and therefore become an airborne agent?
Cancer is a very important issue as it is taken the lives of many in my family, including my father. Growing up not knowing how hereditary it is has made me lean towards science in my youth for answers.
After discussing with my colleagues and professor I have realized that a healthy persons immune system would be strong enough to attack any bacterial cell invaders. This idea that a healthy person could fight it off is reassuring, but it led to deeper questions from my colleagues who asked, "What about the exploding number of people who are not considered unhealthy and have compromised immune systems?"
These hypothetical questions really help develop our critical-thinking and is something very important for our youth to develop. Some colleagues even developed thick plot lines for movies based on this idea. I like knowing that all it takes is to be around the right person when ideas are being shared for something remarkable to happen; whether it is finding the answer, or simple making a movie to entertain. When questions are asked, things are put into motion.
Very Intereting question, but Im a little confused about the process. My thoughts were that eventually cancer cells if not detected soon enough would more than likely attack everything including bacteria. Becoming airbourne would mean through sneezing,coughing, or any other bodily function and release. I could visualize this happening, but such a case would signify it has already been happening and the population of people being infected has increased. Realistic enough, today anything is possible; in an airbourne situation, cancer could be moving at a slow rate, thou I also believe some people may have or could indeed develop an immunity gene just as animals and plants are able to over time through evolution. I wouldnt knock your statement at all.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, not very realistic for cancer to be airborne, but it would make for a great sic fi movie!
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