Each of us is composed of a unique set of genes. We are all the way we are because our cells read and copy specific genes into daughter cells that contribute to our growth. 

And while the majority of people possess genes that allow them to function, or at least look, in a way that society expects them to, there are occasional outliers. 

Some people look or function differently because of genetic mutations. Now, if you think that mutations are caused by an accident from nuclear waste that turns you into a giant monster or makes you develop freakish parts, you don’t need to worry about that. That’s just a science fiction trope exaggerated for the movies! Genetic mutations occur when there are changes to the natural sequence of nucleotides during cellular division. 

Remember, when cells divide, the DNA inside is scanned and copied into a daughter cell. Most of the time, the DNA is correctly read and copied down to every last component. However, this process doesn’t always go as planned, as DNA can be incorrectly scanned and copied. Individual genes can be erroneously replaced, added, or deleted during cell division, resulting in a genetic mutation. 

Some mutations are harmless or at least mild because the affected person can still function properly without excessive assistance. These unusual characteristics can be minor, such as ear pits, but still provide a great deal of uniqueness for the person. 

Other mutations are harmful because the cells will not be able to function normally, leaving the affected person unable to live a typical life without excessive assistance to simply live their everyday life. These are the deformities often associated with the term “genetic mutations” because of their effects on a person and their cells. 

How mutations arise are also different. Some mutations, the inherited gene mutations, are genetic since they’re passed down from a parent to future generations. Others are acquired gene mutations because they are acquired after one’s birth, rather than being passed down from parent to child. 

If you or someone you know is affected by a harmful genetic mutation, just remember that self-love is the most important thing to keep in mind. 

Genetic mutations are a normal part of biology. (For instance, the four-leaf clover, a universal symbol of good luck, has four leaves because of a mutation.) Mutations can happen both with and without human interference. But, usually, it’s out of your control, so don’t blame yourself. 

Always treat yourself kindly, no matter what. Others can be harsh to you because of your mutation, but it’s because they don’t understand what it’s like to live a life like yours. And when they don’t understand something, especially something out of the ordinary, others will react negatively. If you find yourself faced with poor treatment because of your mutation, then block out others’ negativity as much as possible because not doing so can diminish your self-worth. Remember that you are a human being, too, even if you happen to have a mutation, and you deserve love and respect just as much as everyone else. You were created in a genetically unique way, so embrace that uniqueness with kindness! 

If you have a serious mutation, you will likely need a great amount of help in your daily life, and that’s okay. Everybody needs help at some point in their lives, with some people needing more assistance than others. You shouldn’t have to feel guilty or weak when needing help because it’s only human to rely on others. Just be kind to yourself here and know that you’re doing great! We all have our shortcomings and feelings of vulnerability but know that you’re still human and, like everyone else, will need to rely on others at some point. 

If someone you know is instead the victim of a serious genetic mutation, have them take all the self-love advice mentioned in this article to heart and show them you care about them. However, you must also love and accept them for who they are, even with their deformities. 

Not everyone is a lucky recipient of the genetic lottery. Some people simply have genes that weren’t processed correctly, which affects their cells. But for those of you who don’t live a typical life because of a genetic mutation, just remember always to treat yourself kindly and know that it’s okay if you ever need help. Mutations add to the human experience, and you, as a human being with equally unique differences, deserve to be a part of it. 

References 

American Cancer Society. (Revised on 2022, Aug. 31.) Gene Changes and Cancer. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/understanding-cancer/genes-and-cancer/gene-changes.html. 

Cleveland Clinic medical professional (reviewer). (Reviewed on 2022, May 24.) Genetic Mutations in Humans. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23095-genetic-mutations-in-humans. 

Washington University Physicians. (2023, Apr. 26.) Three Harmless Genetic Quirks. Washington University Physicians. https://physicians.wustl.edu/three-harmless-genetic-quirks/.

Now what is the most important thing for living your life? It’s actually simpler than you think! 

It’s all about protecting each and every cell! We call this cell-f care. 

To practice cell-f care, we take you in deep to understand how cells work and what they do to keep us alive. Now this doesn’t have to be complicated, and there’s no need to stress out about it. We’ll need to think about how our decisions and environment affect our cells’ functioning, and vice versa. 

Your cells are constantly talking to each other, sending and receiving molecular signals. This helps the many different types of cells work together in harmony. One cell type, neurons, create and transmit special chemical signals called neurotransmitters, which let you feel emotions. When your cells are stressed, you feel stressed. When your cells are tired, you feel tired. When your cells are productive, you can feel alert, happy, or even productive! 

Just think about how hard your cells work to keep you alive and make you human. For you to experience emotions, neurons send out neurotransmitters based on what you’re experiencing in the world at the moment. As an example, whenever you’ve felt angry, frustrated, or stressed about something, such as biology class, your neurons send the feel-bad neurotransmitter norepinephrine to the adrenal gland, which stimulates release of the stress hormone epinephrine, also called adrenaline. And when all your cells are producing and releasing a lot of adrenaline, your body goes into overdrive, making you feel physically and mentally weak and unable to function properly. 

How can you practice cell-f care here? By doing things that make you happy, of course! When you do something you like, your neurons release a different, feel-good neurotransmitter called dopamine, which is sent throughout the body. And when your neurons are releasing a lot of dopamine, you feel relaxed and alert, allowing you to live your best life, even outside of work or studies. So if you have a song you want to listen to, play it and dance to the beat! A game you absolutely love? Play away! (In moderation, of course.) Whatever it is, just be sure it can get your cells to release dopamine instead of adrenaline and enhance your mood! 

However, to be a true cell-f care aficionado, you can’t always do the taking. You’ve also got to do some giving to your one and only body. And the way to do that? 

Your other very effective method of cell-f care is to actively take care of your cells! And this isn’t as complicated as it sounds—because when you take good care of your body, you’re also taking good care of your cells. Cells may die off much more quickly, having a lifespan of only a few weeks, but this is natural and out of your control. What matters is how you treat the cells that are a part of your body right now! 

How can you take care of your cells, though? By doing the same methods that you do to take care of your body! 

You need to make sure that you put your well-being first. Exercise. Eat healthily. Drink enough water. Breathe in slowly. Sleep, sleep, SLEEP! You must prioritize doing these things above all else, even when others may say otherwise. 

While you may see this on a macroscopic level, like you appearing physically well-rested after a good night’s sleep, it’s important to understand these effects on a microscopic level as well. You need to make sure you’re taking good care of your cells. Your cells need to have enough water to be stable, so you have to drink enough water and give them their needed H2O molecules! Your cells need oxygen, so take deep breaths regularly, especially during times of distress, so that oxygen can reach your cells so they (and you) can function better. Your cells need rest by not working as hard, so you must rest and give them more time to process life functions without having to react to a lot of overwhelming stimuli. However, don’t take too long resting because your cells need to release toxic substances, so you need to exercise! And, of course, your cells need the right vitamins and minerals to stay strong and do their job, which can only be done when you eat properly, especially with lots of vitamin-rich and mineral-rich foods! When you eat right, drink enough water, rest well, exercise, and take some time to simply breathe, your cells will receive the nutrients or respite needed to do their jobs so that you can have a healthy body and live a good life! 

As you can see, self-care and cell-f care are both extremely important in life. Prioritize not only yourself and your body, but also your cells. So just remember that you need to feel good and make healthy choices, so you need to eat, drink, rest, exercise, and enjoy yourself. You do this by treating both your body and its trillions of cells well and allow them to nourish, whether as a whole or bit by bit. Practice both self-care and cell-f care, and thank your cells for giving you life by making good decisions. 

It’s the start of a new school year, and you just got your schedule! You look down and see the dreaded… biology. You start to freak out because you’ve heard from previous students who were in your grade in years past that biology class is torture. Dissecting gross frog corpses with little regard to these once-living creatures. Listening to a cranky, old teacher drone on and on with their monotonous voice while you try to stay awake during their long, boring lecture. Being practically chained to your homework desk, having to memorize an entire textbook, which you won’t finish reading until you’re sixty-two. 

All those fears are perfectly normal, even if they may be exaggerated by previous students who didn’t like biology. But you shouldn’t let your fears ruin your experience with biology class or your chances at understanding the deepest mysteries of life. If you want to understand biology and succeed in class, then you need to simply understand life. You can do that by further understanding the living things in your life you care about---people, pets, animals, plants, even yourself---and apply that care to your studies. If you’re more motivated to understand the living things in your life, then you’ll be more motivated to understand biology and have less difficulty dealing with the subject. Apply your care for other living things in useful study tips for biology class, such as individualization, big-picture focus, and good study and resource management skills. 

Learn and memorize with a strategy that works for you 

Individualization is incredibly important for students because there’s no one-size-fits-all method for each student. Learning is easiest when you use strategies that work best for you, but it’s especially essential for biology. The subject requires you to not only remember a lot of information but also understand complex concepts, so using an individualized learning style will make studying easier and more engaging. 

Biology is the study of life, so you need to involve life in order to understand it. And when it comes to studying and retaining information in the subject, you need to involve your life to succeed. That means you need to use study strategies that suit your learning style the best, no matter what your teacher says, because there’s only one you—someone with a role as unique in this world as the DNA in an individual organism. 

What learning and memorization strategies you decide to use is ultimately up to you. Freely experiment with different ways of learning because science is ultimately about experimentation. Some examples of possible learning tactics include: 

• diagrams 

• videos 

• flashcards 

• models 

• concept maps

• mnemonics 

When you find and implement your best strategies for learning, or if you already know how you learn and study best, involve yourself and explore both yourself and the living world around you. Just be sure to communicate with your teacher about what you need and how you learn best, especially if you need permission with a certain study tactic, like recording lectures.

Understand the big picture first 

Why do many students hate biology and claim to be bad at it? The reason is because they get so lost in the details that they lose sight of the big picture. They try to remember a lot of information in one sitting and only focus on the facts, such as the organs in the cardiovascular system without even understanding what this body system does. When a student studying biology focuses on the details instead of the big picture, it creates a lot of stress for them, and they’ll fail to consider important steps and key information. 

So for a student to succeed in biology, they need to look for the big picture first, and then work down to more specific details. To better do this, add an emotional connection to your studies: care for the concept like you’re caring for another living thing you’re emotionally attached to. You can do this the same way you show care for another living thing. Be gentle. Ask questions. Show real interest. Treat the concept as though it’s another living thing you’re taking care of. 

When you’re introduced to a living being, like a plant, pet, or another person, you get an impression first and understand the big picture of it before you gain more information over time and understand its more specific details. Biology class works the same way; you understand the topic from the big picture first, and then dive into the details. It wouldn’t make sense for you to advance onto another topic and take in more information without understanding the current concept as a whole. Not only is biology, as a field of study, designed with you understanding the big picture before the details, but it’s also easier for you to manage when you start with the general information and work your way down to the specifics. 

One method to help you understand the bigger picture better is a concept map, as introduced in the last section. A concept map is a diagram that shows relationships between connections, starting with the most general information and gradually advancing to specifics. For instance, if you were to make a concept map about plant cells, you’d start with the plant cell itself, then talk about its functions and purposes, and then go in-depth with its organelles, structure, and processes, and then go in-depth with those smaller components. You’re working your way down from the cell as a whole to its tinier components, and a concept map helps you see that. 

Use good study skills 

Biology is both very complex and information-heavy, so using good study habits will help you succeed both inside and outside the classroom. Understand life better with good study skills by treating them as though they’re necessary for your survival. Each organism, including you, is trying to survive in this big world, so you can survive the wild intensity of biology class by using good study habits, like the following tips below.

Study skill #1: Study a little bit each day. We all know how stressful biology class can be, since we’re expected to memorize a lot of information and understand incredibly complex topics. But stress is bad because it causes complications to your health—not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Other organisms try to survive by staying healthy and safe, and that means not being stressed. So for you to experience as little stress as possible, it’s best for you to study a little each day. Read your notes and other resources a little bit every day, and not just before a quiz, test, or exam. For better structure, try thePomodoro effect, where you study for 25 minutes at a time and then take a break for 5-10 minutes. Work is hard, but taking short breaks in between is necessary so you’re not overloading your mind (or body) with information. And if you can’t study on a particular day, like because of an emergency, don’t beat yourself up; just be sure to stay consistent with your study schedule otherwise. Remember that, even though you might not be in the mood to study, you should try to study a little bit every day so that you’re not stressed and can not just survive, but also live.  

Study skill #2: Use all resources available to you. All organisms—simple or complex—seek their outer environments for resources, such as food, water, shelter, and companions, to help them survive. In biology class, your resources are there to help you survive by passing the course and learning more about life. Use all resources necessary, like your textbook for answers to class material, or your syllabus for important dates, assignments, and class guidelines. However, you’re also very lucky to live in the age of the internet, so you can very easily take advantage of the web to look for more potentially helpful resources for your bio class survival. 

Study skill #3: Take notes whenever possible. Because biology can be incredibly overwhelming with all the information for you to take in, taking notes will help you save time and understand the material more easily. Write down information when you’re engaging with class material, such as lectures, textbooks, videos, and in-class experiments. But remember that biology is the study of life, not classroom or only textbook. Get out there and explore the big, wide world while you’re taking notes! Whether you’re taking a long hike in nature, chilling with your pet in your bedroom, or even giving yourself some down time, observe what’s happening to living things, including yourself, and write your observations down! (Disclaimer: you’ll need a microscope, notes, or your textbook as tools for observing things not visible to the naked eye.) I recommend you make your notes more simplified so you don’t have as much information to take in. 

Study skill #4: Seek help if you need it. We all get stuck sometimes, and that’s nothing to be ashamed about. Even traditionally “tough” organisms, like lions or spiders, will need help to survive. That doesn’t mean they’re weak or stupid, and neither are you. So what you’d need to do if you’re struggling with class material is accept it and seek someone more experienced and/or naturally talented at the subject, like a parent, teacher, or tutor, and have them help you study. By doing so, you’ll not only gain knowledge more easily but also better understand others’ viewpoints. You’ll survive by collaborating with others of your species, just like other organisms naturally do!

References 

Crampton, Linda. (2023, Sep. 15.) How to Study Biology: Tips From a High School Teacher. Owlcation. https://owlcation.com/academia/How-to-Study-for-Biology. 

Unknown author. (2019, Nov. 25.) Five High School Biology Study Tips! ACA Tutor. https://www.acatutor.org/single-post/2019/11/25/five-high-school-biology-study-tips. 

Unknown author. (n.d.) How To Make An Effective Study Plan. Victoria University. https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/study-space/how-to-make-an-effective-study-plan.

Unknown author. (n.d.) Study Strategies For Biology. Rhodes College. https://sites.rhodes.edu/academic-and-learning-resources/learning-tips/study-strategies-biology. 

Weakley, Lizzie. (2015, Apr. 30.) 4 Ways to Help Your Teen Do Well in Their High School Biology Class. TeenLife. https://www.teenlife.com/blog/4-ways-help-your-teen-do-well-their-high-school-biology-class/.