If you were a cell in the human body, which cell would you be?

[USCDiver]

If you were any cell in the human body, which type of cell would you be and why?

When I did admissions interviews for my medical school, I would routinely ask this question at the end of the interview. More to see their reaction to an unusual and unexpected question than to hear their answer, but I did hear some dumb and some insightful responses.

So what about you guys? How would you answer this question?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[San_Juan_Sun]

A macrophage.

Just eat and eat and eat...

 

[Soup]

pluripotent -- endless possibilities ahead of me

 

[orientedtoself]

endocrine- give and receive messages, coordinate other cells

 

[tool]

sperm cell - travel to exciting places

 

[FoughtFyr]

Hunter Killer cell - 'cuz chicks dig commandos!

- H

 

[quideam]

RBC - I love traveling...

 

[mcsquare]

brain cell ....think and build a whole idea

 

[fedor]

"Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma -- insidious, relentless, deadly.. ummmm... Am I going to get in?"

 

[USCDiver]

Some good answers there guys (and some lame ones, you know who you are).

Since I'm in ER, I'd say I'm a hepatocyte because I do lots of things at once including metabolize alcohol.

 

[tool]

Some good answers there guys (and some lame ones, you know who you are).

Since I'm in ER, I'd say I'm a hepatocyte because I do lots of things at once including metabolize alcohol.

Yes without a doubt...my answer wins.

 

[kungfufishing]

hepatocyte.

 

[Daiphon]

i've always liked pheochromocytoma cells... they getcha all ramped up for a little while and then <poof> back to normal... kinda like a trauma activation, no? d=)

 

[turtle md]

According the Jason26, all EM docs would be platelets, since we aren't "real" cells.

But I've always liked the neuron. They are the irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind.

 

[southerndoc]

According the Jason26, all EM docs would be platelets, since we aren't "real" cells.

Nah, platelets are too cool. They hang together in clusters and form tight bonds with each other... much like emergency physicians.

Now macrophages, well they'll suck (or eat) the living life force right out of ya!

 

[beyond all hope]

Cell phone.

'cause I'm a dork.

And don't tell me that isn't a cell in the human body. Have you looked around lately?

 

[bartleby]

Sertoli cell

 

[hyperbaric]

According the Jason26, all EM docs would be platelets, since we aren't "real" cells.

But I've always liked the neuron. They are the irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind.

 

[ForbiddenComma]

A mast cell, because I'm always described as "irritating"

 

[docB]

I think ER docs are basically like the intestinal epithelial cells of someone who eats junk food all day long. We hang out watching this sewer flow by and our job is to pick out the least offensive of the lot and bring it in while letting the rest of the feces flow on out the anus. Come to think of it the doors of my ER are a lot like an anus. When something comes in it's like getting it in the ---. When something goes out it's like crapping on the rest of the world.

 

[Back34]

Stratified squamous from the anus, I'm used to taking $hit

 

[Jeff698]

Now macrophages, well they'll suck (or eat) the living life force right out of ya!

You mean like my patients?

Take care,
Jeff <- living in fear of soul-sucking, life-force-stealing, fibromyalgia/gastric-bypass-having dementor-like patients.

Lord, give me a strong patronus.