Science begins by asking questions and then seeking answers. Young children understand this intuitively as they explore and try to make sense of their surroundings. However, science education focuses upon the end game of "facts" rather than the exploratory root of the scientific process. Encouraging questioning helps to bring the true spirit of science into our educational system, and the art of asking good questions constitutes an important skill to foster for practicing scientists.

The secretory and autophagy pathways can be thought of as the biosynthetic (i.e., anabolic) and degradative (i.e., catabolic) branches of the endomembrane system. In analogy to anabolic and catabolic pathways in metabolism, there is mounting evidence that the secretory and autophagy pathways are intimately linked and that certain regulatory elements are shared between them. Here we highlight the parallels and points of intersection between these two evolutionarily highly conserved and fundamental endomembrane systems. The intersection of these pathways may play an important role in remodeling membranes during cellular stress.