1.7 - Cells Flashcards
What are the 6 tenants of modern cell theory?
- All known living things are made up of cells
- The cell is the structural and functional unit of all living things
- All cells come from pre-existing cells by cell division
- Cells carry and pass on genetic information during division
- All cells are basically the same in chemical composition
- All energy flow (metabolism and biochemistry) of life occurs within cells
What is the surface of a cell?
The surface of a cell is the area that interfaces with the cell’s environment. The larger the surface area of a cell, the faster a cell can take in substances and remove waste products.
What is the plasma membrane?
The plasma membrane is like a border around the cell’s fluids and structures. Every cell has one. It is made of phospholipids.
What components of a cell are only present in plant cells?
- Chloroplasts
- Central vacuole
- Cell wall
What is the plasma membrane composed of?
The plasma membrane is composed of a lipid bilayer with proteins floating within it and protruding from it. Some proteins associate with the membrane. Other proteins traverse the membrane, with one part exposed on the inner cytoplasmic side and the other on the outer face of the cell.
What is the role of the plasma membrane?
The plasma membrane is a selectively permeable barrier; it decides what goes in and out of the cell (passage of nutrients and waste). Some substances can diffuse in and out; others cannot.
The plasma membrane is an interface for cells where information is received from adjacent cells and extracellular signals (like hormones, for example).
The membranes allow the cell to maintain a rather constant internal environment as well as separate distinct chemical and structural environments.
What is a eukaryotic cell?
A eukaryotic cell is a kind of cell that has a nucleus inside a membrane, along with other enclosed parts. These cells are in plants, animals, fungi, and protists. They are usually bigger and more complex than prokaryotic cells, which don’t have a nucleus or enclosed parts.
What are some of the components of a eukaryotic animal cell?
They have internal membranes and structures, called organelles, and a cytoskeleton composed of microtubules, microfilaments and intermediate filaments
What is compartmentalization?
Compartmentalization in eukaryotic cells are a series of compartments where cells can accomplish certain goals (like creation/distribution of proteins, for example).
The compartments are used to separate incompatible chemical and physical conditions so that, for instance, proteins can be both synthesized (made) and hydrolyzed (broken down) within a single cell
What are the typical features of an animal cell? (7)
- The nucleus
- Mitochondria
- Plasma membrane
- Cytoskeleton
- Endoplasmic reticulum
- Lysosomes
- Golgi apparatus
What is the nucleus?
The nucleus is a cell’s brain; it is a storehouse for a cell’s genetic information and a site for RNA synthesis
What is the mitochondria?
The mitochondria produces most of the ATP that serves as the energy currency of the cell
What is the plasma membrane made of?
The plasma membrane is composed of phospholipids and proteins; it regulates the passage of materials into and out of the cell
What is the cytoskeleton?
The cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments that provide the cell with an internal structural framework (walls)
What is the endoplasmic reticulum?
The endoplasmic reticulum is involved in protein and lipid synthesis
