2.1 - Eukaryotic cells Flashcards
magnification definition
a measure of how much bigger the image we see is than the real object
resolution definition
a measure of how close together 2 objects can be before we see them as 1
magnification and resolution of an optical/light microscope
magnification - x1500
resolution - 200nm
how does an optical microscope work
a beam of light goes through the specimen from underneath.
the objective lens magnifies the image.
the eyepiece lens focuses the image onto the eye.
the specimen can be living or dead, and staining can be used to identify particular cells or subcellular structures.
produces a 2-D image.
Advantages and disadvantages of optical microscopes
Advantages:
1 - can see living and dead specimens
2 - relatively cheap
3 - relatively light and portable
4 - produce coloured images
Disadvantages:
1 - preservation and staining may alter the image of the specimen
2 - lower magnification and resolution than electron microscopes
how do electron microscopes work
a beam of electrons is scattered by the specimen.
electromagnetic or electrostatic lenses focus the electron beam to form an image.
the specimen must be in a vacuum, so it is dead.
what is a transmission electron micrograph (TEM)
a micrograph produced by an electron microscope that gives a 2-D image, but high magnification than SEMs - up to x500,000
what is a scanning electron micrograph (SEM)
a micrograph produced by an electron microscope which produces a 3-D image, but has a lower magnification than TEMs
advantages and disadvantages of electron microscopes
Advantages:
1 - very high magnification and resolution
Disadvantages:
1 - specimen must be in a vacuum, so dead
2 - preparing specimens is highly skilled work, and they undergo lots of treatment so there is likely to be artefacts which can alter the image
3 - very expensive
4 - very large
5 - have to be maintained at a constant temperature and pressure in order to maintain the internal vacuum
produce black and white images
what’s the difference between staining used in electron microscopes and optical microscopes
electron microscopes - staining is used to improve the scattering of electrons and create sharp contrasts in the image
optical microscopes - staining is used to highlight specific cells or subcellular structures
describe the stain haematoxylin
stains nuclei of plant or animal cells purple, blue or brown
describe the stain methylene blue
stains the nuclei of animal cells blue
describe the stain acetocarmine
stains the chromosomes in dividing nuclei in plant and animal cells
describe the stain iodine
stains starch-containing material in plant and animal cells
magnification and resolution of a scanning electron microscope
magnification - x500,000
resolution - 3-10nm
magnification and resolution of a transmission electron microscope
magnification - x500,000
resolution - 0.5nm
what are membranes mostly made up of
lipids and proteins
describe a phospholipid
-2 fatty acids – glycerol – phosphate group
-the fatty acids are hydrophobic (don’t mix with water
-the phosphate group is hydrophilic (can interact with water) and is charged so is polar
describe the simple phospholipid bilayer
-the hydrophilic heads point into the water while the hydrophobic tails stay protected in the middle
-this structure is a unit membrane
-only fat-soluble organic molecules can pass through the simple phospholipid bilayer, so we need integral and peripheral proteins, pores, gated channels glycolipids and glycoproteins
describe the integral membrane proteins in the phospholipid bilayer
-integral proteins span from one side of the layer to the other
-they can form pores, which are permanently open to let substances through, because they have hydrophilic amino acids
-or can form gated channels, channels which can be open or closed depending on conditions within the cell
what is the main function of membrane proteins
to help substances move across the cell membrane
what are the 2 types of membrane proteins (based on location)
integral - span from one side of the membrane to the other
peripheral - lie on the surface of the membrane
describe the peripheral membrane proteins in the phospholipid bilayer
-some peripheral proteins can be for structure
-or act as enzymes
-or receptors for hormones and other molecules
describe glycoproteins in the phospholipid bilayer
glycoproteins - proteins with a carbohydrate molecule attached
-allows certain cells to attach to eachother forming tissue like nervous tissue
-present antigens to T cells
-receptors for hormones
describe glycolipids in the phospholipid bilayer
glycoproteins - carbohydrates attached to phospholipid molecules
-the glycolipids on the surface of one cell can be recognised by the glycolipids on another cell, which determines whether the cells will interact.
what is the protoplasm
cytoplasm, organelles and nucleus together
can the nucleus and organelles be seen with a light or electron microscope
nucleus and mitochondria - light
other organelles (ultrastrucutre) - electron
describe the structure and function of the nuclear envelope
nuclear envelope - a double membrane
-there’s the inner membrane and outer membrane, both are phospholipid bilayers
-2 membranes are needed to protect the fragile DNA from enzymes and chemicals in the rest of the cell
-the nuclear envelope has nuclear pores allowing mRNA and ribosomes to travel through the nucleus
-it contains 2 main substances: nucleic acids (ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid) and proteins
describe the structure and function of the nucleolus
nucleolus - a dense area of almost just DNA and protein
-where ribosomes are made
what is the structure of the mitochondria
-outer mitochondrial membrane.
-inner mitochondrial membrane, where there are enzymes for oxidative phosphorylation
-both the outer and inner mitochondrial membrane contain their own DNA
-the inner mitochondrial membrane is highly folded creating cristae, creating a large surface area, increasing the rate of the enzymes.
-the fluid matrix contain enzymes for Krebs cycle.
-also contains mitochondrial DNA, containing genes for some of the enzymes involved in aerobic respiration.
-mitochondrial ribosomes synthesise proteins coded by the mitochondrial DNA