2.1 - Microscopy and Cell structure Flashcards
What are the pros of a light microscope?
Cheap, portable, easy to use, can study living specimens
What are the cons of a light microscope?
Limited magnification, poor resolution
What is a laser scanning confocal microscope used for?
Use laser light to scan an object point by point ceating a high resolution, different depths of the specimen
What is a transmission electron microscope (TEM) be used for?
Observing the internal ultrastructure of cells under high magnification and resolution
What is an eye piece graticule?
A small ruler fitted to a light microscope’s eyepiece. It must be calibrated using a stage micrometer before being used to measure specimens.
What is a scanning electron microscope used for?
Viewing the surface of objets under high magnification and resolution
What are the pros of an electron microscope?
Very high magnification and excellent resolution
What are the cons of an electron microscope?
specimen has to be dead, very expensive, very large, needs great skill and training to use
Why do we stain specimens?
To provide more contrast, and make it easier to distinguish certain parts (intracellular organelles)
What is the formula to calculate magnification?
Magnification = Image size / Actual size
What is magnification?
A measure of how much larger the image of a specimen looks under the microscope relative to its actual size
What is resolution?
The ability to distinguish between to adjacent individual points as separate
What are the maximum resolutions of the different microscopes?
Light: 200nm/0.2micrometres
SEM: 10nm
TEM: 0.2nm
What is the maximum magnification of the different microscopes?
Light: 1,500x SEM: 100,000x TEM: 500,000x
What are the main structures of all eukaryotic cells? (10)
Nucleus, nucleolus, cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, plasma membrane, mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, rough endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes
What is the structure and function of the nucleus?
Structure: Surrounded by a double membrane with gaps called nuclear pores (the nuclear envelope), Contains chromatin (DNA wound around histones)
Function: Stores the human genome, controls the cell by providing instructions for protein synthesis.
What is the structure and function of the nuclear envelope?
Structure: A double membrane embeded with channel proteins forming pores.
Function: Separates the nucleus from the rest of the cell, Pores allow ribosomes and mRNA to leave the nucleus.
What is the structure and function of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER)?
Structure: A system of fluid filled membranes called cisternae studded (Embedded) with ribosomes, continuous with the nuclear membrane
Function: Large surface area formed by folding, enables lots of protein synthesis. Proteins are pinched off in vesicles transported to the Golgi apparatus
What is the structure and function of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER)?
Structure: A system of fluid filled membranes. No ribosomes
Function: Contain enzymes for cholesterol, lipid, steroid and phospholipid synthesis