2A Cell Structure and Division Flashcards
What type of radiation does a light microscope use?
Light waves
What type of radiation does and electron microscope use?
Electrons
What is the wavelength of the light waves used in an electron microscope?
400-700nm
What is the wavelength of the electron beams used in an electron microscope?
0.005nm
What is the maximum magnification of a light microscope?
2000x
What is the maximum magnification of an electron microscope?
250 000x
What is resolution?
The degree to which it’s possible to distinguish between 2 objects that are very close together
What is the maximum resolution of a light microscope?
0.4-0.7μm
What is the maximum resolution of a transmission electron microscope?
0.5nm
What is the maximum resolution of a scanning electron microscope?
5-20nm
What’s the size of the smallest object you can see with a light microscope?
around 500nm
What’s the size of the smallest object you can see with a transmission electron microscope?
0.5nm
What’s the size of the smallest object you can see with a scanning electron microscope?
5-20nm
What type of lens is within a light microscope?
Glass
What type of lens is within a transmission electron microscope?
Electromagnetic
What type of lens is within a scanning electron microscope?
Electromagnetic
What kind of specimens (living or dead) can be looked at under a light microscope?
Either
What kind of specimens (living or dead) can be looked at under a transmission electron microscope?
Dead
What kind of specimens (living or dead) can be looked at under a scanning electron microscope?
Dead
What is the colour of the imaging in a light microscope?
Colour imaging
What is the colour of the imaging in a transmission electron microscope?
Black and white
What is the colour of the imaging in a scanning electron microscope?
Black and white
What is the cost of a light microscope?
£100s-£1000s
What is the cost of a transmission electron microscope?
£100 000s
What is the cost of a scanning electron microscope?
£100 000s
How does a light microscope work?
Light is passed through a thin specimen and convex lenses are used to manipulate how the light enters the eye
How does a transmission electron microscope work?
A beam of electrons that has been accelerated through an electromagnetic field is shot through a specimen and an image is formed off the interaction between the electrons and the sample
How does a scanning electron microscope work?
A beam of electrons is used to scan a sample and produce an image from what it finds
What are the advantages of a light microscope?
- can look at living material
- colour images
- cheaper
- easy to prepare
What are the advantages of electron microscopes?
- higher resolution
- higher magnification
What are the disadvantages of a light microscope?
- lower magnification
- lower resolution
What are the disadvantages of a transmission electron microscope?
- prep is difficult and time consuming
- expensive
- can only view dead specimens
What are the disadvantages of a scanning electron microscope?
- expensive
- large and must be stored away from electricity and any magnetism
- only dead specimens
- expensive
- prep is difficult and time consuming
- lower resolution than transmission electron microscope
What is the average diameter of an animal cell?
around 20μm
What is the average diameter of a plant cell?
around 40μm
What equation links magnification, image size and actual size?
image size = actual size x magnification
What resolution does a human eye have roughly?
100μm
How do you calibrate a microscope?
- use a micrometer to measure how wide a unit on the eyepiece graticule
- use this as a scale for samples when you measure them
Describe algae and how it resembles plant cells
- a type of protist
- can be unicellular (Chlorella) or multicellular (seaweed)
- have cellulose cell wall and chloroplasts so resemble plant cells
How are the chloroplasts in algae different to the ones in plants?
They are a different size and shape and in algae there may only be one chloroplast per cell
Give an example of algae that is often found growing in aquatic conditions
Spirulina
Where do algal blooms form and what can they cause?
In rivers and lakes they can cause disruption to natural ecosystems
Are fungi unicellular or multicellular? Give an example
They can be both
Unicellular eg. yeast
Multicellular eg. mushrooms
How do fungal cells differ from plant cells?
They are greatly similar however the cell wall in fungal cells is made from chitin and fungal cells don’t contain chloroplasts
What is the function of the cell-surface membrane?
- Controls what enters and leaves the cell
- Cell signalling
Describe the structure of the cell-surface membrane
- Primarily made of phospholipid and proteins
- Has receptor molecules on its surface (for cell signalling)
What is the function of the nucleus?
- Controls the activity of the cell
- Controls transcription in the cell
Describe the structure of the nucleus
- Surrounded by the nuclear envelope (full of pores)
- Contains chromosomes (each full of DNA) and one or more nucleolus
What is the function of the mitochondria?
- The site of aerobic respiration
- They produce ATP (an energy-carrying molecule found in cells of living things)
Describe the structure of the mitochondria
- Have a double membrane
- Inner membrane is folded inside the cell and forms extensions called cristae
- Between the cristae is the ‘cytoplasm’ of mitochondria called the matrix