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Foundation in Biology - Term 1 Part 1 > 3.1 - Cells (Part 1) > Flashcards

3.1 - Cells (Part 1) Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the common building blocks that cells are made from?

A

Proteins, lipids, nucleic acids & carbohydrates

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2
Q

How do single-celled organisms function (generally)?

A

The cell has to carry out all the functions necessary for life…

  • Finding food
  • Producing energy
  • Reproducing
  • Repairing damage
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3
Q

How do multi-cellular organisms function (generally)?

A 
Each cell type has specialist roles e.g
Defence
Sensing the environment
Processing info
Digestion
Heat generation
Gas exchange
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4
Q

Name the two features of cells that allow for the various functions to take place

A

Cells are flexible & adaptable

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5
Q

Name the parts of a eukaryotic cell

A
  • SEM (Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum)
  • REM (Rough EM)
  • Lysosome
  • Centriole
  • Peroxisome
  • Cytoskeleton
  • Nucleus
  • Ribosomes
  • Golgi apparatus
  • Plasma membrane
  • Mitochondrion
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6
Q

Name the parts of the cytoskeleton

A
  • Microtubule
  • Intermediate filament
  • Microfilament
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7
Q

What do eukaryotic cells have that prokaryotic cells don’t (generally)?

A

Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus & other membrane-bound compartments

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8
Q

Name the parts of a prokaryotic cell

A
  • Pili
  • Chromosome (nucleoid region)
  • Ribosomes
  • Food granule
  • Prokaryotic flagellum
  • Plasmid (DNA)
  • Cytoplasm
  • Plasma membrane
  • Cell wall
  • Capsule/slime layer
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9
Q

Give the 4 types of eukaryotic cell

A

Animal
Plants
Fungi
Protists

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10
Q

Give the 2 types of prokaryotic cell

A

Bacteria

Archaea

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11
Q

How does the size of a eukaryotic cell compare to a prokaryotic cell?

A

Prokaryotic cell ~ 1um^3
Eukaryotic cell ~ 1000um^3

(1000x larger volume - even the smallest eukaryotes)

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12
Q

How does the size of eukaryotes affect its function?

A

Slower diffusion of molecules & rate of chemical reactions

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13
Q

How do eukaryotes tackle the problem of its size?

A

Eukaryotes organise the cell into smaller compartments - the organelles

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14
Q

Give the main function of the plasma membrane

A

It surrounds the contents of the cell & defines its outer boundary - acts as a barrier to external environment

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15
Q

Give the 4 other functions of the plasma membrane (other than main function)

A
  1. Controls transport in & out of the cell
  2. Passes signals from the environment into the cell
  3. Connects to other cells
  4. Concentrates enzyme activity
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16
Q

Describe the structure of the plasma membrane

A
  • Membranes are composed of lipids & proteins
  • Lipid molecules are much smaller than proteins (so approx. 50 lipid molecules per protein in a plasma membrane)
  • Membrane proteins vary in structure & function
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17
Q

Give the features & importance of mitochondria

A
  • Large organelles (easily visible using light microscopes)
  • Main role is producing energy for the cell
  • Can vary in number depending on cell type
  • Remarkably plastic & can change shape & move around the cell
  • Can fuse with one another & then move apart again
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18
Q

Describe the structure of mitochondria & the functions

A
  • Two membranes - inner one is highly folded to increase SA
  • Inner mem. contains electron transport chain & ATP synthase molecules that make ATP (energy source) during respiration
  • Also contain their own DNA
  • In the centre is the matrix - site of many biochemical reactions
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19
Q

Give the structures of the nucleus

A
  • Nuclear envelope
  • Chromatin (condensed)
  • Nucleolus
  • Nuclear pores
  • Nucleoplasm
  • Cisternae
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20
Q

Describe the structure & functions of the nucleus

A
  • Where DNA is found & is therefore the control centre of the cell
  • DNA organised into chromosomes, although most of the time the chromosomes adopt an open structure called chromatin
  • Chromatin is DNA counts to proteins that make RNA, repair DNA, copy DNA etc.
  • Nuclear pores allow signals to enter the nucleus & mRNA to leave the nucleus
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21
Q

How is DNA stored as chromosomes?

A

DNA is tightly packaged by histone proteins & bundled into chromosomes

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22
Q

What does unwound DNA allow to happen?

A

Allows the DNA to be read & transcribed (DNA is unwound most of the time)

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23
Q

Why are not all regions of DNA able to be read?

A

Some are silenced by epigenetic modifications - those genes are switched off in the cell

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24
Q

What is the function & importance of the nucleolus?

A
  • The region within the nucleus that is the site of ribosome biogenesis
  • They are highly dynamic & can change overtime
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25
Q

How does the nucleolus vary in different cells?

A

Some cells only have a single large nucleolus while others have several nucleoli

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26
Q

What is the function of a ribosome?

A

To make proteins

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27
Q

Give the 5 steps for the production of proteins

A
  1. Find the gene that codes for the protein in the nucleus
  2. Copy the gene into mRNA (transcription)
  3. Send the mRNA out of the nucleus
  4. The mRNA binds to the ribosomes
  5. The ribosomes ‘read’ the sequence of mRNA & link together the appropriate individual amino acids to make the protein (translation)
28
Q

Where are ribosomes usually found?

A

They are generally located in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER)

29
Q

What is the importance of the rough ER?

A

It contains ribosomes & is the site of protein synthesis

30
Q

Name the two types of ER

A

Rough & smooth

31
Q

What is the importance of the smooth ER?

A

The site of a variety of metabolic processes such as steroid metabolism

32
Q

Describe the structure & function of the golgi apparatus

A
  • It is made up of membranes
  • It packages proteins into membrane-bound parcels (called vesicles) which are then transported to other parts of the cell or for secretion
33
Q

Describe what endosomes are and their function

A
  • They are membrane enclosed vesicles that are created when the plasma membrane pulls large particles into the cell
  • Are transported into the cell where they fuse with lysosomes
34
Q

Describe the importance & function of lysosomes

A
  • Contain a variety of powerful degradative enzymes that breakdown proteins & other biological molecules into their constituent parts (amino acids etc.)
  • These can then be reused
  • They are therefore part of the cell’s recycling system
35
Q

What is the cytoskeleton?

A

A series of fibres that runs throughout the cell (acts as a transport network)

36
Q

Describe the 4 functions of the cytoskeleton

A
  1. Provides mechanical strength & support for the cells
  2. Allows cells to change shape & move
  3. Provides the cell’s transport system to move organelles & vesicles around
  4. Separates chromosomes & splits cells in half during cell division
37
Q

Give the two functions of microtubules (in the cytoskeleton)

A
  • Transport

- Cell division

38
Q

Give the three functions of actin filaments (in the cytoskeleton)

A
  • Strength
  • Transport
  • Movement
39
Q

Give the three functions of intermediate filaments (in the cytoskeleton)

A
  • Strength
  • Support
  • Chromosomes
40
Q

Name the parts of the cell found in plants that aren’t found in animal cells

A
  • Chloroplast
  • Cell wall
  • Plasmodesma
  • Vacuole
41
Q

Describe the structure & function of the vacuole

A
  • Can take up a large fraction of the cell (typically 30% but max. 80% of cell vol.)
  • Acts as storage for water & nutrients but also helps maintain pressure on cell wall
42
Q

Describe the structure & function of the cell wall

A
  • Provides more support & strength than the plasma membrane

- Helps prevent the cell bursting when water enters the cell

43
Q

Give the structures of a chloroplast

A
  • Outer & Inner membrane
  • Stroma
  • Stroma lamellae
  • Thylakoid
  • Intermembrane space
  • Granum (stack of thylakoids)
44
Q

Describe the structure & function of chloroplasts

A
  • Generate energy in the form of ATP in plants
  • Convert carbohydrates into ATP (plants make their carbs in chloroplasts from light & CO2 in photosynthesis)
  • Have double membrane & their own DNA
  • No. of chloroplasts per cell can vary from one to several hundred
45
Q

Explain the endosymbiotic theory

A
  • It is thought that both mitochondria & chloroplasts were originally free-living prokaryote cells that were phagoctosed by a cell, rather than broken down for parts
  • This symbiosis btw. the two cells eventually evolved into the organelles we see today
46
Q

Learning about cell structure, what is the key point we can learn from cells?

A
  • They have incredibly diverse roles, shapes & sizes

- The diversity of their organelles & sub-cellular features allows cells to take on their vast range of functions

47
Q

What cells of the human body can be visible to the unaided eye?

A

Length of some nerve & muscle cells

48
Q

Give an example (at least 1) of what can be visible using a light microscope

A
  • Human egg
  • Most plant & animal cells
  • Nucleus
  • Most bacteria
  • Mitochondria
49
Q

Give an example (at least 1) of what can only be visible using an electron microscope

A
  • Smallest bacteria
  • Viruses
  • Ribosomes
  • Proteins
  • Lipids
  • Small molecules
50
Q

Who first made the first observation & description of cells?

A

Robert Hooke

51
Q

Name the 4 main parts of microscopy principles

A
  • Lamp
  • Sample holder
  • Eyepiece
  • Lens
52
Q

Who invented the microscope that included only a focus knob, lens & sample holder?

A

Van Leeuwenhoek

53
Q

What did Van Leeuwenhoek first discover?

A

He described the first single-celled organisms - first live cells (named them ‘animalcules’)

54
Q

What specific type of cells & live organisms did Van Leeuwenhoek discover?

A
  • Sperm & red blood cells

- Bacteria

55
Q

Name the 3 types of light microscopy

A
  • Bright-field
  • Phase contrast
  • Differential Interference Contrast (DIC)
56
Q

Put the light microscopes in order of how detailed the cells can be seen (most to least detailed)

A
  • Phase-contrast (darkest)
  • DIC
  • Bright-field (lightest)
57
Q

Name two types of stain used to identify cells & structures within them

A
  • Hematoxylin & Eosin stain

- Azan trichrome stain

58
Q

How does Hematoxylin & Eosin stain work?

A

Hematoxylin (purple) - stains acidic structures e.g nucleus

Eosin (pink) - stains basic structures e.g cytoplasm & cell walls

(Common stain used in histology)

59
Q

How does the Azan trichrome stain work?

A

Bright red - nuclei
Blue - collagen, basement membrane & mucin
Orange/red - red blood cells

(Good for staining connective tissue & epithelium)

60
Q

Who was the first to visualise chromosomes using dyes?

A

Walther Flemming - discovered the major stages of mitosis using aniline to visualise chromosomes

61
Q

How does fluorescence microscopy work?

A
  1. 1st barrier filter - lets only blue light through w/ specific wavelength range (light source -> object)
  2. Beam-splitting mirror - reflects & transmits certain wavelengths of light
    (object -> just before reaching eyepiece)
  3. 2nd barrier filter - cuts out unwanted fluorescent signals, passing the specific green fluorescein emission at specific wavelength range (going through eyepiece)
62
Q

What is the difference in microscopy principles of transition & scanning electron microscopes? (TEMs & SEMs)

A

TEM - Has viewing screen

SEM - Has detector instead of viewing screen & in addition has a beam deflector

63
Q

Which microscope provides highest resolution possible?

A

TEMs

64
Q

Define resolution

A

The minimum distance of two distinguishable points (clarity of image)

65
Q

Define magnification

A

Just how much larger the image in compared to its real size

66
Q

Fluorescence microscopy is a type of light microscopy. True or false?

A

True

67
Q

Fluorophores absorb light and the emit light at a lower wavelength. True or false?

A

False - Fluorophores absorb light and then emit light at a higher wavelength

Foundation in Biology - Term 1 Part 1 (8 decks)

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