3.1 Concepts of Cellular Structure Flashcards
cytology
the scientific study of cells
Robert Hooke
17th-century scientist who coined the word “cellulae” after observing the empty cell walls of cork
Theodor Schwann
studied animal tissues and concluded that all animals are made of cells
spontaneous generation
the (false) idea that living things arise from nonliving matter
Louis Pasteur
19th-century French microbiologist who disproved spontaneous generation
cell
the simplest structural and functional unit of life
cell theory
cells arise only from other cells, and cells are the simplest structural and functional unit of life
squamous
thin, flat, scaly cells, e.g. esophageal and epidermal cells
cuboidal
squarish cells equal in height and width, e.g. liver cells
columnar
cells more tall than wide, e.g. gastrointestinal cells
polygonal
irregularly angular shaped cells with 4+ sides
stellate
starlike cells, e.g. nerve cells
spheroidal to ovoid
round to oval, e.g. egg cells and white blood cells
discoid
disc-shaped, e.g. red blood cells
fusiform
spindle-shaped, elongated
fibrous
long, slender, and threadlike, e.g. skeletal muscles and axons
micrometer
the most useful unit of measure for designating cell sizes, equal to one-millionth of a meter
cytoplasm
the fluid between the nucleus and surface membrane
transmission electron microscope (TEM)
microscope invented in the mid-20th century that uses beams of electrons rather than light to see a cell’s ultrastructure
resolution
the ability (of a microscope) to reveal detail
scanning electron microscope (SEM)
microscope that produces dramatic three-dimensional images at high magnification and resolution but can only view surface features
vascular corrosion cast
technique for visualizing the blood vessels of an organ
cytoskeleton
a supportive framework of protein filaments and tubules in the cell’s cytoplasm
organelles
structures that perform metabolic tasks for the cell
inclusions
foreign matter or stored cell products
cytosol
a clear, featureless, gelatinous colloid in which the organelles and other internal structures of a cell are embedded
intracellular fluid (ICF)
the fluid contained in the cells
extracellular fluid (ECF) / tissue (interstitial) fluid
any body fluid that is not contained in the cells
