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Biology > B2 Cells > Flashcards

B2 Cells Flashcards

1
Q

What does the cell membrane do?

A

The cell membrane separates the interior of the cell from the external environment and is selectively permeable, controlling substances moving in and out.

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1
Q

What is the function of the nucleus?

A

The nucleus contains chromosomes, which hold the cell’s genetic material.

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2
Q

What are ribosomes responsible for?

A

Ribosomes are responsible for synthesising (making) proteins.

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3
Q

Where does aerobic respiration take place in an animal cell?

A

Aerobic respiration takes place in the mitochondria, using glucose and oxygen to release energy.

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4
Q

What is the cytoplasm, and what is its role?

A

The cytoplasm is a jelly-like fluid that fills the cell and is where most of the cell’s chemical reactions take place.

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5
Q

What is the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), and what does it do?

A

The RER is a membrane-bound structure involved in protein synthesis. It is covered in ribosomes and forms around the nucleus.

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6
Q

What additional sub-cellular structures are found in a plant cell compared to an animal cell?

A

Plant cells have a permanent vacuole, chloroplasts, and a cell wall, in addition to the sub-cellular structures found in animal cells.

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7
Q

What is a permanent vacuole, and what does it do?

A

A permanent vacuole is a fluid-filled sac that stores water, enclosed by a membrane, and can make up 90% of a plant cell’s volume.

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8
Q

What is the role of chloroplasts in a plant cell?

A

Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, which is essential for the process of photosynthesis.

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9
Q

What is the function of the cell wall in a plant cell?

A

The cell wall surrounds the cell, is made of cellulose, and increases the structural strength of the cell.

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10
Q

Plant cells contain

A

Permanent vacuole
Mitochondria
Rough endoplasmic reticulum
Chloroplasts
Cytoplasm
Cell membrane
Ribosomes
Nucleus
Cell wall

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11
Q

How do prokaryotic cells differ from plant and animal cells in size?

A

Prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria, are much smaller than plant and animal cells.

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12
Q

Do prokaryotic cells contain mitochondria or chloroplasts?

A

No, prokaryotic cells do not contain mitochondria (where respiration occurs) or chloroplasts (where photosynthesis occurs).

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13
Q

Where is the genetic material stored in prokaryotic cells?

A

Prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus, and their genetic material is stored in a single DNA loop in the cytoplasm.

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14
Q

Do prokaryotic cells have rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER)?

A

No, prokaryotic cells do not contain rough endoplasmic reticulum, which is found in plant and animal cells.

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15
Q

What are tissues in living organisms?

A

Tissues are groups of similar cells that act together to perform a specific function.

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16
Q

What is epithelial tissue, and where is it found?

A

Epithelial tissue comes into contact with the outside world. It is found in both animals and plants.

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17
Q

What is the function of muscular tissue in animals?

A

Muscular tissue can contract to bring about force and motion.

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18
Q

What is mesophyll tissue, and where is it found?

A

Mesophyll tissue is found in plants and is capable of photosynthesis.

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19
Q

What are examples of epidermal tissue in animals and plants?

A

Human skin and the waxy covering of some plants are examples of epidermal tissues.

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20
Q

What are cells in living organisms?

A

Cells are the building blocks of life for organisms.

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21
Q

How are cells similar to LEGO bricks?

A

Like LEGO bricks, cells come in different types and can work together to form larger structures, such as tissues or organs.

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22
Q

What are examples of tissues found in both animals and plants?

A

Epidermal and epithelial tissues.

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23
Q

What is an example of tissue found only in animals?

A

Muscular tissue.

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24
Q

What is an example of tissue found only in plants?

A

Mesophyll tissue.

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25
Q

What are tissues?

A

Tissues are groups of similar cells that act harmoniously to perform a similar function.

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26
Q

What are organs?

A

Organs are groups of distinct tissues that work together to perform a specific function.

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27
Q

What tissues are found in the stomach, and what are their functions?

A

Muscular tissue: Moves the contents of the stomach around during digestion.
Glandular tissue: Produces digestive juices that break down the stomach’s contents.
Epithelial tissue: Lines the stomach.

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28
Q

What are organ systems?

A

Organ systems are groups of organs that work together to perform a particular role.

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29
Q

What organs make up the digestive system, and what are their functions?

A

Glands (e.g. pancreas and salivary glands): Produce digestive juices.
Stomach: Digests food.
Liver: Produces bile.
Small intestine: Digests food and absorbs soluble food molecules.
Large intestine: Absorbs water molecules from undigested food and produces faeces.

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30
Q

What organs make up the digestive system?

A

The digestive system is made up of glands, the stomach, the liver, the small intestine, and the large intestine.

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31
Q

What is an organism in the context of multicellular organisms?

A

An organism is the highest level of organisation in a multicellular organism, consisting of several organ systems.

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32
Q

Where are ciliated epithelial cells found, and what is their function?

A

Ciliated epithelial cells line the airways and their function is to waft mucus (which traps harmful microorganisms) to the back of the throat to be swallowed.

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33
Q

What are cilia, and what is their role in ciliated epithelial cells?

A

Cilia are hair-like structures on the cells that move in unison to help waft mucus.

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34
Q

Why do ciliated epithelial cells contain many mitochondria?

A

Ciliated epithelial cells contain many mitochondria because moving the cilia requires energy from respiration.

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35
Q

What is the function of cilia in ciliated epithelial cells?

A

Cilia help waft mucus, which traps harmful microorganisms, to the back of the throat to be swallowed.

36
Q

What does the term “wafting” refer to in the context of ciliated epithelial cells?

A

Wafting refers to the movement of mucus by the cilia to the back of the throat for swallowing.

37
Q

What happens when an egg cell is fertilised?

A

The egg cell is fertilised by a sperm cell to become a zygote, which grows into an embryo.

38
Q

How is the nucleus of an egg cell specialised?

A

The nucleus of the egg cell contains half the genetic information needed for the new zygote. The sperm cell provides the other half.

39
Q

What is the role of the cytoplasm in an egg cell?

A

The cytoplasm is large and packed with nutrients that the zygote will need to grow.

40
Q

How is the cell membrane of an egg cell adapted?

A

The cell membrane changes structure once the egg is fertilised, preventing more sperm from entering the egg cell.

41
Q

What is the name of the structure formed when an egg cell is first fertilised by a sperm cell?

A

: The structure formed is called a zygote.

42
Q

What is the function of a sperm cell?

A

Sperm cells are specialised to fertilise egg cells. They travel long distances and break through the egg cell to combine their DNA with the egg’s DNA.

43
Q

What does the head of a sperm cell contain, and what is its function?

A

The head contains the sperm cell’s nucleus, which carries half of an organism’s genetic material. It combines with the egg cell’s genetic material to fertilise the egg.

44
Q

What is the function of the acrosome in a sperm cell?

A

The acrosome at the tip of the head contains an enzyme needed to penetrate (break into) the egg cell.

45
Q

What is the role of the middle section in a sperm cell?

A

The middle section is filled with mitochondria to provide energy for the sperm to travel long distances to the egg.

46
Q

What is the function of the tail in a sperm cell?

A

The tail is used for motion, allowing the sperm cell to travel towards the egg cell.

47
Q

How are sperm cells specialised to enable fertilisation?

A

Sperm cells are specialised to travel long distances relative to their size to reach the egg, then break through and fertilise it by combining the sperm DNA with the egg DNA.

48
Q

What is the function of the head in a sperm cell?

A

The head contains the acrosome, which contains enzymes for penetrating the egg, and the nucleus, which carries half of the organism’s genetic material.

49
Q

What is the role of the middle section in a sperm cell?

A

The middle section is filled with mitochondria, which provide energy for swimming.

50
Q

What is the function of the tail in a sperm cell?

A

The tail enables motion, allowing the sperm to swim towards the egg.

51
Q

What is the function of red blood cells?

A

Red blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to all body cells.

52
Q

How is the biconcave shape of red blood cells adapted for their function?

A

The biconcave shape creates a large surface area, allowing for the rapid diffusion of oxygen.

53
Q

What is the role of haemoglobin in red blood cells?

A

Haemoglobin binds with oxygen in the lungs and carries it to body cells for respiration.

54
Q

Why do red blood cells lack a nucleus?

A

Red blood cells do not have a nucleus, which frees up space for more haemoglobin, maximising the amount of oxygen they can carry.

55
Q

How does the small size of red blood cells help with their function?

A

The small size allows red blood cells to pass through tiny capillaries easily.

56
Q

How is a red blood cell adapted to its function?

A

-It has a biconcave shape, creating a large surface area for rapid oxygen diffusion.
-It contains haemoglobin, which binds with oxygen in the lungs.
-It lacks a nucleus, freeing up room for more haemoglobin.
-It is small, allowing it to pass through tiny capillaries.

57
Q

Why do whales need to store lots of oxygen in their blood?

A

Whales need to store lots of oxygen because they don’t breathe when they dive underwater.

58
Q

How does the amount of haemoglobin in whales’ blood compare to humans?

A

Whales have twice as much haemoglobin in their blood as humans.

59
Q

What is the function of haemoglobin in red blood cells?

A

Haemoglobin binds with oxygen in the lungs and helps transport it throughout the body.

60
Q

What is the function of axons in a neurone?

A

Axons carry electrical impulses away from the cell body.

61
Q

What is the function of dendrites in a neurone?

A

Dendrites carry electrical impulses towards the cell body.

62
Q

What is the myelin sheath, and what is its role in a neurone?

A

The myelin sheath is a layer that covers the axon. It insulates the neurone, allowing electrical impulses to travel down it more quickly.

63
Q

What do axons carry in a neurone?

A

Axons carry nerve impulses away from the cell body.

64
Q

Why do root hair cells not contain chloroplasts?

A

Root hair cells are located underground, where there is no light for photosynthesis, so they do not contain chloroplasts.

65
Q

What feature of root hair cells helps them absorb more water and minerals?

A

Root hair cells have long projections that increase the surface area, allowing the plant to absorb more water and minerals.

66
Q

What is the function of root hair cells?

A

Root hair cells are specialised to help plants absorb more water and take in the minerals they need to survive.

67
Q

What is the function of xylem cells in plants?

A

Xylem cells are specialised to transport water up the stem of a plant and into the leaves.

68
Q

What is the structure of xylem vessels?

A

Xylem vessels are made up of a series of connected dead xylem cells, with broken end walls to allow water to move through.

69
Q

What role does lignin play in xylem cells?

A

Lignin strengthens the cell walls of xylem cells, providing structural support.

70
Q

Why are xylem cells’ end walls broken?

A

The end walls of the dead xylem cells are broken to allow water and dissolved minerals to move through.

71
Q

What is the main function of palisade mesophyll cells in plants?

A

Palisade mesophyll cells perform much of a plant’s photosynthesis.

72
Q

How is the structure of palisade mesophyll cells adapted to absorb sunlight?

A

Palisade mesophyll cells are tall and packed tightly near the surface of leaves, allowing them to absorb as much sunlight as possible.

73
Q

Why do palisade mesophyll cells contain many chloroplasts?

A

Palisade mesophyll cells contain many chloroplasts, which are the structures where photosynthesis takes place.

74
Q

What is magnification in microscopy?

A

Magnification is the size of the image seen through the microscope divided by the size of the real object. It shows how much bigger the object appears.

75
Q

How do you calculate magnification?

A

Magnification = Size of the image / Size of the real object.

76
Q

Example: A cell has a diameter of 0.001 cm, and its image seen through the microscope has a diameter of 5 cm. What is the magnification?

A

Magnification = 5 cm / 0.001 cm = x5000.

77
Q

What is the first step in preparing a light microscope slide?

A

Put a thin sample of tissue (e.g. onion epidermis) onto a microscope slide.

78
Q

Why is a stain or dye added to the tissue in a microscope experiment?

A

A stain or dye (e.g. iodine) is added to make the cells more visible under the microscope.

79
Q

What should you do after placing a coverslip on the tissue?

A

Place the slide onto the microscope stage.

80
Q

What is the first lens you should use when focusing the microscope?

A

Use the objective lens with the lowest magnification and focus on the sample.

81
Q

How do you see different features of the cell under a light microscope?

A

Increase the magnification and refocus to see different features of the cell.

82
Q

What do microscopes allow us to observe?

A

Microscopes allow us to observe structures within cells, known as sub-cellular structures.

83
Q

What is 1 km equal to in meters?

A

1 km = 1,000 meters (1,000 m).

84
Q

What is 1 cm equal to in meters?

A

1 cm = 0.01 meters (10^-2 m).

85
Q

What is 1 mm equal to in meters?

A

1 mm = 0.001 meters (10^-3 m).

86
Q

What is 1 µm equal to in meters?

A

1 µm = 0.000001 meters (10^-6 m).

87
Q

What is 1 nm equal to in meters?

A

1 nm = 0.000000001 meters (10^-9 m).

88
Q

What do the prefixes like “kilo-“ or “centi-“ represent?

A

They show the magnitude (size) of a value and can be applied to different units, such as meters (m).

Biology (14 decks)

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