B2: Scaling up Flashcards
what is diffusion
- diffusion is the net movement of particles from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration, down a concentration gradient, until they are evenly spread
what is concentration
amount of particles present in a set amount of volume
what’s a concentration gradient
difference in concentration between 2 areas
what does it mean that diffusion is a passive process
it doesn’t require energy
where does diffusion occur in the body
- in cells
- blood transports substances such as glucose and oxygen around the body
- diffusion is one process in which particles pass through the cell membrane form a region of high concentration to an area of low concentration
what factors affect the rate of diffusion
- distance (particles need to move)
- concentration gradient
- surface area (of membrane)
- temperature
how does distance increase the rate of diffusion
- decreasing distance the particles need to travel
- takes less time for particles to travel a shorter distance
> eg blood capillaries are one cell thick, which increases rate of diffusion of gases in/out of blood stream
how does concentration gradient increase the rate of diffusion
- increasing the concentration gradient
- the steeper the conc gradient, the greater the net movement of particles
> eg plant cells use co2, so the concentration of co2 drops inside plant cell, increasing the diffusion rate of co2 into the cells
how does surface area increase the rate of diffusion
- increasing the surface area
- more space for diffusion, so more particles can move in a period of time
> eg small intestine wall is highly folded, increasing the surface area that’s in contact with blood stream, which increases rate of diffusion of molecules produced in digestion ie. glucose and amino acids
how does temperature increase the rate of diffusion
- increasing the temperature
- particles gain more kinetic energy causing them to move faster and collide with cell membrane more often causing rate of diffusion to increase
what is osmosis
- osmosis is the net movement of water molecules from an area of high water potential to an area of lower water potential across a partially permeable membrane
- water will travel from where there are more water molecules to where there are less (down a concentration gradient)
what is water potential
- water potential is the concentration of free water molecules
what has the highest possible water potential
- pure water as all the water molecules are free to move
the greater the ___, the greater the rate of osmosis
- the greater the difference in water potential
what is a hypertonic condition
- solution on outside is more concentrated than other solution
- solution outside has lower water potential
- particles move out of cell into concentrated solution
what is a hypotonic condition
- solution on outside is more dilute than other solution
- solution outside has higher water potential
- particles move into the cell into concentrated
what is an isotonic condition
- both solutions are of equal concentration
- no net movement of water
state what happens in the 3 conditions during osmosis in plant cells
- hypertonic : cell placed in more concentrated solution + loses water by osmosis + cell membrane collapses away from cell wall - cell is now plasmolyzed
- hypotonic : cell placed in dilute solution + gains water by osmosis + pressure in cell increases (turgor pressure) - cell is now turgid
- isotonic : cell placed in solution with equal concentration + no net movement of water - cell remain same
state what happens in the 3 conditions during osmosis in plant cells
- hypertonic : cell placed in more concentrated solution + loses water by osmosis - cell becomes crenated (shrinks and wrinkles)
- hypotonic : cell placed in dilute solution + cell takes up water and swells / might burst - cell lysis
- isotonic : cell placed in solution of equal concentration + no net movement of water - cell remains same
what is active transport
- active transport is the movement of particles from a region of low concentration to an area or high concentration, against a concentration gradient using energy (ATP) released during respiration
give some examples of active transport
- movement of minerals from soil into plant roots
- movement of glucose into blood from small intestine
what is mitosis
- it’s the process by which body cells divide
what does mitosis produce
- each cell divides to produce 2 genetically identical daughter cells
> they are clones
why is mitosis needed
- growth
- repair damaged tissue
- replacement of worn out cells
- asexual reproduction
what are the stages of the cell cycle
- DNA replication (S phase)
- cell growth
- movement of chromosomes - mitosis
- cytokinesis
- growth of daughter cell
describe the DNA replication (S phase)
- DNA molecule unzips forming 2 separate strands
- bases are exposed
- free DNA nucleotides pair up with their complementary bases
- new backbones form producing 2 identical DNA molecules
what happens after DNA replication in cell cycle
- cell growth in preparation for cell division
how do chromosomes move (in cell cycle)
- chromosomes line up across centre of cell
- the 2 identical copies of each chromosome separate and move to opposite ends of each cell
- the cytoplasm and cell start to divide creating 2 new nuclei
what is cytokinesis
- after the movement of the chromosomes, the cell membrane pinches inwards to separate and enclose the 2 new nuclei and pinches off to split the original cell into 2 genetically identical daughter cells
what is the importance of cell differentiation
- to allow organisms to become more efficient
what does it mean if a cell differentiates
- cells become specialised to perform a particular job
- this means that the structure changes so that it’s better adapted to perform its function
how are sperm cells specialised to transfer genetic material to the egg
- flagellum (tail) for movement
- lots of mitochondria to provide energy from respiration for movement
- acrosome (contains enzymes) digests through egg membrane to allow transfer of genetic material
- streamlined heads = faster movement
how are red blood cells specialised to transport oxygen
- biconcave disc increasing surface area to speed up diffusion of oxygen and co2
- haemoglobin (red pigment) which binds to oxygen forming oxyhaemoglobin
- no nucleus allowing more space for haemoglobin
how are palisade cells specialised for carrying out photosynthesis
- found near surface of leaf
- have lots of chloroplasts
- regular shape allowing cells to be closely packed to maximise absorption of sunlight
how are ciliated epithelial cells specialised to carry out their function in the respiratory tract
- found in airways
- cilia (tiny hairs) on top of cells
- goblet cells produce sticky mucus
- cilia sweep mucus away from lungs into back of throat and then swallowed
> the bacteria present are killed in stomach thus preventing infection
what are stem cells
- stem cells are undifferentiated cells and can develop into lots of different types of cells by mitosis
what are the 2 main types of stem cells found in animals
- embryonic stem cell
- adult stem cell
where are embryonic stem cells found, what can they develop into and why are they used
- found in embryos
- can develop into all types of cells
- used for growth and development
where are adult stem cells found, what can they develop into and why are they used
- found in various body tissues such as ; bone marrow, brain and skin
- can’t develop into all types of cells
> they differentiate into a few cells depending on where they are found - used for replacement of damaged and worn out cells
what happens to adult stem cells when an animal if fully grown
- stem cells remain in non-dividing state for years
- only when activated by disease or tissue injury do the cells start to divide again
- this generates many cells which can be used to repair damage
where are stem cells found in plants
- only found in the meristems (growing parts of plants)
what do stem cells in plants do
they allow the:
- bud to grow into shoots or flowers
- stem to thicken
- root tip to grow longer
what is the difference between embryonic and adult stem cells
- embryonic stem cells can differentiate into any type of cell but adult stem cells can only differentiate into cell types from the tissue the stem cells are in
what are stem cells used for
stem cells have potential to treat a wide range of medical conditions:
- Parkinson’s disease
- type 1 diabetes
- spinal cord injury
they are also used for growth and repair
why are exchange surfaces needed for large multicellular organisms
- they have a small surface area: volume ratio so the rate of diffusion wouldn’t be fast
- exchange surfaces increase surface area: volume ratio
what features make an efficient exchange surface
- large surface area - increases rate of diffusion
- thin walls - shorter distance for diffusion
- good blood supply - maintain steep concentration gradient
- moist lining - gases can only diffuse when dissolved in solution
where does gas exchange happen
in the lungs
what is the job of the lungs
- to transfer oxygen to the blood and remove waste carbon dioxide from blood
what do the lungs have to maximise gas exchange
- millions of little air sacs called alveoli where gas exchange takes place
what are alveoli used for
- increases surface area of lungs
- maximises the rate of diffusion of oxygen into bloodstream and CO2 out of
how are alveoli adapted to ensure efficient gas exchange
- huge surface area through spherical shape
- very thin walls (one cell thick) - shorter distance for diffusion of gases
- moist lining for dissolving gases
- good blood supply - steep concentration gradient