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A Level Biology (Miss Atherton) > Basic Components Of Living Systems > Flashcards

Basic Components Of Living Systems Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a light microscope used for?

A

Observing living and dead specimins

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2
Q

What are the pros and cons of a light microscope?

A

Pros: Cheap, Portable, Easy To Use, Can Study Living Specimens

Cons: Limited Magnification, Poor Resolution

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3
Q

What is a laser scanning confocal microscope used for?

A

Creating a high Resolution, high contrast image, at different depths of the specimen

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4
Q

What is transmission electron microscope be used for?

A

Viewing the surface of objects under high Magnification and Resolution

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5
Q

What is a scanning electron microscope used for?

A

Viewing the surface of objects under high Magnification and Resolution

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6
Q

What are the pros and cons of an electron microscope?

A

Pros: Very high magnification and excellent resolution

Cons: Specimen need to be dead, very expensive, very large, requires great skill and training to use

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7
Q

What is the difference between a transmission and an scanning electron microscope?

A

TEM sends a beam of electrons of electrons through the specimen, the SEM bounces electrons off the surface

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8
Q

What is the difference between light and electron microscopes?

A

Light microscopes uses lenses to focus a beam of light, Electron microscopes uses a beam of electrons which are focused by magnets

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9
Q

What is an eyepiece graticule?

A

A small ruler fitted to a light microscope’s eyepiece. It must be calibrated using a stage micrometer before being used to measure specimens

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10
Q

What is a stage micrometer?

A

A millimetre long ruler etched onto a slide, it has 100 divisions (each of 0.01mm or 10 micrometers). It is used to calibrate the eyepiece graticule

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11
Q

Why do we stain specimens?

A

To provide more contrast and to make it easier to distinguish certain parts

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12
Q

What is Differential Staining?

A

Using a stain to distinguish between either 2 organisms or between organelles of a specimen due to preferential absorption of stain

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13
Q

What is the formula to calculate Magnification?

A

Magnification = Image Size / Actual Size

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14
Q

What is the formula to calculate the Actual Object Size?

A

Actual Size = Image Size / Magnification

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15
Q

How do we work out Image Size

A

Use a ruler and measure the image

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16
Q

What is Magnification?

A

A measure of how much larger the image of a specimen looks under the microscope

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17
Q

What is Resolution?

A

The ability to distinguish between two adjacent individual points as seperate

18
Q

What are the maximum Resolutions of the different microscopes?

A 
Light = 200nm
SEM = 10nm
TEM = 0.2 nm
19
Q

What is the maximum Magnification of the different microscopes?

A 
Light = x1500
SEM = x100000
TEM = x 500000
20
Q

What are the main structures of all Eukaryotic Cells?

A

Nucleus, Nucleolus, Cytoplasm, Cytoskeleton, Plasma Membrane, Mitochondria, Golgi Apparatus, SER, RER, Ribosomes

21
Q

What is the structure and function of the Nucleus?

A
  • Surrounded by a double membrane (nuclear envelope).
  • Contains Chromatin (DNA wrapped around Histones)
  • Stores human genomes
  • Controls cell by providing instructions for protein synthesis
22
Q

What is the structure and function of the Nucleolus?

A
  • Made of RNA

- Produces Ribosomes

23
Q

What is the structure and function of the Nuclear Envelope?

A
  • Double membrane embedded with channel proteins forming pores
  • Separates Nucleus from the rest of the cells
  • Pores allow Ribosomes and mRNA to leave the Nucleus
24
Q

What is the structure and function of the RER?

A
  • System of fluid filled membranes studded with Ribosomes
  • Continuous with the Nuclear Membrane
  • Large surface area formed by folding, enables lots of protein synthesis
  • Proteins pinched off in vesicles transported to the Golgi Apparatus
25
Q

What is the structure and function of the SER?

A
  • System of fluid filled membranes
  • No Ribosomes
  • Contains enzymes for Cholesterol, Lipid and Phospholipid synthesis
26
Q

What is the structure and function of the Golgi Apparatus?

A
  • Stack of flattened filled membrane bound sacs
  • Vesicles form RER join at the cis face
  • Modified by adding sugar to make Glycoproteins, adding Lipids to form Glycolipids
  • Folding proteins into their 3D shape
  • Modified proteims are pinched off from RER into transport Vesicles
27
Q

What is the structure and function of the Ribosomes?

A
  • 2 Subunits: large and small
  • Made of mRNA
  • Proteins synthesised here
28
Q

What is the structure and function of the Mitochondria?

A
  • Double membrane bound
  • Inner membrane folded into cristae within fluid filled matrix
  • Contain own DNA and 70s Ribosomes
  • Site of Aerobic Respiration
29
Q

What is the structure and function of the Lysosomes?

A
  • Membrane bound sacs containing Hydrolytic (digestive) Enzymes, break down old organelles and foreign matter for reuse
30
Q

What is the structure and function of the Chloroplasts?

A
  • Double membrane bound
  • Inner membrane forms flat disks filled with Chloroplasts called Thylakoids, in stacks called Granum
  • Surrounded by a fluid matrix called the Stroma
  • Contain own DNA and 70s Ribosomes
  • Site of Photosynthesis
31
Q

What is the structure and function of the Plasma Membrane?

A
  • Phospholipid layer, Cholesterol, Proteins , Glycoproteins, Glycolipids
  • Separates cell contents from external environment
  • Controls what enters and leaves the cell
  • Identifies cell as self
  • Acts as a reporter for various chemicals, site of chemical reactions
32
Q

What is the structure and function of the Centrioles?

A
  • Present in animals only
  • 2 bundels of Microtubules at eight angles
  • Used as an anchor point to separate chromosomes during cell division
  • Forms basis of Cilia
33
Q

What is the structure and function of the Cell Wall?

A
  • Present in plants and fungi only
  • Bundles of cellulose fibres in plants
  • Chitin in fungi
  • Provide support and strength, maintaining the cell’s shape
  • Prevents the cell from bursting when turgid
  • Permeable to allow solutions through
34
Q

What is the structure and function of the Flagella?

A
  • 9 pairs of microtubules surround 2 lone microtubules
  • Membrane covers the whole thing
  • Used for moving unicellular organisms around
35
Q

What is the structure and function of the Cilila?

A
  • 9 pairs of Microtubules surround 2 lone Microtubules
  • Membrane covers the whole thing
  • Present in great numbers
  • Move together in a wafting pattern to move single celled organisms
  • When present on tissues waft to move fluids such as Mucus
36
Q

Which structures are involved in the production of proteins?

A

Nucleus, RER, Transport Vesicles, Golgi Apparatus

37
Q

What is the structure and function of the Cytoskeleton?

A
  • Microfilaments made of Actin to allow cell movement and Cytokinesis
  • Microtubules made of Tubilinsscaffold like structures to give cell shape
  • Intermediate fires give mechanical strength, maintaining integrity
38
Q

What do Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes have in common?

A

Plasma Membrane, Cytoplasm, Ribosomes, DNA, RNA

39
Q

What is different between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells?

A
  • Prokaryotes have no: Nucleus, Centrioles, Membrane bound organelles (Mitochondria, RER, SER, Golgi Apparatus)
  • Prokaryotes also have: Pepidoglycan Cell Wall, Smaller Ribosomes, Naked Loop of DNA, Plasmids
40
Q

How do Prokaryotes divide?

A

Binary Fission

A Level Biology (Miss Atherton) (1 decks)

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