Cell Biology Flashcards
what are eukaryotic cells?
Complex cells. Eg Animal and plant cells
what are prokaryotic cells?
single-celled organisms. Eg bacteria
List the different parts of an animal cell:
- nucleus
- cytoplasm
- cell membrane
- mitochondria
- ribosomes
what is the purpose of the nucleus?
contains genetic material, and controls cells activity
what is the purpose
of the cytoplasm?
A gel-like substance, where most of the chemical reactions happen. Contains enzymes that control these reactions
what is the purpose of a cell membrane?
to hold the cell together and control what goes in and out
what is the purpose of the mitochondria?
where most of the reactions for respiration take place
respiration transfers the energy which the cells need to work
what is the purpose of the ribosomes?
where proteins are made in the cell
What EXTRA sub-cellular structures do plant cells have, in addition, to those of animal cells?
rigid cell wall - cellulose, supports & strengthens
permanent vacuole - contains cell sap ( solution of sugar and salts)
chloroplasts - where photosynthesis occurs, has chlorophyll
Describe the structure of a bacteria cell
- cytoplasm
- cell membrane
- cell wall
- singular circular strand of DNA
- plasmids
NO chloroplasts of mitochondria
what is a light microscrope?
a microscope which uses light and lenses to form an image of a specimen and magnify it.
We are able to see individual cells, and large subcellular structures
what are electron miscroscopes microscopes?
microscopes that use electrons to form an image, have higher magnification that kight microsopes
list some benefits of electron microsopes:
- higher resolution
- higher magnification
- we can see smaller thing sin greater detail ( v small sub-cellular structures)
define resolution
the ability to distinguish between two points
higher resolution = sharper image
magnification =
image size / real size
How do you use a light microscope to look at a slide? ( 6 steps)
1 - clip the slide you have prepared onto the stage
2 - select the lowest powered objective lense
3 - use coarse adjustment knob to move the stage up to just below the objective lens
4 - look down the eyepiece. use the coarse adjustment knob to move the stage downwards until the image is roughly in focus.
5 - adjust the focus with the fine adjustment knob, until you get a clear image of what is on the other slide
6) if you need to see the slide with a greater magnification, swap to a higher-powered objective lens and refocus
how do you prepare a microscope slide? ( onion practical)
1) add a drop of water to the middle of the clean slide
2) cut up onion, and separate into layers. Use tweezers to peel off some epidermal tissue from the bottom of one of the layers
3) using tweezers place the epidermal tissue into the water on the slide
4) add a drop of iodine solution, it is a stain. Stains are used to highlight objects in a cell by adding colour to them
5) place a coverslip on top.
what are the key things in a miscrosope drawing?
you need:
- a title
- proportional subcellular structures
- labelled important features
- no colouring or shadng
- take up at least half the space given
what is diffferentiation?
the process by which a cell changes to become specialised for its job
do most plant cells ever loose their ability to differentiate?
no
cells that differentiate in mature animals are aminly used for…
repair and preplacing cells
eg skin or blood cells
what is the term for an undifferentiated cell?
stem cell
Describe what a sperm cell is specialised for, and how so.
specialised for: reproduction
function: get male DNA to female DNA
how its specialised:
- long tail and streamlined head helps it swim to the egg
- lots of mitochondira to provide it with energy needed
- carried enzymes to digest through egg cell membrane
Describe what a nerve cell is specialised for, and how so.
specialised for: rapid signalling
function: to carry electrical signaals from one part of the body to another
how its specialised:
- long, to cover long distances
- branched connections at he ends to connect other nerve cells and form a netweok throughout the body
Describe what a muscle cell is specialised for, and how so.
specialised for: contaction function: to contract quickly how its specialised: - long, so have space to contract - contain lots of mitochondria to generate energy needed for them to contract
Describe what a root hair cell is specialised for, and how so.
specialised for: water and minerals
how its specialised:
- grow into long”hairs” which stick into the soil. This increases the plants surface area for absorbing water and mineral ions from soil
Describe what pholem and xylem cells are specialised for, and how so.
specialised for: transporting substances
what are chromosones?
coiled up lenths of DNA molecules
how many pairs of chromosones does a human cell have?
23 pairs
what do organisms use mitosis for?
for growth and to replace damaged cells
Describe the first stage of the cell cycle:
Growth and DNA replication
1) in a cell thats not dividing the DNA is spread out in long strings
2) cell grows and increases the number of subcellular strucutes
3) cell duplicates its DNA - when copied it forms X shaped chromosones, and each “arm” is one copy
Describe the second ( and final :D ) stage of the cell cycle:
M I T O S I S
1) the chromosones line up at the centre of the cell and the cell fibres pull them apart. An arm of each chromosone goes to opposite ends of the cell
2) membranes form around each of the sets of chromosones. They become the nuclei of the new cells - the cell has split
3) cytoplasm and cell membrane divide
describe the products of mitosis
2 daughter cells, genticallu identical to parent cell and to eachother