Cell Biology Flashcards
Acidic Amino Acids
Asp and Glu
Basic Amino Acids
Lys, Arg, and His
Amino Acids
Only L-aa in natural proteins
aa are modified to change effects
Isoelectric Point
pI = [pKa1 + pKa2]/2
Used for electrophoresis
Proteins
aa’s linked by peptide bonds
Synthesis requires a lot of energy
Cysteine residues form disulfide bonds (cystine)
Have primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure
Primary structure is sole determinant of folding
Beta Sheets
H bonding btw CO and NH groups on different chains
Either parallel or anti-parallel (anti make a Beta turn)
Carbohydrates
Aldehyde or ketone group Named off glyceraldehyde 2^n stereoisomers (n= chiral centers) D-isomer - OH group to the right L-isomer - OH group to the left Non-reducing carbs have an hemiacetal bonded forming an acetal
Anomers
Differ only at C1
Alpha - OH group is opposite CH2OH group
Beta - OH group is cis w/ CH2OH group
Fatty Acids
Saturated - all carbons full complement of H’s
-Low melting temperature
Unsaturated - contains double bonds btw carbons
-Higher melting temperature
Usually found in triglycerides (glycerol and three fatty acids)
Glycerophospholipids
Lipid component of membranes
Nonpolar tails/polar heads
Composed of glycerol, two fatty acids, and a phosphate
Sphingolipids
Composed of sphingosine backbone
One fatty acid and one sugar
Cholesterol
Synthesized in cytosol
Membrane constituent
Used to make steroids in mitochondria
DNA
Composed of deoxyribose, nitrogenous base, and phosphoric acid
A/G - purines
T/C - pyrimidines
Phosphoric acid gives (-) charge making backbone polar
Runs anti-parallel 5’ –> 3’
RNA
Composed of ribose, nitrogenous base, and phosphoric acid
A/U/G/C
Phosphoric acid gives (-) charge making backbone polar
Either mRNA, tRNA, rRNA
Can have enzymatic activity
Phosphoric Acid
Used to help buffer pH
H3PO4 H2PO4- + H+ HPO4 2- + H+ PO4 3- + H+
Eukaryotic Cells
Nucleus holds genetic info
Chromatin - Found in interphase, linear dsDNA and histone
Chromosomes - condensed chromatin in prep for cell division
Human cells
23 chromosomes
Diploid cells have 46 (23 pairs)
Metaphase is best time to view chromosomes
Histones
Basic proteins ( (+) charged) that bind to DNA backbone ( (-) charge)
H1, H2a, H2b, H3 and H4 subunits
-These associate to form a nucleosome
Nucleosome repeats every ~200 bp
Linker histone binds btw nucleosomes
Core histone (H2a, H2b, H3, H4) bind 1.75 turns of DNA
Cell Cycle
The major stages:
1) Interphase (G1, S, G2)
2) Mitosis: Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase
3) Cytokinesis (partitioning of cell contents)
Interphase
G1: RNA and proteins synthesized
-centriole pair separates in prep for synthesis
-Cells that don’t divide stay here
S: chromatin is replicated
G2: chromatin begins to condense, cell prepares for mitosis
Prophase
Centrioles begin to move apart
Microtubules radiate from each pair forming aster
Chromatin is completely condensed
Microtubules attach at kinetochore
Nucleolus disappears and nuclear membrane breaks down
Metaphase
Chromosomes align on equator of cell (metaphase plate)
Nuclear membrane has completely disappeared
Anaphase
Centromeres divide and sister chromatids are now daughter chromosomes (now 92 chromosomes, 46 to one side, 46 to the other)
Movement by microtubule depolymerization at kinetochore
Telophase
Daughter chromosomes reach poles -Begin to uncoil Microtubules disappear Nuclear membrane reforms, nucleolus reappears Cleave furrow forms