Cell Biology (HL) Flashcards
What are cristae?
Infoldings of the inner membrane of a mitochondrion that houses the electron transport chain and the enzyme catalyzing the synthesis of ATP.
What is the intermembrane space?
The fluid filled space between the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes.
What is the matrix in a mitochondrion?
The innermost compartment of the mitochondrion and the site of the Krebs cycle reactions.
What is a thylakoid?
A flattened membrane sac inside the chloroplast, contains photosystems and pigments used to convert light energy into chemical energy.
What is the stroma?
The fluid of the chloroplast surrounding the thylakoid membrane.
What is a photosystem?
Cluster of chlorophyll and proteins found in thylakoids.
What are grana?
The stacks of thylakoids embedded in the stroma of a chloroplast.
What is a free ribosome?
Ribosomes scattered throughout the cell, produces protein for use inside the cell.
What is a bound ribosome?
Ribosomes attached to rough ER, produce protein for export from cell.
What is a nuclear pore?
Protein-lined channel or hole in nuclear membrane, allows movement of mRNA out of the nucleus.
What is a vesicle?
Small membrane-bound sac that functions in moving products into, out of, and within a cell.
What is clathrin?
A protein that plays a major role in the formation of coated vesicles.
What is the Miller-Urey experiment?
Experiment that found that organic molecules can form from inorganic molecules in a strongly reducing atmosphere.
What is RNA?
Single-stranded nucleic acid that contains the sugar ribose.
What is a ribozyme?
A type of RNA that can act as an enzyme and catalyze reactions.
What does LUCA stand for?
Last Universal Common Ancestor. The shared ancestor that multiple organisms diverged from.
What is the endosymbiotic theory?
A theory that states that certain kinds of prokaryotes began living inside of larger cells and evolved into the organelles of modern-day eukaryotes.
What is a hydrothermal vent?
An opening in the sea floor out of which heated mineral-rich water flows, possible habitat for LUCA.
What is a 70S ribosome?
Small ribosomes found in prokaryotic cells and in chloroplast and mitochondria.
What is cell differentiation?
The process by which a cell becomes specialized for a specific structure or function.
What is multicellularity?
Being composed of many cells that adhere to each other and can be specialized to perform different functions.
What are microvilli?
Fingerlike extensions of plasma membrane which increase surface area, aid in absorption of materials.
What is invagination?
Infolding of the plasma membrane to form tubules, folds, sacs, increases surface area for absorption of materials.
What is an erythrocyte?
Red blood cells, have a flattened shape to increase surface area to volume ratio.
