Cell Biology II Flashcards
What’s a Peptide?
Peptides are short chains of amino acid monomers and are the building blocks of Polypeptides.
What’s an Amino Acid?
Amino Acids are organic compounds made from amine and carboxylic acid functional groups, along with a side-chain specific to each amino acid.
What is a Codon?
a nucleotide triplet
What are Proteins made of?
Polypeptides arranged in a biologically functional way.
What is a functional group in Chemistry?
Specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules.
What are the four key-elements of an amino acid?
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
(other elements are found in the side-chains of certain amino acids)
What is gene mutation?
A change of the nucleotide sequence of the genome of an organism.
What is the gene product?
A gene product is the biochemical material, either RNA or protein, resulting from expression of a gene.
What is meant by gene expression?
Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product.
What are membrane proteins?
Membrane proteins are proteins attached to or associated with a cell membrane or the membrane of a cell organelle
What is an ion?
An ion is an atom or a molecule in which the total number of electrons and protons is not equal, giving the atom a net positive or negative charge.
What is a transporter protein?
A protein which serves the function of moving other materials within an organism.
What is an ion channel?
Ion channels are pore-forming membrane proteins.
What function do ion channels serve?
Ion channels serve the function of establishing a resting membrane potential, shaping action potentials and other electrical signals by gating the flow of ions across the cell membrane.
What is cytoskeleton (aka. CSK)?
Cytoskeleton is a cellular scaffolding or skeleton contained within the cell’s cytoplasm.
Do all cells have a cytoskeleton?
Yes (recent research)
What is the name of the Myelin layer around an axon?
Myelin Sheath
What can motor proteins do?
Motor proteins are able to move along certain surfaces using ATP.
What ATP-powered motor protein is e.g. involved in muscle contraction?
Myosin
Do dendrites carry signals towards or away from the soma?
towards
Name the principal glial cell of the PNS!
Schwann cell
List four functions of glial cells!
- to surround neurons and hold them in place
- to supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons
- to insulate one neuron from another
- to destroy infectious agents (pathogens) and remove dead neurons
What does the axon hillock connect?
The axon and the soma.
Define membrane potential!
Mambrane potential is the difference in electrical potential between the interior and the exterior of a cell.
