Cell Organelles Flashcards
What does the cell/plasma membrane separate?
The external (extracellular) and internal (intracellular) environments
Cytosol (AKA Cystoplasm)
Intracellular gel like substance filled with proteins, lipids, sugars, nucleic acids, and organelles
What is the plasma membrane composed of?
Phospholipid bilayer and cholesterol
Phospholipid structure
Glycerol and phosphate (hydrophilic) head groups
Fatty acid tails (Hydrophobic)
Integral protein
- Protein that spans both sides of the plasma membrane
- Amphipathic
- Can include: Receptors, Linkers, Transporters, Enzymes, and Structural Proteins
Peripheral protein
Proteins that are loosely associated with one side of the plasma membrane
What does it mean when a protein is glycosolated?
It has a sugar chain attached to it
What does it mean that the cell membrane is fluid?
The lipids and proteins of the cell membrane can move and rearrange on the cell membrane
Amphipathic
A molecule with both polar (hydrophilic) and non-polar (hydrophobic) properties
Saturated fatty acids
Each carbon in the chain is linked to the next with a single bond, and each carbon atom is “saturated” with hydrogen
Unsaturated fatty acids
- Fatty acid with at least one carbon = carbon double bond
- Creates kinks in the tail, which increases fluidity and decreases stability of the cell membrane
Cholesterol
- Large hydrophobic carbon ring structure
- Small hydrophilic alcohol head group
- Inserts between fatty acid tails of phospholipids in membrane
- Increases membrane stability
What decreases membrane fluidity (increases stability)?
- Longer fatty acid tails
- More saturated fatty acids
- More cholesterol
- Lower temperatures
Glycolipids
Lipids with sugar chains added on the external membrane
Glycosylation
The process of adding sugar chains to lipids
Receptor proteins
- Integral protein
- Binds to ligands at the cell’s surface –> changes the protein’s shape –> actives signals inside the cell
Linker proteins
- Integral protein
- Connects cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane and external environment
Transporter proteins
- Integral protein
- Pumps/channels that move molecules across the plasma membrane
Structural proteins
- Integral protein
- Binds cells together into tissues
Glycocalyx
- External glycoproteins/glycolipids
- Funtions include:
1. ) Cell attachment
2. ) Protection from mechanical stress
3. ) Protein scaffold or retainer
4. ) Cell recognition
Lipid Rafts
- Microdomains of membrane
- High cholesterol and sphingolipids
- Consolidate receptors and signaling proteins
- Increases speed and efficiency of cell signaling at the cell’s membrane
Plasma Membrane Functions
- Defines cell boundaries
- Semi-permeable: restricts what enters/exits the cell
- Establishes electro-chemical gradients
- Cell-to-cell communication
How do the inner leaflet lipids differ from that of the outer leaflet lipids?
- The amount of membrane protein will vary highly depending on the type of cell and its function
- The outer leaflet will have glycolipids and higher amounts of Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and Sphingomyelin/sphingolipids (SM)
- The internal leaflet has Phosphatidylserine (PS), Phosphatidylinositol (PI), and Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)
Ribosomes structure
- rRNA/protein complexes of 2 subunits
- Prokaryotes: 50s and 30s subunits
- Eukaryotes: 60s and 40s subunit
Ribosomes function
“Reads” messenger RNA (mRNA) to synthesize proteins (translation)
Free ribosomes
- Free floating in the cytosol
- Synthesize proteins for the cystosol, mitochondria, nucleus, and peroxisomes
Membrane bound ribosomes
- Bound to the rough ER
- Synthesize proteins for the ER, golgi, plasma membrane, lysosomes, or secretion
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) structure
- Network of membrane stacks
- Ribosomes dock at the surface
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) function
- Protein folding with chaperone proteins in the rough ER
- Post-translational modification such as N-linked glycosylation and di-sulphide bonds
- Fatty acid, cholesterol, and phospholipid synthesis
- Quality control: misfolded proteins are tagged with ubiquitin and degraded by proteasomes
Describe the sequence of events of the Signal Recognition Particles (SRP)
- Binds to signal peptide on new proteins and stops translation
- Carries the ribosome and mRNA to the rough ER and binds to the translocator protein on the ER surface
- Translocator forms a pore for the to be translated protein
- Translation resumes and the new protein is extruded into the rough ER lumen
Smooth ER structure
- No ribosomes
- More tubular shape
Smooth ER function
- Synthesis of lipids and cholesterol
- Detoxification (especially important in the liver)
- Membrane production
- Glycogen formation (formed and stored in the smooth ER)
- Stores calcium ions (especially important in muscle tissue)
- Steroid synthesis (especially important in endocrine tissues)
Golgi Apparatus structure
- Usually near the nucleus
- Series of membrane stacks called cisternae
- Two sides:
1. ) Cis-Golgi: closer to rough ER, entry point into the Golgi
2. ) Trans-Golgi: further from ER, exit point out of the Golgi
Golgi Apparatus function
- Sort proteins for shipping around cell
- Further protein modification: Add (O-linked glycosylation), trim, or move sugars on proteins
- Pack proteins into vesicles for secretion
- Mannose-6-phosphate addition: special modification for lysosomal enzymes
Golgi Transport - Anterograde
COPII protein coated vesicles move from the rER –> Golgi –> Cis-Golgi –> Trans-Golgi
Golgi Transport - Retrograde
COPI protein coated vesicles moves from the Trans-Golgi –> Cis-Golgi –> rER
Golgi Transport - Transport to Endosomes and Cell Membrane
Clathrin protein coated vesicles bud off the trans-Golgi to endosomes and the cell membrane (secretion)
Constitutive Secretory Pathway
Protein vesicles continuously released from the Trans-Golgi to the cell membrane for release
Regulated Secretory Pathway
Vesicles storing products (secretory vesicles) wait for external signal before release
Mitochondria - Basic Structure
- Rod/fiber/sphere shaped
- Double membrane with cristae folds
Mitochondria - Outer Membrane
Permeable to small molecules and ions
Mitochondria - Inner Membrane Folds: Cristae
- Less permeable than outer membrane
- Folds (cristae) increase surface area
- Contains the electron transport chain (ETC) proteins
- Contains ATP synthase for oxidative phosphorylation