Cell Structure Flashcards
What are the three main parts of a cell?
The three main parts of a cell are the plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus.
What are organelles?
Organelles are additional structures within a cell that carry out metabolic life functions necessary to maintain the cell.
How are organelles compared to organs?
Organelles are often compared to the organs that sustain the functioning of our bodies.
What is the composition of the plasma membrane?
The plasma membrane is made of a phospholipid bilayer embedded with proteins.
What is required to understand the hierarchy of structures and functions within the human body?
A general knowledge of cell parts and their functions, and the ability to explain and differentiate between mitosis and meiosis is required.
What resources are available for learning about cell structure and function?
Resources include print textbooks, online content and quizzes, and free online textbooks.
What is the structure of the plasma membrane?
The plasma membrane is made of a phospholipid bilayer embedded with proteins. Some embedded proteins act as channels that are specific for individual molecules, making the membrane selectively permeable.
What is the cytoplasm?
The cytoplasm is the semifluid substance present inside the membrane that contains the organelles.
What is the nucleus?
The nucleus is the most prominent organelle in the cell, protected by a double membrane and contains genetic material in the form of DNA.
Why is the nucleus referred to as the control center of the cell?
The nucleus encodes for all the proteins necessary for the cell and the organism to carry out its life functions.
What happens during cell division?
When new cells are needed for growth or repair of tissues, the DNA is replicated in its entirety and the cell enters into the process of cell division, or mitosis.
What is the rough endoplasmic reticulum?
The rough endoplasmic reticulum is continuous with the outer membrane of the nucleus and is composed of parallel, flattened sacs covered with ribosomes.
What is the function of ribosomes?
Ribosomes are the site of the synthesis of the protein that is encoded by the DNA in the nucleus.
What is the smooth endoplasmic reticulum?
The smooth endoplasmic reticulum has no ribosomes and functions as the site of lipid production and storage.
What happens to proteins made on the rough endoplasmic reticulum?
Once proteins are made on the ribosomes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, they are packaged into vesicles and transported to the Golgi complex.
What is the Golgi complex’s role?
The Golgi modifies, packages, and transports proteins to where they are needed and is often referred to as the manufacturing and shipping department of the cell.
What are lysosomes?
Lysosomes are vesicles of powerful digestive enzymes packaged by the Golgi, necessary for cellular metabolism.
How do cells create usable energy?
For a cell to complete cellular processes, it must create usable cellular energy from the energy stored in nutrients.
What is the function of mitochondria?
Mitochondria change food energy into usable cellular energy via cellular respiration.
The usable cell energy is adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
What is the process of mitosis?
Mitosis is the process where one cell reproduces into two genetically identical daughter cells.
What occurs during interphase in mitosis?
During interphase, DNA replicates.