Cell Structure Flashcards
Light Microscope: Medium, Dimensions, Max Magnification, Max Resolution
Medium: Light Beam
Dimensions: 2D
Max Magnification: X 1500
Max Resolution: 200nm
SEM: Medium, Dimensions, Max Magnification, Max Resolution
Medium: Electron Beam
Dimensions: 3D
Max Magnification: X 200 000
Max Resolution: 20nm
TEM: Medium, Dimensions, Max Magnification, Max Resolution
Medium: Electron Beam
Dimensions: 2D
Max Magnification: X 2 000 000
Max Resolution: 0.1nm
Magnification Equation
Magnification = (size of image)/(size of object)
Magnification meaning
Magnification is how much bigger the image is compared to the original object viewed with the naked eye
Resolution Meaning
Resolution is how well a microscope distinguishes between two points that are close together.
To prepare slides for light microscopy, the specimen must be:
Dehydrated
Embedded in wax and sectioned
Stained
Mounted
Staining
Staining is used to increase contrast in a specimen, in order to observe transparent and colourless structures. Stains work by binding to different types of molecules or cell structures. This allows different components of cells to be identified, and is known as differential staining
Eukaryotes include
Eukaryotes include animal, plant & fungal cells.
Plant cells
Plant cells: cell wall with plasmodesmata, vacuole, chloroplasts
Plasma cell surface membrane
Plasma cell surface membrane: animal cell surface, inside cell wall of plant cells and prokaryotic cells, made of lipids and proteins. Regulates substance movement in and out of the cell. Contains receptor molecules.
Cell Wall
Cell Wall: rigid structure. Provides support.
Nucleus
Nucleus: large. Surrounded by a nuclear envelope (double membrane containing pores). Contains chromatin (made from DNA and proteins). Contains Nucleolus. Nucleus controls transcription of DNA. DNA contains instructions to create proteins. Nucleolus makes ribosomes. Pores allows substances to move between cytoplasm and nucleus.
Lysosomes
surrounded by membrane. No clear internal structure. Contains digestive enzymes selected from cytoplasm. Digest invading cells. Break down worn out cell components
Ribosomes
very small organelle. Floats free in cytoplasm or attached to RER. Made of proteins and RNA. No membrane. Site where proteins are synthesised
RER
Systems of membranes enclosing fluid-filled space. Folds and processes proteins made at the ribosomes
SER
synthesises and processes lipids
Vesicle
fluid-filled sac surrounded by membrane. Transports substances between cells and between organelles. Formed by golgi or ER or at cell surface.
Golgi
group of fluid-filled, membrane-bound, flattened sacs. Processes and packages new lipids and proteins and makes lysosomes.
Mitochondrion
oval shaped. Double membrane. Inner membrane folds to form cristae. Inside is matrix (contains enzymes involved in respiration)
Chloroplast
small, flattened structure surrounded by double membrane. Contains thylakoids membranes. Membranes stack to form grana. Linked together by lamellar - thin, flat pieces of thylakoids membrane. Stroma is thick fluid. Photosynthesis occurs in stroma and grana
Centriole
small, hollow cylinders made of microtubules (tiny protein cylinders). In animals cells and few plant cells. Involved with chromosome separation
Cilia
small, hair-like structures on surface membranes. Outer membrane and ring of protein microtubules in 9 plus 2 formation microtubules allow cilia movement.
Flagellum
longer than cilia on eukaryotic cells. Surrounded by plasma membrane. 9 plus two formation. Microtubules contract to make flagellum move. Used as propellor.
Organelles in protein production
Proteins made at ribosomes
Free ribosome proteins stay in cytoplasm, RER proteins excreted or attached to membrane
Proteins produced at RER folded and processed (eg. Sugar chains added) in RER
Transported from ER to golgi in vesicle
At golgi, further processing may occur (eg. Sugar chains added or trimmed)
Proteins enter vesicles -> transported around cells (eg mucus glycoproteins move to cell surface membrane)
Functions of cytoplasm
Microtubules and microfilaments support the cell’s organelles -> keeps positions
Help strengthen cell + maintain shape
Responsible for material movement within cell (eg. Contraction of microtubules on the spindle)
Proteins of cytoskeleton cause cell movement. Eg. Flagellum
Prokaryotes
Prokaryotes: extremely small (>8micrometres), circular DNA, DNA free/no nucleus, polysaccharide cell wall (not chitin or cellulose), few organelles (non membrane-bound ), flagella made of protein flagellin (arranged in a helix), small ribosomes, eg. E.coli bacterium
Eukaryotes
Eukaryotes: Larger cells (10-100micrometer diameter), linear DNA, nucleus present, cell wall (animals=not present, plants = cellulose, fungi=chitin), many organelles (mitochondria and other membrane-bound organelles), flagella (made of microtubule proteins arranged in a 9+2 formation), larger ribosomes, eg. Human liver cell
Bacterial cells are prokaryotic
Bacterial cells are prokaryotic: prokaryotes roughly 1/10th size of eukaryotic cells. Normal microscopes not powerful enough to look at internal structure
Magnification
Magnification = how much larger an image is compared to specimen
Resolution
Resolution = how well a microscope distinguishes between two points
Laser scanning confocal microscope (type of light microscope)
Laser scanning confocal microscope (type of light microscope): Laser beam, specimen tagged with fluorescent dye, last causes de to fluoresce, light focused through pinhole (meaning out of focuses light blocked ∴ clearer image) onto detector (Hooked onto computer), 3D image generated, used to show different depths on thick specimens
TEM
TEM: use electromagnets, focuses beam of electrons, transmitted through specimen, Denser parts absorb more ∴ look darker, high resolution images, (see range of organelles), only thin specimens.