Cell Structure & Function: Introduction Flashcards
What is a Prokaryotic cell?
are cells that do not have a true nucleus or membrane-bound organelles
What is a Eukaryotic cell?
cells that have a nucleus enclosed within membranes
What do Eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells have in common?
The plasma membrane, cytosol, DNA, RNA,
protein and ribosomes
What are the main differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells?
Eukaryotic cells are much larger and have a membrane bound nucleus while prokaryotic cells are much smaller and their nucleus is not membrane-bound
What is the cytoplasm?
is everything inside the plasma membrane including the organelles,
but not including the nucleus
What is cytosol?
The fluid portion of the cytoplasm
What does cytosol consist of?
water plus dissolved and suspended substances (eg. ions, ATP, proteins, lipids)
What organelles make up the endomembrane system?
Nucleus
Endoplasmic Reticulum (smooth and rough)
Golgi apparatus
Lysosomes
What is the endomembrane system?
A network of membranes inside and around a eukaryotic cell and organelles that work together to modify, package, and transport lipids and proteins
Order of the sizes of microvilli, cilia and flagellum
Microvilli < Cilia < Flagellum
What is the plasma membrane?
is a selectively permeable barrier controlling
the passage of substances in and out of the cell (acts as a physical barrier separating the inside and outside of the cell)
What is the plasma membrane made of?
it is made of a double layer of phospholipids with embedded proteins
How does the fat portion of a phospholipid react with water?
It is hydrophobic so it repels water
How does the phosphate (head) portion of a phospholipid react with water?
It is hydrophilic so it will face the water
What does a phospholipid consist of?
a hydrophilic polar head (phosphate) and a hydrophobic lipid tails (fatty acids) which are arranged as a double layer around cytoplasm, tail to tail
What are some features of plasma membrane proteins
An often amphipathic protein that is associated with the plasma membrane. These mediate movement of hydrophilic substances, allow cell-to-cell identification, adhesion between cells, attach to other structures and facilitate intercellular communication.
How do plasma membrane proteins react with water?
They are often amphipathic so they have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. This is to allow molecules to pass through the plasma membrane
What are integral proteins
proteins that are embedded (partially or fully) into the membrane
What are transmembrane proteins?
proteins that fully span the entire membrane, contact extracellular
and cytoplasmic areas
What are Peripheral membrane proteins?
proteins that are associated with the
membrane, but not actually embedded in it
What are the functions of the plasma membrane proteins?
transport, enzymatic activity, signal transduction, cell-cell recognition, intercellular joining and attachment to the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM)
Example of transport function of the plasma membrane
channels or transporters may be
general or selective, gated or not
Example of enzymatic activity function of the plasma membrane
Carry out a chemical reaction,
may or may not be a part of a
team of enzymes
Example of signal transduction function of the plasma membrane
External signalling molecule causing transduction of information to the inside of
the cell
Example of cell-cell recognition function of the plasma membrane
Use of glycoproteins (carbohydrate
+ protein) as molecular signatures
of the extracellular side of the cell
Example of intercellular joining function of the plasma membrane
Gap and tight junctions
Example of attachment to the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM) function of the plasma membrane
fibronectin mediates contact between cell surface integrins and ECM (eg. collagen).
can facilitate movement
What is the fluid mosaic model?
The model used to describe proteins and other structure moving freely in a fluid bilayer of phospholipids.
What is the nucleus?
The largest distinct structure inside the cell
What is the structure of the nucleus
It is enclosed by a double lipid bilayer
called the nuclear envelope, continuous
with rough ER and has entry and exit through nuclear pores. Has the nucleolus in the centre