Cell Theory and Microscopes Flashcards
What are the characteristics of life?
homeostasis (maintaining internal balance), cells (one or more, two types: eukaryotic and prokaryotic), reproduction (sexual and asexual reproduction), evolution (changing over time through changes in genomes), responds to stimulus (moves), growth, metabolism (chemical reactions in your body’s cells that turn food into energy)
What’s the difference between evolution and adaptation?
Adaptation occurs within an individual organism’s lifetime, whereas evolution occurs over many generations.
Describe the two types of reproduction
Asexual reproduction is where an exact copy is made, whereas sexual reproduction is a mix of the parents’ DNA.
Describe the two types of metabolism
Anabolism uses energy to construct components of cells, such as proteins and nucleic acids. Catabolism breaks down organic matter and create or release energy.
autotrophs vs. heterotrophs
autotrophs (like plants) make their own food and heterotrophs (like animals) eats their food
eukaryotic vs. prokaryotic
Eukaryotic: larger, has nucleus, has organelles, found in multi-cellular organisms and some single-celled organisms. Prokaryotic: smaller, no nucleus, no organelles, found in single-celled organisms. Instead of the nucleus, the DNA is stored in the cytoplasm.
What’s a genome?
The entire set of DNA instructions found in a cell.
What is cell theory?
1) All living things are made up of cells. 2) Cells produce other cells (biogenesis)
Biogenesis vs. spontaneous generation. Which one’s correct?
Biogenesis states that living things come from other living things. Spontaneous generation is the incorrect theory that living things could come from non-living matter.
What is gene theory?
Gene theory states that the characteristics of living things are controlled by genes that pass from parent to offspring.
What is the plasma membrane?
The barrier between the cell and the environment, made of phospholipid
What’s the difference between diffusion efficiency and diffusion rate?
Diffusion rate is how fast nutrients move from a higher to a lower concentration (which affects the depth of diffusion). Diffusion efficiency is how effective nutrients are at getting to the entire volume of the cell.
How might a cell’s shape allow it to grow larger while avoiding the inefficiencies of increased size?
If a cell has a flat shape to allow for a higher SA:volume ratio, it will have an increased efficiency. This is because while it will have the same overall volume, the volume will be spread out and there will be more surface area through which the nutrients can enter
What are organelles?
A structure in the cell. In eukaryotic cells but not prokaryotic. Examples of important cell organelles: nuclei (store genetic information), mitochondria (produces chemical energy for cell), ribosomes (assemble proteins).
