CELLS Flashcards
Electron microscope
-Uses electrons rather than light to produce images
-The electron microscope can magnify much more than a light microscope as electrons have a shorter wavelength than light
Resolution
The ability to see two adjacent points as distinct entities following magnification
TEM
-Transmission electron microscope
-Electrons passing through a very thin specimen, produces very high quality images
SEM
-Scanning electron microscope
-Electrons reflecting off the surface of the image as opposed to going through it
-Resolution and maginifcation are not as high but it gives a 3D image
Eukaryotic cells
-Found in animals, plants and fungi
Mesosome
Tightly folded region of the cell membrane containing all the membrane-bound proteins required for respiration and photosynthesis
Flagellum
Rigid rotating helical-shaped tail used for propulsion
Cell membrane
-Two layers of phospholipids (bilayer)
-hydrophillic heads facing out, hydrophobic tails facing in
Function of the hydrophobic centre of the phospholipid bilayer
Prevents the free diffusion of water and polar molecules through the membrane
Structure of the plasma membrane
-Phospholipid bilayers
-Intrinsic and extrinsic proteins
-Carbohydrate glycocalyx
-Glycoproteins
-Glycolipids
-Cholesterol
arranged in a fluid mosaic structure
Proteins in the cell membrane
-Help provide stability and support as they ‘anchor’ the phospholipid molecules
-May act as enzymes
-Some act as adhesion sites, where adjacent cells are held together
-Involved in cell recognition and as receptors or antigens
-Particularly important in transporting substances across the bilayer
Advantages to having enzymes in the membrane
-Kept in the ideal place in terms of substrate availabiity and pH
-Need replaced less often
Examples of enzymes in the membrane
-In the membrane of the small intestine which are important in the digestion of disaccharides
Channel proteins
-Span the membrane and work by creating a hydrophillic channel that allows polar molecules to bypass the hydrophobic centre of the bilayer
-May be permenantly open or have their opening controlled (gated)
-Gated channels are very important in controlling the passage of ionsinto and out of neurons during nervous conduction
Carrier proteins
-Carry specific ions and molecules across the membrane
-May be because the ions have charged groups, or because the molcules have to be moved across the concentration gradient
-Can change shape to carry the substance from one isde of the membrane to the other
Factors that affect membrane fluidity
-The more phospholipids with sunsaturated hydrocarbon chains there are, the more fluid the membrane is (kinks prevent them from packing close together)
-Phospholipids with longer hydrocarbon chains will decrease the fluidity since attractive forces among the chains will be greater
-Cholesterol acts as a temperature stability buffer, at high temperatures it provides additional binding forces so decreases membrane fluidity, and at low temperatures prvents the phospholipids from packing too close together and ‘freezing’
Nucleus
-Controls the cells acivities as it contains the genetic informatio in the form of chromosonal DNA (which codes for protein synthesis in the cytopasm)
-Surrounded by a nuclear envelope
-Envelope is perforated with nuclear pores which allow for exchange of substances between the nucleus and cytoplasm
-Outer membrane of the envelops is encrusted with ribosomes and is the site of the RER
-The nucleoplasm contains chromatin and one or more nucleoli
-Chromatin is mainly coils of DNA called chromosones bound to basic proteins called histones
-Heterochromatin is tightly coiled chromatin therefore stains darker
-the loossely coiled chromatin is called euchromatin and are thought to contains the DNA which is active during interphase
-The nucleolus is a rounded structure whose function is the manufacture of ribosomal RNA and ribosomes, and stains intensely because it contains lots of DNA and RNA
The endoplasmic reticulum
-Joined to the outer surface of the nuclear membrane
-Consists of flattened, membrane-bound sacs caled cisternae
-These may be covered with ribosomes forming rough ER whihc is flattened, or ribosomes may be absent, forming smooth ER which is usually more tubular
-Both are concerned with the synthesis and transport of substances
Rough ER protein synthesis
-The growing polypeptide chain is bound to the ribosome until it’s synthesis is complete, ribosome is attached to the ER
-The protein passes through a channel into the cisternae of the ER
-Once inside, the proteins folds into it’s tertiary structure thus trapping it inside the ER
-The protein is now transported through the cisternae and is modified as it moves through
-The protein then travels to the golgi aparatus
-From here it is secreted from the cell or passed to other organelles in the cell
Functions of the smooth ER
Lipid synthesis, metabolism and cholesterol synthesis
Ribosomes
-Very small organelles found in large numbers in the cytoplasm
-Two types (70S and 80S)
-70S is found in prokaryotes and the 80S are found in eukaryotes
-Made of ribosomal RNA and protein
-During protein synthesis, at ribosomes amino acids are joined together one by one to form polypeptide chains
-Acts as a binding site for protein synthesis
Golgi apparatus
-Consists of a stack of flattened, membrance-bound sacs called cisternae together with golgi vesicles in a system of interconnected tubules formed around a central stack
-At the convex forming face, new cisternae are constantly being formed by fusion of vesicles which are derived from the buds of the ER
-The maturing face is concave and this is where vesicles pinch off the cisternae again
The whols stack is made up of cisternae moving from the forming to the maturing face
Function of the golgi apparatus
-Transport and modify proteins
–Protein received by the golgi from the ER have short carbohydate chains added to them to become glycoproteins
-Proteins are then packaged into vesicles either for secretion from the cell by exocytosis or for delivery to somewhere else in the cell
-Also secretes some carbohydatres and lipids
-Formation of lysosomes
Vesicles
-Small organelles which are pinched off the maturing face of the golgi
-Bounded by a single membrane
-Used for storage or transport of substances to and from the cell surface membrane