cells Flashcards
what is magnification? (cells)
- how many times bigger an image is compared to the actual object
what is resolution? (cells)
- the ability to distinguish between two points that are very close together
what is the resolution of light microscopes like & why? (cells)
- poor resolving power
- they have a long wavelength of light
what is the resolution of electron microscopes like? (cells)
- high resolving power
- they have a shorter wavelength of light
what are the two main advantages of using electron microscopes over light microscopes? (cells)
- they have a high resolving power
- as electrons are negatively charged the beam can be focused using electromagnets
what are the two types of electron microscopes? (cells)
- transmission electron microscopes (TEM)
- scanning electron microscope (SEM)
how does a transmission electron microscopes (TEM) work? (cells)
- consists of an electron gun that produces a beam of electrons if focused onto a specimen by a condenser electromagnet
- beam passes through thin section of specimen
- if electrons absorbed then dark appearance
- if electrons pass through then bright appearance
- imaged produces is photographed & given to a photomicrograph
what is a photomicrograph? (cells)
- a photograph of an image produced by a microscope
what is the resolving power of a TEM & why is it difficult to achieve in practice? (cells)
- 0.1nm
- difficulties preparing specimens limit the resolution that can be achieved
- a higher energy electron beam is required & this may destroy the specimen
what are the main limitations of both TEMs & SEMs? (cells)
- whole system must be in a vacuum so no live specimens
- complex ‘staining’ process is required & image is not in colour
- specimen must be extremely thin (TEM only)
- image may contain artefacts (things that may result from the way the specimen is prepared) so we can’t be sure it actually exists in the form seen
can 3D images be obtained from a TEM? (cells)
- yes
- thin specimens result in a flat 2D image
- 3D images can be built up by looking at a series of sections through a specimen & the photomicrographs produced
- process is slow & complicated
how does a scanning electron microscope (SEM) work? (cells)
- directs a beam of electrons onto the surface of the specimen from above
- beam is then passed back & forth across specimen in a regular pattern
- electrons are scattered by the specimen & pattern of scattering depends on the contours on the specimens surface
- specimens do not need to be thin to penetrate
what is the resolving power of an SEM? (cells)
- 20nm
can 3D images be produced by scanning electron microscopes? (cells)
- yes
- they can be built by computer analysis of the pattern of scattered electrons & secondary electrons produced
what is cell fractionation? (cells)
- the process where cells are broken up & the different organelles are separated out
what happens before cell fractionation takes place? (cells)
- tissue sample of cells must be put into a cold buffered solution that is of the same water potential as the tissue
why does the pre-cell fractionation solution need to be cold, buffered & of the same water potential is the tissue? (cells)
- cold: to reduce enzyme activity that may break down organelles
- buffered: so the pH doesn’t fluctuate (any change in oh could alter the structure of organelles or affect enzyme function)
- same water potential: to prevent organelles from bursting/shrinking due to an osmotic loss or gain of water
what is stage one of cell fractionation? (cells)
- homogenisation
what is the process of homogenisation? (cell fractionation) (cells)
- cells are broken up by a homogeniser
- this releases organelles from the cell
- the resultant fluid (homogenate) is filtered to remove any complete cells or large pieces of debris
what is the second stage of cell fractionation? (cells)
- ultracentrifugation
what is the process of ultracentrifugation? (cell fractionation) (cells)
- tube of filtrate is placed in centrifuge & spun at slow speed
- heaviest organelles (nuclei) are forced to bottom of the tube & form a thin sediment
- fluid at top of tube (supernatant) is removed leaving only the sediment of nuclei
- supernatant is transferred to another tube & spun in centrifuge at a faster speed than before
- next heaviest organelles (mitochondria) forced to bottom of tube
- process continued to at each increase of speed the next heaviest organelles are sedimented & separated out
what are the revolutions min-1 of nuclei, mitochondria & lysosomes? (cell fractionation) (cells)
- nuclei = 1 000 revolutions min-1
- mitochondria = 3 500 revolutions min-1
- lysosomes = 16 500 revolutions min-1
what is the plasma cell membrane? (cells)
- found in all cells
- controls entrance & exit of molecules
- protein & lipid (phospholipid bilayer)
what is the nucleus? (cells)
- contains nuclear envelope & nuclear pores
- DNA is either chromosomes or chromatin
- chromatin stains darkly
- lighter area of chromatin carry DNA for protein synthesis
what is the nucleolus? (cells)
- ribosome production
- built ribosome subunits from rRNA (ribosomal RNA) & proteins
- exit through nuclear pores to cytoplasm & combine to form functional ribosomes
what is the centriole? (cells)
- found only in animal cells
- found in pairs
- hollow cylinders made up of a ring of nine protein microtubules
- organise microtubules
- involved in cell division: spindle formation
what is the golgi apparatus? (cells)
- stacks of membrane-bound sacs formed by fusion of vesicles from rER
- continually changing
- received vesicles from ER
- packages & received proteins
what is the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER)? (cells)
- interconnected membrane-bound flattened sacs
- has ribosomes attached to the outer surface
- provides a large surface area for the synthesis of proteins & trafficking
what is the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (sER)? (cells)
- lacks ribosomes on its surface & is more tubular
- synthesise, store & transport lipids
- synthesise, store & transport carbohydrates
what are the chloroplasts? (cells)
- surrounded by a double membrane (envelope)
- site of photosynthesis
- found only in plant cells
- thylakoid: site for the light dependent photosynthesis reaction
what is the thylakoid in chloroplasts? (cells)
- the site for the light dependent photosynthesis reaction
what is the mitochondria? (cells)
- double membranes
- inner membrane called the cristae
- site of aerobic respiration
- ATP production
what are lysosomes? (cells)
- bags of digestive enzymes
- breakdown of unwanted structures within the cell or whole cell (e.g. acrosome)
what is the vacuole? (cells)
- filled with water or ‘sap’
- surrounding membrane = tonoplast
- helps maintain pressure inside the cell to keep it rigid
- involved in isolation if unwanted chemicals in the cell
what are the ribosomes? (cells)
- found in all cells either free or bound to the rER
- used for protein synthesis
- work by reading triplet codons & stringing amino acids together
- messenger RNA (mRNA)
- ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
what is the cellulose cell wall? (cells)
- found in all plant cells
- contains microfibrils of cellulose to provide strength
what do we use to measure cells in a light microscope? (cells)
- eyepiece graticule
what is used to calibrate an eyepiece graticule? (cells)
- stage micrometer
what size ribosomes are in eukaryotic cells? (cells)
- 80S
what size ribosomes are in prokaryotic cells? (cells)
- 70S
what are the stages of protein synthesis? (9 steps) (cells)
- transcription of DNA to mRNA
- mRNA leaves nucleus
- protein made on ribosomes enter rER
- protein moves through the ER assuming a 3D shape en route
- vesicles pinched off rER contain the protein
- vesicles from rER fuse to form flattened sacs of golgi apparatus
- proteins are modified within the golgi apparatus
- vesicles pinched off rER off golgi apparatus contain the modified protein
- vesicle fuses with cell surface membrane releasing protein (e.g. as extra cellular enzymes)
what is folded & modified in the rER?(protein synthesis)
- polypeptide chain
how are cells in organisms produced? (cells)
- mitotic divisions from a fertilised egg
how are specialised cells different from each other? (cells)
- they have different genes depending on the cell
give an example of how cells are adapted for their function (cells)
- muscle & sperm cells have lots of mitochondria (for respiration) because they undergo more movement
what is a tissue? (cells)
- a collection of similar cells that work together to perform a specific function
what is epithelial tissue? (cells)
- found in animals
- consists of sheets of cells (thin, flat cells) that line organs where diffusion takes place (e.g. alveoli in the lungs)
- line the surfaces of organs
- often have a protective secretory function
what is xylem tissue? (cells)
- found in plants
- made up of a number of similar cell types
- used to transport water & mineral ions throughout the plant
- also gives mechanical support
what are organs? (cells)
- a combination of tissues that are coordinated to perform a variety of functions
what tissues does the stomach contain & what do they do? (cells)
- muscle tissue to churn & mix stomach contents
- epithelial tissue to protect the stomach wall & produce secretions
- connective tissue to hold together other tissues
what tissues do leaves have & what do they do? (cells)
- palisade mesophyll made of leaf palisade cells that carry out photosynthesis
- spongy mesophyll adapted for gaseous diffusion
- epidermis to protect the leaf & allow gaseous diffusion
- phloem to transport organic materials away from the leaf
- xylem to transport water & ions into the leaf
why are capillaries not organs but arteries & veins are? (cells)
- capillaries are only made up of one type of tissue (epithelium)
- arteries & veins are made up of many tissues (epithelial, muscle & more)