Chapter 1 Flashcards
The three parts of Cell Theory
- the cell is the basic unit of life
- all living organisms are composed of cells
- cells come from pre-existing cells
Who named cells?
Robert Hooke used the word ‘cell’ to refer to the smallest unit of life
Who developed Cell Theory?
Theodor Schwann, Matthias Schleiden and Rudolph Virchow
How did Cell Theory develop?
Development of cell theory was made possible thanks to advances in microscopy.
Exemptions to Cell Theory:
- Striated muscle cells
- multi nucleated and large (30mm long) - Giant algae: Acetabularia
- cells must have a simple structure and be smaller (it is 0.5-10cm long) - Aseptate fungal hyphae
- have many nuclei, are very large and possess a continuous, shared cytoplasm
Units used for measuring cells
1000 nm (nanometres) = 1 μm (micrometre)
1000 μm (micrometres) = 1 mm (millimetre)
Examples of unicellular organisms
Bacteria, archaea, protozoa, unicellular algae and unicellular fungi
What are the functions of life?
- Metabolism: living things undertake essential chemical reactions
- Growth: living things can increase or change in shape or size
- Response: every living thing responds to stimuli
- Homeostasis: living things maintain a stable internal environment
- Nutrition: living things exchange materials and gases with the environment
- Reproduction: where living things produce offspring and replicate they genes
- Excretion: living tings exhibit the removal of waste products
Why are viruses not cells?
Viruses are a loop of DNA or RNA in a protein coat, they do not carry out the basic life functions such as reproduction or metabolism; only using a host cell.
Paramecium, what are they?
They are a genus of unicellular protozoa. They are heterotrophs and use the cilia on their body to move. They are usually found in aquatic environments.
Label and draw a paramecium diagram
https://kognity-prod.imgix.net/media/edusys_2/content_uploads/1.1.4.1.07838ace8a1cfc1a1327.png?w=750&auto=compress
Chlamydomonas, what are they?
They are a genus of unicellular green algae (Chlorophyta). They have a cell wall, a chloroplast, an ‘eye’ that detects light, as well as two flagella to move. They are autotrophs.
Label and draw a Chlamydomonas diagram
https://kognity-prod.imgix.net/media/edusys_2/content_uploads/1.1.4.2.372aad5af45ab60ded32.png?w=750&auto=compress
Why can’t a cell just keep growing?
If they keep growing, their surface area to volume ration will be too small. If a cell’s surface area is too small compared to its volume, not enough of the necessary molecules can get in and not enough waste (including heat) can get out.
How do cells increase surface area?
They increase via folds, such as in the brain and in the intestine.
Why does the SA:Vol ratio decrease as an organism gets bigger?
As a cell grows, its volume is cubed, whereas the surface area is squared. Therefore, its surface area to volume ratio decreases.
What happened when cells clumped together?
- Organisms grew larger because they were no longer limited by the size of one cell.
- Cells in such an organism were able to specialise through differentiation
- Multicellular organisms displayed emergent properties
Differentiation
A process in which unspecialised cells develop into cells with a more distinct structure and function.
Emergent properties
When the whole organism can do more things than individual cells are capable of, because of the interaction between the different parts
Genome
The complete set of genes, chromosomes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.
Cellular differentiation
When an unspecialised stem cell changes and carries out a specific function in the body. Cells differentiate to form different cell types due to the expression of different genes
Why are some cells specialised?
Although each cell has the same genome, only certain genes are switched on in certain cells and not in others. This gives rise to the synthesis of certain proteins, which can trigger the specialised development of that specific cell and its descendants.
Stem Cell
An undifferentiated cell of a multicellular organism that can form more cells of the same type indefinitely, and from which certain other kinds of cells arise by differentiation.
What are the different types of stem cells? what do they do?
- Totipotent stem cells: Can differentiate into any type of cell including placental cells. Can give rise to a complete organism.
- Pluripotent stem cells: Can differentiate into all body cells, but cannot give rise to a whole organism.
- Multipotent stem cells: Can differentiate into a few closely related types of body cell.
- Unipotent stem cells: Can only differentiate into their associated cell type
Embryos and stem cells
Embryos are important sources of stem cells. Once an egg has been fertilised, it starts to divide and forms totipotent cells during the early stages, up until the eight-cell stage of the morula. Theoretically, each cell can still develop into a full and normal organism. These cells continue to divide and develop to form the pluripotent cells of the blastocyst from which all the specialised tissues of the developing embryo are generated
How stem cells are used for Strargardt’s disease
This disease causes partial to full blindness. Patients are given retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells, which are injected into the retina. They then can gain back their eyesight.
How stem cells are used for leukemia
Leukemia, a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow, is caused by high levels of abnormal white blood cells. Involves harvesting hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are multipotent stem cells. HSCs can be taken from bone marrow, peripheral blood or umbilical cord blood. The HSCs may come from either the patient or from a suitable donor. The patient then undergoes chemotherapy and radiotherapy to get rid of the diseased white blood cells. Then they transplant HSCs back into the bone marrow, where they differentiate to form new healthy white blood cells.
How can stem cells be obtained?
- Specially created embryos
- Umbilical cord blood of a newborn
- An adult’s own tissues
Difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes
- Eukaryotic cells have a separate membrane-enclosed nucleus, while the DNA of prokaryotes is freely floating in the cytoplasm.
- Eukaryotic cells have a complex system of membrane-bound organelles – known as compartmentalisation
- Prokaryotes do not have any membrane-bound organelles.
What was the first type of cell?
Prokaryotes are considered to be the earliest and most primitive type of cell, originating some 3.5 billion years ago. They include bacteria and archaea
Function: cell wall
Encloses the cell, protecting it and helping to maintain its shape; prevents the cell from bursting in hypotonic (dilute) media.
Function: plasma membrane
Surrounds the cell, controlling the movement of substances in and out of the cell.
Function (prokaryotes): cytoplasm
Medium that fills the cell and is the site of all metabolic reactions.
Function: Pili
Protein filaments on the cell wall that help in cell adhesion and in transferring of DNA between two cells.
Function: Flagella
Much longer than pili, these are responsible for the locomotion of the organism. Their whip-like movement propels the cell along.
Function: 70S ribosomes
The sites of protein synthesis.
Function: nucleoid region
Controls all the activities of the cell, as well as the reproduction of the organism.
Function: Plasmids
Small circles of DNA that carry a few genes; often these genes give the cell antibiotic resistance and are used in creating genetically modified bacteria.
Ribosomes, eukaryotes and prokaryotes
Ribosomes in prokaryotic cells (70S) are smaller than ribosomes found in eukaryotic cells (80S). 70S and 80S refers to the sedimentation rate of RNA subunits.
How do prokaryotes reproduce?
Via binary fission. The chromosome is replicated semi-conservatively, beginning at the point of origin. Beginning with the point of origin, the two copies of DNA move to opposite ends of the cell, the cell elongates and then the plasma membrane grows inward and pinches off to form two separate, genetically identical cells
Eukaryotes and their groups
Eukaryotes represent one of the three domains (Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryota) and include four kingdoms: Protocista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia
Compartmentalisation
the formation of compartments within the cell by membrane-bound organelles
Advantages of compartmentalisation
- Greater efficiency of metabolism as enzymes and substrates are enclosed, and therefore much more concentrated, in the particular organelles responsible for specific functions.
- Internal conditions such as pH can be differentiated in a cell to maintain the optimal conditions for different enzymes.
- Isolation of toxic or damaging substances away from the cytoplasm, such as the storage of hydrolytic enzymes in lysosomes.
- Flexibility of changing the numbers and position of organelles within the cell based on the cell’s requirements.
Function (eukaryotes): cytoplasm
Fills the cell and holds all organelles. It also contains enzymes that catalyse various reactions (such as glycolysis) occurring within the cytoplasm.
Function: mitochondria
A site of cellular respiration in which ATP is generated.
Function: 80S ribosomes
The sites of protein synthesis. Free ribosomes produce proteins used inside the cell itself
Function: Nucleus
Controls all the activities of the cell, as well as the reproduction of unicellular organisms.
Function: Nucleolus
Part of the nucleus which is involved in the production of ribosomes.
Function: Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
Responsible for producing and storing lipids, including steroids.
Function: Rough endoplasmic reticulum
Transports the protein produced by the ribosomes on its surface to the Golgi apparatus. These proteins are usually for use outside of the cell.
Function: Golgi apparatus
Processes and packages proteins, which are ultimately released in Golgi vesicles.
Function: Vesicle
A small sac that transports and releases substances produced by the cell by fusing with the cell membrane.
Function: Lysosomes
Contain hydrolytic enzymes and play important roles in the destruction of microbes engulfed by white blood cells, as well as in the destruction of old cellular organelles.
Function: Centrioles
Play an important role in the process of nuclear division by helping to establish the microtubules.
Function: Vacuole
Helps in the osmotic balance of the cell and in the storage of substances. It may also have hydrolytic functions similar to lysosomes.
Function: Cell wall
Protects the cell, maintains its shape and prevents it from bursting in hypotonic media.
Function: chloroplast
These are double-membrane-bound organelles. They contain pigments (in this case mainly chlorophyll) and are responsible for photosynthesis.
How cells develop for their function
Exocrine gland cell: secretes enzymes into a duct, meaning that it has a well developed network of Rough ER and Golgi apparatus to produce and package enzymes (proteins)
Palisade mesophyll cell: the main purpose of the cell is to photosynthesise; meaning that it has a lot of chloroplasts.