Chapter 1: Cells Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a cell?

A

A cell is a unit of life. It consists of a mass of living matter called protoplasm

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2
Q

Protoplasm

A
  • a complex jelly-like substance
  • made up of cell surface membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus
  • where many chemical activities that ensure survival and growth of cell take place
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3
Q

Cell surface membrane

A
  • surrounds cytoplasm of cell
  • made out of lipids and proteins
  • a partially permeable membrane : only allowing some substances to pass through
  • controls movement of substances in & out of the cell
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4
Q

Cell Wall

A
  • only present in plant cells (may be present in a few animal cells like bacteria)
  • made out of cellulose
  • protects the cell from injury and gives the plant cell a fixed shape
  • fully permeable (does not control the type of substances that entre/leave the cell)
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5
Q

Cytoplasm

A
  • jelly-like substance that fills the inside of the cell and is enclose by cell surface membrane
  • part of protoplasm between cell membrane and nucleus
  • where most cell activities occur
  • contains organelles which are cellular structures that performs a specific job within cell
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6
Q

Parts of cytoplasm

A
  1. Cell membrane
  2. Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)
  3. Mitochondrion
  4. Nucleus
  5. Vacuole
  6. Golgi Body
  7. Vesicle
  8. Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)
  9. Ribosomes
  10. Cytoplasm
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7
Q

Nucleus

A
  • surrounded by nuclear membrane
  • contains genetic information in the form of chromosomes
  • controls cell activities such as cell growth and the repair of worn-out parts
  • essential for cell division
  • w/o nucleus, cell are unable to divide
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8
Q

Chromosomes

A
  • long thread-like structure found in nucleus
  • made up of proteins and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
  • DNA carries instructions that a cell needs for carrying our its activities
  • when cell is dividing, chromosomes condense and shorten to become thick, rod-shaped structures
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9
Q

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)

A
  • consist of a network of flattened spaces lined with a membrane
  • surface is rough because of ribosomes that is attached to its surface
  • outer surface of RER is continuous with nucleus membrane
  • transports proteins made by ribosomes to the Golgi body for secretion out of the cell
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10
Q

Ribosomes

A
  • small round structures
  • attached to RER or lie freely in cytoplasm
  • needed to synthesise proteins in the cell
  • ribosomes attached to the RER make proteins that are actually transported out of the cell
  • ribosomes lying freely in the cytoplasm make proteins that are used within the cytoplasm of that cell
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11
Q

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)

A
  • does not have ribosomes attached to it
  • more tubular than RER
  • connected to RER
  • synthesises substances such as fats and steroids
  • converts harmful substances into harmless substances through detoxification
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12
Q

Golgi Body (Golgi Apparatus)

A
  • shaped like a disc
  • consists of a stack of flattened spaces surrounded by membranes
  • vesicles can be seen fusing with one side of the Golgi body and pinching off from the opposite side
  • it chemically modifies substance made by the ER
  • it stores and packages these substances in vesicles for secretion out of the cell
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13
Q

How substances made by ER are moved out of the cell

A
  1. Vesicles transports substances within the cell. Small vesicles containing substances made by ER are pinched off from ER
  2. Vesicles then fuse with the Golgi body and release their contents in Golgi Body. The substances made by ER may be modified inside Golgi Body
  3. Secretory vesicles containing these modified substances are pinched off from the golgi body. They then move to the cell membrane
  4. Secretory vesicles fuse with the cell membrane and their contents are released out of cell
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14
Q

Mitochondria

A
  • small oval/ sausage-shaped organelles
  • where aerobic respiration occurs, which releases energy
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15
Q

Chloroplasts

A
  • oval structures found in plant cells
  • contains green pigment called chlorophyll
  • chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis
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16
Q

Vacuoles

A
  • fluid-filled space enclosed by a partially permeable membrane
  • stores substances within cell
  • plants cells have 1 large vacuole containing cell sap
  • animal cells have many small temporary vacuoles that contain water and food substances
17
Q

Differnciation

A
  • process by which a cell becomes specialised for specific function
18
Q

How a rbc is adapted to its function

A
  • contain haemoglobin which bind reversibly with oxygen to form oxyhemoglobin and transports it all over the body
  • has a circular biconcave shape which increases surface area-to-volume ratio, increasing rate of diffusion
  • lacks a nucleus, enabling rbc to store more haemoglobin to transport more oxygen
  • is flexible and therefore can squeeze through capillaries easily
19
Q

How muscle cell is adapted to its function

A
  • is elongated and cylindrical in shape, containing many nuclei and mitochondria
  • has mitochondria to provide energy for contraction of muscle cells
20
Q

How root hair cell is adapted to its function

A
  • has a long and narrow root hair to increase surface area-to-volume ratio to absorb water and mineral salts at a higher rate
21
Q

When to use surface area to volume ratio

A
  1. Red blood cells
  2. Root hair cells
  3. Emulsification
  4. Dialysis Machine Tubing