Chapter 3: Cellular Form and Function Flashcards
What is cell theory?
- all organisms are comprised of cells and cell products
- cell is the simplest structural and functional unit of life
- all oranism’s structure and functions are due to the activities of cells
- cells only come from preexisting cells
- cells of all species exhibit biochemical similarities
What are the basic components of a cell and their properties?
cell membrane
- surrounds cell, defines boundaries
- made of proteins and lipids
nucleus
cytoplasm
- organelles
- cytoskeleton
- inclusions (stored or foreign particles)
- cytosol (intracellular fluid, ICF)
What are organelles?
Internal structures of a cell that carry out specialized metabolic tasks.
What are the functions of the plasma membrane?
It is the border of the cell (bilayer). It defines cell boundaries, governs interactions with other cells, and controls the passage of materials in and out of the cell.
What are the membrane lipids?
98% of membrane molecules are lipids
- phospholipids (75%)
- cholestrol (20%)-hold phospholipids still and can stiffen membrane
- glycolipids (5%)
What are the membrane proteins?
These make up 2% of cell membrane molecules but 50% of the weight
- integral proteins: penetrate membrane
- have hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions
- some drift in membrane, others are anchored to cytoskeleton
- peripheral proteins: on the surface of membrane
- adhere to one face of membrane
- usually stuck to cytoskeleton and an integral protein
What are the functions of membrane proteins?
- Receptors (receptor to hormone, lock and key fit)
- second messenger systems
- enzymes
- channel proteins (things go in and out of cell)(hydrophilic solutes need these)
- Carriers (pumps do active transport-e.g. Na/K pump)
- cell identity markers (non-foreign, identify structure)
- cell adhesion molecules (link cell to other cells)
What are the types of channel proteins?
- Some are open, some are gated
- crucial to nerve and muscle function
- ligand gated
- respond to chemical messengers
- (e.g. neurotransmitter)
- voltgate gated
- respond to charge changes
- (e.g. muscle cells contracting, nerve cells for communication)
- mechanically gated
- respond to physical stress on cell
What is the glycocalyx and its functions?
- Fuzzy coat external to plasma membrane
- Made of glycoproteins and glycolipids
- protection, immunity to infection, defense against cancer, transplant compatibility, cell adhesion, fertilization, embryonic development
What are microvilli, cilia, and flagella?
- microvilli
- extensions of membrane (15 to 40x more surface area)
- developed for absorption
- known as brush border
- cilia
- hairlike
- single, nonmotile primary cilium found in nearly every cell (like antenna)
- motile/nonmotile (moving or nonmoving)
- motile: respiratory tract, uterine tubes, ventricles of brain, ducts of testes
- beat material along (power and recovery strokes)
- nonmotile: sensory cells of nose
- motile: respiratory tract, uterine tubes, ventricles of brain, ducts of testes
- flagella
- tail of sperm only one in humans
- whip-like structure
- movement is snakelike (no power and recovery)
How do cilia beat in a saline layer?
- Chloride pumps Cl- into ECF
- Na+ and H2O follow
- Forms a saline layer
- Mucus floats on top of the layer
- Cilia beat the mucus along
- Cystic fibrosis is when the Cl- pump doesn’t work so H2O does not thin mucus (respiratory and pancreatic duct issues)
What are pseudopods?
Continually changing extensions of the cell that vary in shape and size. (Can be used for cellular locomotion, capturing foreign particles)
What are the types of membrane transport?
- Passive mechanisms (require no ATP)
- filtration
- simple diffusion
- facilitated diffusion
- osmosis
- Active mechanisms (consume ATP)
- Primary active transport
- Carrier mediated: use a membrane protein to transport substances across membrane (can be passive or active)
- facilitaton diffusion
- primary active transport
- vesicular transport
What is filtration?
Particles are drive through a membrane by physical pressure. E.g. capillaries (mostly blood pressure)
What is simple diffusion and what are the factors that affect it?
The substances pass directly through the phospholipid bilayer.
Affecting factors: temperature (heat is faster), molecular weight (lighter faster), steepness of concentration gradient (steeper faster), membrane surface area (larger faster), membrane permeability
What is osmosis?
- the diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane
- Water moves from where it is more concentrated to where it is less concentrated
- solute particles that cannot pass through the membrane “draw” water from the other side
- Must have membrane, and solutes don’t move
What are some clinical applications of osmosis?
- Crucial for IV fluids (0.9% is isotonic to blood plasma)
- Osmotic imbalances underlie diarrhea, conspitation, and edema
- Osmosis is enhanced by aquaporins, channel proteins in membrane specialized for water passage