Chapter 8 Vocab Cards Flashcards
study Living Environment
cell
basic unit of all forms of life
cell theory
fundamental concept of biology
cell membrane
thin, flexible barrier that surrounds all cells; regulates what enters and leaves the cell
nucleus
the center of an atom, which contains the protons and neutrons
eukaryote
organism whose cells contain a nucleus
prokaryote
unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus
cytoplasm
fluid portion of the cell outside the nucleus
ribosome
cell organelle consisting of RNA and protein found throughout the cytoplasm in a cell; the site of protein synthesis
endoplasmic reticulum
internal membrane system found in eukaryotic cells; place where lipid components of the cell membrane are assembled
golgi apparatus
organelle in cells that modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and other materials from the endoplasmic reticulum for storage in the cell or release outside the cell
vacuole
cell organelle that stores materials such as water, salts, proteins, and carbohydrates
lysosome
cell organelle that breaks down lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins into small molecules that can used by the rest of the cell
chloroplast
organelle found in cells of plants and some other organisms that captures the energy from sunlight and converts it into chemical energy
mitochondrion
cell organelle that converts the chemical energy stored in food into compounds that are more convenient for the cell to use
cell wall
strong, supporting layer around the cell membrane in some cells
lipid
macromolecule made mostly from carbon and hydrogen atoms; includes fats, oils, and waxes
selectively permeable
property of biological membranes that allows some substances to pass across it while others cannot; also called semipermeable membrane
homeostasis
relatively constant internal physical and chemical conditions that organisms maintain
diffusion
process by which particles tend to move from an area where they are more concentrated to an area where they are less concentrated
osmosis
diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane
isotonic
when the concentration of two solutions is the same
hypertonic
when comparing two solutions, the solution with the greater concentration of solutes
hypotonic
when comparing two solutions, the solution with the lesser concentration of solutes
tissue
group of similar cells that perform a particular function
organ
many groups of tissue working together
organ system
group of organs that work together to perform a specific function
