Eukaryotic Cell Exteriors Flashcards
What are diatoms?
They are single celled protists that have cell walls made of silicon dioxide (glass).
What fungus has cell walls that are made of chitin?
Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
What are plant cell walls made of?
Cellulose, used for structure.
What are the functions of cellulose in plant cells?
Protection, resist pulling, seals the space between cells.
What are the plasmodesmata?
They are tubes made of plasma membrane that act like a bridge between cells.
What do the plasmodesmata do?
They allow cells to share small molecules.
What is wood made of?
It is cellulose strengthened with lignins which are a different kind of polymer.
What is the extracellular matrix?
It is the meshwork surrounding animal cells, consisting of glycoproteins, polysaccharides, and proteoglycans synthesized and secreted by the cells.
What is the extracellular matrix mostly made of?
Collagen, a glycoprotein that forms strong fibres.
What is the function of the extracellular matrix?
Used for protection.
What are desmosomes?
Intercellular junctions in animal cells shaped like discs and made of proteins.
What is the function of desmosomes?
They resist pulling forces between cells.
What are tight junctions?
They are chains of integral membrane proteins.
What is the function of tight junctions?
They halt the movement of extracellular fluid and membrane proteins through the space between cells.
What are gap junctions?
A type of intercellular junction made of proteins surrounding a pore.
