Exam 1 Flashcards
What are the seven properties of life?
- Order
- Regulation
- Growth and development
- Energy processing
- Response to the environment
- Reproduction
- Evolution
What is systems biology?
A model of biological systems that that focuses on the interactions among the system’s parts
Reductionism
An approach to studying complex systems by studying simpler, more manageable components
Eukaryotic cells
Have a double membrane-bound nucleaus that stores the cells DNA
Contain membrane-enclosed organelles
Cytoplasm is in the region between the plasma membrane and nucleus
Generally much larger than prokaryotic cells
Meaning -after the nucleaus
Prokaryotic cells
Lack a nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles
DNA is concentrated in a non-membrane bound region called the nucleoid
Meaning -before the nucleus
Genomics
The large-scale analysis of the DNA sequence of a species- its genome
Comparatively studies genomes of different species
Hierarchy of life
Atoms < molecules < organelles < cells < tissues < organs < organ systems < organisms < populations < communities < ecosystems < biosphere
Linnaean system
Dear King Philip Came Over From Great Spain
- Domain
- Kingdom
- Phylum
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Genus
- Species
Domains of life
Domain Bacteria
Domain Archaea
Domain Eukarya
Which elements comprise the remaining 4% of essential elements?
Calcium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sulfur
Emergent properties of water
- Cohesive behavior
- Ability to moderate temperature
- Expansion upon freezing
- Versatility as a solvent
Temperature at which water reaches its greatest density
4º C
What is an isomer?
A compound that has the same number of atoms but a different structure
Different types of isomers
Structural isomer- differ in the arrangement of atoms
Cis-trans isomers (formerly called geometric isomers)- carbons are bonded to the same atoms but differ in their spatial arrangements due to the rigidity of a double bond
Enantiomers- are mirror images that differ in shape due to an asymmetric carbon- one that is attached to four different atoms or groups of atoms
Hydroxyl group
Alcohol
Are polar due to electronegative oxygen
Compound names usually end in -ol
Carbonyl group
Ketone- carbonyl group within a carbon skeleton
Aldehyde- carbonyl group at the end of a carbon skeleton
Carboxyl group
Carboxylic acid or organic acid
Ionized form —COO– (carboxylate ion) is found in cells
Amino group
Amine
Acts as a base
Ionized form —NH3 is found in cells
Sulfhydryl group
Thiol
Two sulfhydryl groups can react to form a disulfide bond- help to stablize proteins
Phosphate group
Organic phosphate
Contributes a 1– charge when inside a chain and a 2– charge when at the end
Confers the ability of a molecule to react with water when attached
Methyl group
Methylated compound
Affects the espression of genes when on DNA or on proteins bound to DNA
Affects the shape and function of male and female sex hormones
Dehydration reaction
Formation of a bond by the removal of a water molecule
Hydrolysis reaction
The breaking of a bond by adding a water molecule
Glycosidic linkage
Covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction
Polysaccharides
Polymers composed of monosaccharides joined by glycosidic linkages
Storage polysaccharides
Starch- primary form of energy storage in plant cells, form granules known as plastids which include chloroplasts, composed of a-glucose monomers
- Amylose- simplest form of starch, unbranched
- Amylopectin- a more complex starch, somewhat branched
Glycogen- primary form of energy storage in animal cells
- Stored mainly in liver and muscle cells, extensively branched
Structural polysaccharides
Cellulose- major component of cell walls in plant cells
- Composed of ß-glucose molecules making every glucose monomer “upside down” with respect to their neighbor
- Never branched, held together laterally by hydrogen bonds
Chitin- structural carbohydrate used by arthropods to build their exoskeletons
- Also provides structural support for the cell walls of many fungi
Lipids
Small hydrophobic molecules generally not big enough to be considered as macromolecules
Subcomponents of lipids
Glycerol- an alcohol whose three carbons each bear a hydroxyl group
Fatty acid- has a long carbon skeleton, usually 16 to 18 carbon atoms in length
- Relatively non-polar C—H bonds are the reason why fats are hydrophobic
Triglycerol
Three fatty acids linked to one glycerol molecule by a dehydration reaction
Hydrogenation
Process of converting unsaturated fats to saturated fats by adding hydrogen
Phospholipid
Two fatty acids and a phosphate group attached to glycerol
The oxygen of the phosphate opposite of the attachment site to the glycerol is connected to an additional small charged or polar molecule such as choline but can vary
Steroid
Lipids characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four fused rings
Different steroids are distinguished by the particular chemical groups attached to the rings
Cholesterol, a type of steroid, is a component in animal cell membranes and a precursor from which other steroids are synthesized
Amino acid
Is an organic molecule with both an amino group and a carboxyl group
At its center is an asymetric carbon called an alpha carbon whose four different partners are and amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, and a variable R-group called a side chain
Amino groups are usually ionized in a cell
Polypeptide bond
Peptide bond- covalent bond between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the adjacent amino group of another, formed through a dehydration reaction
Forms the polypeptide backbone of an amino acid
Protein shapes
Globular- roughly spherical in shape
Fibrous- shaped like long fibers
Primary structure
Is the actual sequence of individual amino acids that make up a protein, dictates the secondary and tertiary structure
Secondary structure
Repeated coils and folds that form in a protein as the result of hydrogen bonds between repeating constituents of the polypeptide backbone, NOT the side chains
Two main structures:
- a helix- delicate coil held together by hydrogen bonding between every fourth amino acid
- ß pleated sheet- two or more segments of the polypeptide chain lying side by side (called ß strands) connected by hydrogen bonds
Tertiary structure
Overall shape of the polypeptide resulting from the interactions between the side chains of the constituent amino acids
Stabalized by three interactions:
- Hydrophobic interactions- hydrophobic side chains are clustered in the core of the protein, held together by van der Waals interactions
- Hydrogen bonds form between exterior polar side chains
- Disulfide bridges can reinforce the structure of the protein where two cysteine monomers are brought close together by folding
Quaternary structure
The ocerall protwin structure that results from the aggregation of seperate polypeptide subunits, not all proteins have multiple subunits
What are the protein molecules that assist in the folding of other proteins?
Chaperonins- keep the nascent polypeptide segregated from the disruptive chemical conditions in the cytoplasm while it folds spontaneously
Nucleic acids
Exist as polymers called polynucleotides made up of monomers calles nucleotides
Nucleotide components
Composed of three parts:
- Pentose- five carbon sugar
- Nitrogenous base- a nitrogen containing base
- Phosphate group
The portion of a nucleotide without any phosphate group is called a nucleoside
Pentoses
Deoxyribose- the sugar molecule in DNA, lacks an oxygen molecule on the second carbon in the ring
Ribose- the sugar molecule in RNA- has an oxygen molecule on the second carbon in the ring
Nitrogenous bases
Pyrimidines- has one six-membered ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms
- Cytosine (C)
- Thymine (T)- only in DNA
- Uracil (U)- only in RNA
Purines- are larger with a six-membered ring fused to a five-membered ring
- Adenine (A)
- Guanine (G)
Nucleotide bonding
Phosphodiester linkage- a phosphate group that links the sugars of two nucleotides, results in a repeating pattern of sugar-phosphate units called the sugar-phosphate backbone
- One end has a phosphate attached to a 5’ carbon and the other end has a hydroxyl group on the 3’ carbon
- Nucleotide has built-in directionality along the sugar-phosphate backbone from 5’to 3’
Key parameters of microscopy
- Magnification- ratio of an object’s image size to its real size
- Resolution- measure of clarity; minimum distance two points can be separated and still be distinguished as seperate points
- Contrast- the difference in brightness between the light and dark areas of an image
SEM
Scanning Electron Microscope
Used to look at the surface of a specimen by focusing a beam of electrons onto it
Provides images that look 3-D
TEM
Transmission Electron Microscope
Used mainly to study the internal structure of cells
Focuses a beam of electrons through a specimen
Cell fractionation
Takes cells apart and separates the major organelles from one another
Enables scientists to determine the functions of organelles
Basic features of all cells
- Plasma membrane
- Semifluid substance called cytosol
- Chromosomes (carry genes)
- Ribosomes (make proteins)
Nuclear envelope
A double membrane composed of two sepearte lipid bilayers with associated proteins called pore complexes
Nuclear lamina
A netlike array of intermediate protein filaments on the inside (nuclear side) of the envelope that maintains the shape of the nucleus my mechanically supporting the nuclear envelope
Nuclear matrix
A framework of protein fibers that extends throughout the nuclear interior
May help organize genetic material so that it functions efficiently
Nucleolus
A prominent structure within the nondividing nucleus where ribosomes are assembled
Ribosomal RNA is synthesized in the nucleolus and combined with proteins imported from the cytoplasm to form large and small ribosomal subunits
These subunits exit to the cytoplasm and a large and a small subunit combine into a ribosome
Ribosomes
Complexes made of ribosomal RNA and protein
Carry out protein synthesis in two locations:
- Free ribosomes are present in the cytosol
- Bound ribosomes are on the outside of the endoplasmic reticulum or the nuclear envelope
Endomembrane system components
- Nuclear envelope
- Endoplasmic reticulum
- Golgi apparatus
- Lysosomes
- Vacuoles
- Plasma membrane
These components are either continuous or connected via transfer by vesicles
Smooth ER
Synthesizes lipids
Metabolizes carbohydrates
Detoxifies drugs and poisons
Stores calcium ions
Rough ER
Has bound ribosomes, which secrete glycoproteins- proteins covalently bonded to carbohydrates
Distributes transport vesicles- secretory proteins surrounded by membranes
Is the membrane factory of the cell- as the ER expands, portions are transferred in the form of transport vesicles to other components of the endomembrane system
Golgi Apparatus
Functions of the Golgi apparatus:
- Modifies products of the ER
- Manufactures certain macromolecules
- Sorts and packages materials into transport vesicles
The shipping and receiving center of the cell
Consists of flattened membranous sacs called cisternae (cisterns)
Golgi directionality
Cis face- is usually located near the ER and accepts transport vesicles that bud from the ER
Trans face- is on the opposite side and gives rise to the vesicles that pinch off and travel elsewhere
As products of the ER migrate through the Golgi apparatus they are modified and refined
Lysosomes
A membranous sac of hydrolytic enzymes that can digest macromolecules
Lysosomal enzymes work best in the acidic environment inside the lysosome
Hydrolytic enzymes and lysosomal membranes are made by rough ER and then transferred to the Golgi apparatus for further processing
Phagocytosis
Process in which an organism engulfs and consumes a smaller organism or food particles
Extends pseudopodia around a particle which is then pinched off to form a food vacuole
Food vacuole fuses with a lysosome which digests it
Autophagy
Process by which a cell’s lysosomes recycle the cell’s own organelles and macromolecules
Vacuoles
Diverse maintenance compartments
Large vesicles derived from the ER and Golgi apparatus
Perform a variety of functions in different kinds of cells:
- Food vacuoles are formed by phagocytosis
- Contractile vacuoles are found in many freshwater protists- pump excess water out of cells
- Central vacuoles are found in many mature plant cells- hold organic compounds and water
Mitochondria
Have a smooth outer membrane and an inner membrane folded into cristae
Cristae present a large surface area for enzymes that synthesize ATP
Inner membrane creates two compartments, the intermembrane space and mitochondrial matrix
Chloroplast components
Thylakoids- flattened interconnected membranous sacs
Granum- stacks of thylakoids that resemble poker chips
Stroma- the fluid outside of the thylakoids which contains the chloroplast’s DNA, ribosomes, and enzymes
Plastids
A family of closely related plant organelles which include:
- Chloroplasts
- Amyloplast- organelle that stores starch
- Chromoplast- contains the pigments that give fruits and flowers their orange and yellow hues
Peroxisomes
Specialized metabolic compartments bounded by a single membrane
Produce hydrogen peroxide and convert it to water
Have many different functions:
- Use oxygen to break down fatty acids which can be used for cellular respiration
- Detoxify alcohol and othe poisons by transferring hydrogen from the poison to oxygen
- Specialized peroxisomes called glyoxysomes convert fatty acids to sugar in seeds as an energy source until a plant can initiate photosynthesis
Cytoskeleton
Network of fibers extending throughout the cytoplasm
Helps to support the cell and maintain its shape
Interacts with motor proteins to produce motility
Vesicles can travel along tracks provided by the cytoskeleton
Components of the cytoskeleton
Microtubules- thickest of the three components of the cytoskeleton
Microfilaments- also called actin filaments; thinnest components
Intermediate filaments- fibers with diameters in a middle range
Microtubules
Composed of tubulin-a dimer consisting of a-tubulin and ß-tubulin
25 nm with a 15 nm lumen
Functions of microtubules:
- Shaping the cell
- Guiding movement of organelles
- Separating chromosomes during cell division
- Control the beating of flagella and cilia