Final Exam - Biology Flashcards
Cell organelles
Small structures within a cell that perform specific functions, similar to organs in the body.
Different functions of organelles
- Storing genetic information (nucleus)
- Producing energy (mitochondria)
- Synthesizing proteins (ribosomes)
- Packaging proteins (golgi apparatus)
- Breaking down waste materials (lysosomes)
Cell membrane
The thin, flexible barrier that surrounds every cell.
Cell membrane function
Controls the movement of molecules in and out of the cell.
Water
It is essential for all life forms.
Properties of water
- Polarity
- Cohesion
- Adhesion
- Surface Tension
- High Specific Heat
- Ability to dissolve other substances.
Polarity
The tendency of living organisms to develop with distinct ends, or to grow in particular directions.
Cohesion
The tendency of like molecules to stick together, due to hydrogen bonds.
Adhesion
The tendency of two unfamiliar substances to cling to one another.
High specific heat
A substances ability to absorb a large amount of heat energy before its temperature significantly changes.
Cell cycle
The ordered series of events that a cell goes through as it grows, prepares for division, and eventually divides into two new daughter cells.
Photosynthesis
The process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (sugar) and oxygen.
Light dependent reactions
The initial stage of photosynthesis where light energy from the sun is captured by chlorophyll pigments within chloroplasts, and converted into chemical energy like ATP and NADPH, which is then turned into sugar molecules.
Light independent reactions
A series of chemical reactions within photosynthesis that occur in the stroma of chloroplasts, where carbon dioxide is converted into sugar molecules using the energy stored in ATP and NADPH.
Structure of chloroplast
A double membrane bound organelle containing stacks of flattened sacs called thylakoids, embedded within a fluid matrix called the stroma.
Cellular respiration
The metabolic process by which cells convert chemical energy like glucose into a usable form of energy called ATP by breaking down these nutrients with the help of oxygen, releasing carbon dioxide and water as waste products.
Aerobic cellular respiration
The process by which cells generate energy (ATP) from food molecules like glucose, using oxygen, producing carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.
Glycolysis
A metabolic pathway that breaks down glucose to produce energy for cells.
Krebs cycle
A series of chemical reactions that occur in aerobic organisms to break down glucose and other molecules to release energy.
ETC (electron transport chain)
A process in cells that moves electrons from NADH and FADH2 to protein complexes and mobile carriers. This process results in the production of ATP and the consumption of oxygen.
Anaerobic cellular respiration
The process by which cells generate energy (ATP) without the presence of oxygen.
Fermentation
A biochemical process that breaks down glucose or sugar molecules without oxygen to produce energy and other substances.
Mitosis
The process where a single cell divides into two genetically identical daughter cells, with each new cell receiving a complete set of chromosomes from the parent cell.
Meiosis
A specialized type of cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms.
