General Biology Flashcards
What is a cell?
The smallest living unit and the basic unit of function and structure for all living things.
At what perecnt does a living cell vary in size and shape?
60%
What shape is a red blood cell?
disk-shaped
What do nerves look like?
they can be very long and have extensions on their main body.
What does the nucleus contain?
genetic information
What does DNA stand for?
deoxyribonucleic acid
What does DNA do?
control activities of the cell.
What is plasma?
The clear, yellowish fluid portion of blood, lymph, or intramuscular fluid in which cells are suspended. It differs from serum in that it contains fibrin and other soluble clotting elements.
What else is plasma reffered to as?
a cell membrane
What is a semipermeable membrane?
It seperates the contents of the cell from the surrounding fluid.
What is interstitial fluid?
The fluid that contains substances such as amino acids, sugars, fatty acids, hormones, nuerotransmitters, and salts.
What does selectively permeable (semipermeable) refer to?
The selective nature of the plasma membrane.
What does selectivley permeable contain?
Contains pores and channels that allow ony particles of the right size or the right chemical nature to pass through.
What do plasma membrane contain?
Recptors that bind with specific substances.
What is cytoplasm?
The fluid matrix found between the plasma membrane and the nucleus that acts as scaffolding for the organelles.
What are organelles?
They are specialized units in the cell that perform certain functions.
What are organelles know as?
“little organs”
What is mitochondria?
The location for cellular respiration, that is, the conversion of food to engery at the cellular level.
What does ATP stand for?
Adenosine triphosphate
What are mitochondria sites of?
Energy production and of most of its ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
ATP means
The chemical the cell uses to transfer energy within the cell.
What are Ribosomes?
The site of protein synthesis in the cell and contain RNA.
What do Ribosomes do?
They float freely, where as others are attached to the endoplasmic reticulum.
What does ER stand for?
Endoplasmic reticulum.
