Histology Flashcards
Who is the father of histology?
Marie François Xavier Bichat
What five things compose the cell and their percentage?
- Water (80%)
- Protein (15%)
- Lipid (2.5%)
- Carbohydrate (1.5%)
- Inorganic (1.0%)
The five common features to all eukaryotic cells
- An outer membrane
- An inner cytosol
- A cytoskeleton
- Membrane-bound organelles within the cytosol.
- Inclusions
What is the plasma membrane and its function?
It is a bimolecular layer of amphipathic phospholipid molecules with their hydrophilic heads at the outer and inner surfaces and their hydrophobic fatty acid chains facing toward the middle of the two layers.
Separates the cytoplasm from the extracellular environment.
Draw the amphipathic phospholipid and what it is made of
-Polar hydrophilic region of choline and phosphate
-Non-Polar hydrophobic fatty-acid chain
What five things can integral proteins be?
These include receptors, channels, transporters, enzymes, and cell attachment proteins.
The cell membrane is solid. True or false?
Nope, it is fluid, therefore it can change shape easily.
Are membrane proteins distributed equally within the cell membrane?
No, membrane proteins can diffuse laterally in the cell membrane, but many are anchored
What is the plasma membrane permeable and impermeable to?
Highly permeable to water, oxygen, and small hydrophobic molecules.
Virtually impermeable to charged ions (e.g., Na+)
What appearance does the plasmalemma have in the microscope?
Trilaminar appearance
What is the inner cytosol, and what does it contain?
A solution of proteins, electrolytes & carbohydrates. It has both fluid and gel-like properties.
What two structures does the cytosol have within?
Organelles and Inclusions
What are organelles?
Organelles are small, intracellular ‘organs’ with a specific function and structural organization.
What are the six organelles, and what are their functions?
- Mitochondria - (energy production)
- Rough endoplasmic reticulum - (protein synthesis)
- Smooth endoplasmic reticulum - (cholesterol & lipid synthesis/detoxification)
4.Golgi apparatus - (modification & packaging of secretions) - Lysosomes – (hydrolytic enzymes for intracellular digestion)
- Nucleus – (contains genetic code)
What are inclusions and some examples of them?
They represent components that have been synthesized by the cell itself…
Pigment, glycogen stores, lipid droplets, pre-secretion product
Or taken up from the extracellular environment.
Endocytotic vesicle.
What is the cytoskeleton made of?
Maintained by a set of filamentous cytosolic proteins, the cytoskeletal proteins
What are the three main classes of filaments, their size, and composition?
-Micro-filaments
(7 nanometres in diameter) are composed of
the protein actin.
-Intermediate filaments
(>10 nanometres in diameter) are composed of six main proteins, which vary in different cell types
-Microtubules
(25 nanometres in diameter) are composed of two tubulin proteins
What unique ability do microfilaments have?
Actin molecules can assemble into filaments and later dissociate, making them very dynamic cytoskeletal elements
What do the intermediate filaments do, and how many types are there?
Bind elements intracellularly together and to the plasma membrane. More than 50 types, but they are divided into classes.
What intermediate filaments form in the cytoplasm?
A network
What are microtubules composed of?
Hollow tubule is composed of two types of tubulin subunits, α & β, in an alternating array.
Where do microtubules originate from, and what proteins are included?
Originate from a special organizing center called the centrosome.
Include stabilizing proteins: microtubule-associated proteins (MAPS)
What type of filament can be assembled and disassembled?
Microfilaments
In what three structures are microtubules essential?
Cilia, flagella, and the mitotic spindle.