Key Concepts In Biology Flashcards
What are cells?
Building blocks of every organism
Organisms can be…..?
Prokaryotes or Eukaryotes
I Include all animal and plant cells, have a membrane bound nucleus what cell am I ?
Eukaryotic cell
Describe the 5 characteristics of a eukaryotic cell
1.Complex
2.Has a membrane bound nucleus
3.Has Mitochondria
4.DNA is in Multiple strands
5.Includes all multi cellular organisms-Animals and Plants.
Prokaryotic
Name the five characteristics of a prokaryotic cell
1:Has a cell wall
2.Has a cell membrane
3.Has a cytoplasm
4.Circular strand of DNA
5.Smaller
What five characteristics do bacterial cells entail?
1.Ribosomes
2.Cell Membrane
3.Plasmid DNA
4.Flagellum
5.Cytoplasm
What is Plasmid DNA?
Small loops of extra DNA that aren’t part of the chromosome
What genes do plasmid DNA contain?
Contain genes for drug resistance
Can plasmid DNA pass between bacteria?
Yes it can
What is flagellum?
A long thin whip like structure attached to bacteria that allow them to move
What is flagellum used for?
To move the bacteria away from harmful substances (toxins), and towards nutrients and Oxygen.
Name the five components of an animal cell
1.Ribosomes
2.Nucleus
3.Cytoplasm
4.Cell membrane
5.Mitochondria
What three characteristics do plant cells have that animal cells dont ?
1.Chloroplasts
2.Rigid cell wall
3.Large vacuole
Large vacuole function
Improves cell rigidity
Maintains the internal pressure to support the cell
What is the vacuole?
Where is it found ?
The vacuole is a component of the plant cell.
It contains sell sap (a weak solution of sugar and salts)
Is found within the cytoplasm
Chloroplasts function..
Where photosynthesis takes place
Provides food for the plant
Contains chlorophyll (pigmentation which makes it green) which harvests the light needed for photosynthesis.
Cell wall in plants function…
Provides strength to the cell
Made from cellulose
Function of the nucleus
Contains DNA coding for a particular protein needed to build new cells
Function of the cytoplasm
Liquid substance in which chemical reactions occur
(Contains enzymes- biological catalysts- proteins that speed up the reaction)
Organelles are found it it
Cell Membrane Function…
Controls what enters and leaves the cell
Mitochondria function….
Where aerobic respiration occurs- providing energy for the cell
Ribosomes: Function…
Ribosomes: Function…
Where are the ribosomes found ?
Found on a structure called the rough endoplasmic reticulum
What is the cell wall in bacterial cells made of ?
Peptidogylcan
Where is the chromosomal circular DNA of a bacterial cell situated ?
As bacterial cells have no nucleus this floats in the cytoplasm
Name the four ways in which sperms cells are specialised to carry the males DNA to the egg cell for successful reproduction
1.Streamlined head and long tail to aid swimming
2.Many Mitochondria (where respiration happens) which supply the energy to allow the cell move.
3. The acrosome -top of the head has digestive enzymes which break down the outer layers of the membrane, of the egg cell
4. Haploid nucleus- 23 chromosomes rather than 46
Name three ways in which the egg cell is specialised to accept a single sperm cell and develop into an embryo
- Surrounded by a special cell membrane which can accept only one sperm cell (during fertilisation) and becomes impermeable following this.
2.Lots of Mitochondria to provide an energy source for the developing embryo - Large size, and cytoplasm to allow quick repeated division as the embryo grows.
How are ciliated epithelial cells specialised to waft bacteria to the stomach ?
Long hair like process called cilia waft bacteria (trapped by sticky mucus) down to the stomach, where they are killed by stomach acid. This is one of the ways our body protects us against illness.
Enlarges extremely small structures such as the cell that can not be seen by the naked eye
The Microscope
Define Resolution ?
The smallest distance between two points that can still be seen as two points.
Why do electron microscopes show more detail than light microscopes ?
Electrons have a shorter wave length than visible light- they can reveal very tiny details.
They have a higher resolution.
Adding the ‘mili’ prefix to a unit divides it by….?
1000
One metre contains …..?. (mm)
1000
How was the nucleus discovered ?
In 1828 Robert Brown examined cells from the surface of a leaf and he noticed that each cell contained a small round blob. He called this the NUCLEUS- (meaning inner part in Latin).
One of the first people to examine cells using a microscope was?….
What did he examine and why did he call them cells ?
Robert Hooke was the first to examine cells from a microscope.
He examined bark from a cork oak tree and saw little box shapes.
He called them cells because he thought that the boxes looked like the small rooms found in monasteries at the time.
The part of the microscope where you place the slide is called…?
The stage
What part of the microscope is used to focus the image ?
The fine adjustment knob
Why is the lowest power magnification used when first examining a specimen ?
This is as the field of view will be wider increasing the number of cells you are able to see.
This is as the field of view will be wider increasing the number of cells you are able to see.
They are adapted by having membranes with many tiny folds- (microvilli). They increase the surface area of the cell - the more area for molecules to be absorbed the faster absorption happens.
How are the walls of the small intestine adapted to their function.
The walls of the small intestine have muscles to squeeze food along. The muscle cells require a lot of energy and are adapted by having many mitochondria
What are gametes ?
A gamete is a reproductive cell-egg cells and the sperm cell.
How is the embryo created ?
Two specialised cells fuse to create a cell that develops into an embryo.
Cells with two sets of chromosomes are……..?
Diploid cells.
Cells with one copy of each chromosome are………………..?
Haploid cells.
How is the ‘jelly coat’ an adaption of the egg cell.
The jelly coat protects the egg cell. It also hardens after fertilisation to ensure only one sperm cell enters the egg cell.
What nucleus does the egg cell have? and Why?
Haploid Nucleus-as they only have half the number of chromosomes.
What is the function of the cell membrane in an egg cell?
The cell membrane fuses with the sperm cell membrane. After fertilisation, the cell membrane becomes hard to stop other cells entering.
What is the role of Cytoplasm in an egg cell ?
It is packed with nutrients (to supply the fertilised egg cell with energy and raw materials) for the growth and development of the embryo.
How is the shape of a sperm cell adapted to its function ?
Streamlined shape allows rapid movement in order to reach the target egg cell.
Why do gametes need to be haploid ?
In order to maintain the number of chromosomes in the offspring.
What nucleus is present in the sperm cell ?
Haploid Nucleus.