Lecture 1 - The Cell Flashcards
What are the types of cells
- Red blood cell
- Sperm Cell
- Muscle cell
- Nerve cell
- Photoreceptor
What does a general cell consist of
- Cell membrane - holds everything together
- Cytoplasm - everything inside cell membrane including organelles, liquid - cytosol
- Organelles
- Nucleus - largest organelle
What is the plasma membrane composed of
- Bilayer ( 2 layers ) of phospholipid molecules
- Protein molecules - protein channels - communication
- Cholestrol
- Glycocalyx
How thick is plasma membrane
5-7nm thick
Very strong - hold everything
Why is plasma membrane described as fluid mosaic
Fluid - not rigid/solid, can move/bend = structural flow
Mosaic - phospholipids scattered
What is glycocalyx
- Sugar coating around cell of body, attached to surface, - Carbohydrate
- Stick out of cell
Why do we have cholesterol in our plasma membrane?
- Maintain structural stability and fluidity of bilayer- less movement / flexibility / deformity - prevents it being hard/rigid
- If temperature too low phospholipids prevent them packing close together ( joining ) and crystalising
- If the temperature is too high, it holds phospholipids together - stops them moving - form bonds with each other
- Decreases permeability to small water soluble molecules
- Immobolizes first few hydrocarbon groups of phospholipid molecules
Name three types of integral proteins and examples of these molecules/ions
- Carrier protein
- Protein channel
- Receptor proteins
- Glucose, Sodium and Potassium
Which component of the plasma membrane is vital for restoring membrane integrity if the membrane is damaged? and explain how and why it maintains integrity.
- Phospholipid bilayer - amphipathic property…
- ## If membrane is damaged/ruptured it will automatically reform into a bilayer - hyrdophilic heads face out attracting water and hydrophobic tails face away from water repelling it - hiding inbetween, avoiding contact with water…
What are two end of phospholipids
Hydrophobic tails - non polar - repel in water - hates contact with water - lipids - face each other
Hydrophilic heads - polar - attract water - facing away from each other
What is meant by amphipathic and what does it allow in cell membrane
Molecules that are hydrophobic one end and hydrophilic other end = 2 different regions
Form bilayer = robust
What is role of glycocalyx
- Cell recognition/identity - signal to other cells in environment what that cell is - if it belongs there or not
- Adhesion – glue - sticking cells to each other and things in environment
Integral proteins
- Span membrane = act as gates/channels for molecules in and/or out = let things through
- Others can be components of receptors
- Some regions exposed to extracellular space and some to intracellular environment
Peripheral proteins
Bound to 1 face or other - anchors
What are the three types of junctions
- Mechanical junctions
- Sticky glycoproteins - glycocalyx
- Specialised cell - cell junctions
How do junctions form
Two cells come in contact with each other
Why are junctions present in cells
- Structural stability
- Share info
What are the two mechanical junctions
- Ball and socket
- Tongue and groove
Ball and socket junctions
- Movement within cells, between lens fibres
- Interlock with each other - holds it in place but still allows movement/flexibility
- Skeleton
Tongue and groove junction
- Allow side movement, not up and down
- Tongue and groove matching along entire length - tongue sticking out one side and the the groove sticks out other end
Where are tongue and groove junctions found in eye
Between cells within lens
Anchoring junctions
- Adjacent cells joined by joined by fibres from cytoskeleton
- Found in places with mechanical stress e.g. skin
- Stength, support and protection
- Proteins join together, cells can’t pull apart = anchor one cell to another
- Very robust
Gap junctions
- Directly connect cytoplasms of two different cells = molecules diffuse from one cell to the next e.g. nutrients. This is done by CONNEXONS that connect cells.
- Channels between neighboring cells that allow for the transport of ions, water, and other substances
- Involves integral proteins which fuse to each other - each protein = channel/pore. Gate opens = free movement of molecules
- Communication network between cytoplasm
- Proteins fuse between 2 joining cells = channel = cytoplasm of two cells continuous with each other
Occluding ( tight ) junction
- Adjacent protein molecules in opposing plasma membranes fuse, sealing/occluding the space between cells - prevents passage of molecules between cells
- Pull cells tight together = impermeable barrier
- Forms bond between proteins = stick together
- Seals things = prevents passage of everything esp water - dont want to lose water - otherwise cell shrivel
- Integral proteins fuse with matching proteins on cell next to it
Example of occluding junction
Between epithelial cells lining the digestive tract keep digestive enzymes and microorganisms in the intestine from leaking into the bloodstream
What are desmosomes
Anchoring junction that provide strong adhesion between cells
What are the types of desmosomes
- Belt desmosome
- Spot desmosome
- Hemidesmosome
How do desmosomes work
- Anchor cell to membrane - bound to adjacent cell
- Stop cells being pulled apart - lock together
- Inside membrane, peripheral proteins come together and form PLAQUE - bound to integral proteins = CADHERINS
What do the membrane of adjacent cells thicken into
Plaques
How are plaques anchored to inside of cell
By intermediate filaments
What are plaques of adjacent cells linked by
Cadherins
What are cadherins
Specialised adhesion proteins
Example of gap junction
- Cardiac muscle, smooth muscle: the electrical signal to contract spreads rapidly between heart muscle cells as ions pass through gap junctions, allowing the cells to contract
- Lens - nutrients by aqueous humour via gap junction as no blood vessels/supply - because dont want anything blocking it as light enters lens pupil - lens behind it. Nutrients taken up by lens on outside of lens
Why are gap junctions important
Allow rapid free movement of nutrients e.g. glucose, O2
What are connexons
- The channels formed when proteins fuse
- The junctions between membrane proteins in gap junctions
What does the cytoplasm consist of
- Cytosol
- Cytoskeleton
- Inclusions
- Membrane bound organelles
What is the cytoskeleton
Skeleton of cell composed of protein filaments scattered throughout the cytoplasm
What are the 3 type of protein filaments in the cytoskeleton
- Actin filaments
- Intermediate filaments
- Microtubules
What are actin filaments
- Thinnest and shortest
- Thin strands of actin monomers twisted in helix
- Edge of cytoplasm
- Found in muscle cells - movement
What are intermediate filaments
- Thicker than actin
- Very tough and durable - more stable and strong than others
- Prominent in places with mechanical stress
- Rapidly from and fall apart
- Takes up most of cytoskeleton
- Basket around nucleus and extends outwards
- Anchors organelles in places in cell
- Keratin - waterproof barrier
What are microtubules
- Thickest and longest
- Long tubes of tubulin proteins arranged into long tubes - twisted
- Contribute to cell shape and structure
- Facilitate movement of organelles - found in places where you want something extracellular to move around - e.g. tracheae - mucus - trap dirt, photoreceptors - evolved from cells with cilia - specilalised cilia - forms outer segment of photoreceptor - infoldings of membrane
What is an example of an inclusion
Melanin - granules, in retinal pigment epithelium - absorb excess light by photoreceptors at back of retina - brown pigment - gives iris colour and absorbs light - so only light entering eye is through pupil, not iris
What is role of cytoskeleton
- Cell shape
- Cytoplasmic movement of organelles
- Cell division by pinching inwards
- Whole cell movement
- Enzymatic reactions
- Support and movement - lengthens and shortens
How does the cytoskeleton contribute to movement and cell division
Moving nuclei to edges, changing plasma membrane shape.
Ring of cytoskeleton lengthening and pulling it together = new cell - pinches off = 2 nuclei form
Fibroblasts
- Large, flat branching support cells present in most connective tissue
- Secrete fibres e.g. collagen and some ground substance component of extracellular matrix.
- Wound healing
- Structural framework for tissues
What does a cilium consist of
9 microtubule doublets and 2 central microtubules ( move in unison, some shrink and elongate)
What is the centre of microtubule called
Centrosome
What is structure of centrosome
- Located to one side of nucleus is pair of centrioles right angles to each other
- 9 groups of microtubule triplets form wall of each centriole. Anchored onto by microtubules
- Each one can grow, break off, branch and form other microtubules
What are centrioles
Small cyndrical structure
What is role of keratin
Waterproof barrier
Where is keratin found
Hair and nails
Lysosomes
- Packaged by Golgi Apparatus
- 0.05 - 0.2 micrometres diameter
- Contains digestive enzymes - phagocytosis
What is Golgi Apparatus
- Series of flat membrane stacks associated with tiny vesicles