Lecture 2 - Review of Basic Chemistry/Cell Bio/Biochem Flashcards
4 properties of water
- Great solvent
- Used as a reactant
- High heat capacity
- Provides lubrication and surface tension
Why is carbon important
- Carbon with hydrogen is a component of every organic compound
- It provides covalently bonded structural backbones
- Can interact with functional groups with different properties
Differentiation
The process of cells produced by cell division to specialize for different functions
Cell cycle. What phase do cells spend most of their time in?
The balance in a cell between cell division and performing normal physiological functions. It is tightly regulated by genes and other cell biological factors. Most cells spend their time in interphase
What happens if cell cycle regulation is distrupted?
Abnormal cell division can occur, leading to tumours that can develop into cancers
Are all tumours cancer?
No - once the tumour breaks through the tissue layer, or if it spreads through the blood/lymphatic system, it becomes cancer
Function of the plasma membrane
Separates the cytoplasm inside the cell from the chemically distinct extracellular fluid. The plasma membrane is selectively permeable
Free diffusion
No protein assistance required
Passive transport
Allows substances to move according to their concentration (or electrochemical) gradients
Primary active transport
Pumping proteins directly uses ATP
Secondary active transport
Uses a gradient of one molecule (which was created using ATP) to move another molecule
Ex. Using Na+ ion to move a glucose molecule with it into the cytoplasm
Vesicular transport
Form of active transport that can move large molecules/many molecules at the same time. Very energy intensive
Intercellular fluid (ICF) vs. Extracellular fluid (ECF) ion composition
ICF:
Na+: 12
K+: 139
Cl-: 4
Large anions: 140
Ca2+: <0.0002
ECF:
Na+: 145
K+: 4
Cl-: 120
Large anions: 0
Ca2+: 1.8
Osmosis
Movement of water to equalize osmolarity (the amount of molecules/ions dissolved in water) on each side of a barrier. This causes changes in volume
Hypertonic
The external solution has a higher solute concentration, causing water to rush out of the cell