Lecture 3 and 4- Eukaryotic cells Flashcards
Compartmentalisation of eukaryotic cells, functions and major components
What are organelles?
Membraneous compartments and other structures that lack membranes but possess distinctive shapes and functions (such as ribosomes)
What defines the roles of different organelles?
The chemical reactions that they can carry out
What are the three main features of the nucleus?
It contains most of the cell’s DNA
It replicates genetic material
Site of the 1st steps in decoding genetic information
Site of genetic control of the cells activities
Assembly of ribosomes
What are the general functions of the mitochondria?
Power house of the cell
Energy stored in the bonds of carbohydrates and fatty acids is converted into a more useful form, ATP
What are lysosomes and vacuoles?
Cellular digestive systems in which large molecules are hydrolyzed into usable monomers
What are two purposes of membranes surrounding organelles?
- Keep organelle’s molecules away from other molecules in the cell
- Regulates the movement of raw materials and products into and out of the organelle
Why was the development of membrane bound organelles important in eukaryotic cells?
It gives the ability for eukaryotic cells to specialise and hence form organs and tissues of a complex, multicellular body
What can stains tell us about organelles?
Their chemical composition
Explain, in 4 points, the process of cell fractionation.
- Homogenize tissue in grinder (destroys plasma membrane)
- Cell homegenate contains large and small organelles
- Centrifuge to separate based on size or density
- Heaviest components sink to the bottom
How is information stored within a cell?
In a sequence of nucleotides in DNA molecules.
Most DNA resides in the nucleus
What organelle is usually the largest organelle in a eukaryotic cell?
The nucleus
What is the approximate diameter of a nucleus?
5 micrometers
What occurs in the nucleolus?
The assembly of ribosomes from RNA and specific proteins
What is nucleus surrounded by?
Two membranes that form the nuclear envelope
By what distance are the nuclear membranes separated by?
10-20nm
How many nuclear pores are there on a nucleus?
3500
What is the function of nuclear pores?
To connect the interior of the nucleus with the cytoplasm
What is the structure of the nuclear pores?
- Composed of 100 different proteins interacting hydrophobically
- Each pore is surrounded by a pore complex
What is the structure of a pore complex?
8 large protein aggregates arranged in an octagon surrounding the nuclear pore.
What is a nuclear basket?
Protein fibrils on the nuclear side form a basket like structure
How do molecules pass through nuclear pores?
Molecules less than 10,000 daltons freely diffuse
Molecules up to 50,000 daltons diffuse slowly
Larger molecules require a short amino acid sequence called a nuclear localisation signal
What evidence is there for the nuclear localisation signal?
- The sequence appears in nuclear proteins but not proteins that remain in the cytoplasm
- If removed, the protein remains in the cytoplasm
- If added to a protein, it enters the cytoplasm
- Some viruses have the signal sequence and enter the cytoplasm, others do not.
How does a signal sequence result in passage through a nuclear pore?
Three-dimensional structure binds noncovalently to a protein receptor
The receptor changes shape so the pore stretches and the protein passes through
What organelle is the nuclear envelope continuous with?
The endoplasmic reticulum
What is the name of the fibrous complex that occurs when DNA combines with a protein?
Chromatin
What does chromatin aggregate into before cell division?
chromosomes
What surrounds chromatin?
Water and dissolved substances called the nucleoplasm
What organises the chromatin?
The nuclear matrix (structural proteins)
What is chromatin attached to at the edge of the nucleus?
The nuclear lamina- formed from lamins into filaments
What is the purpose of the lamina?
Maintain the shape of the nucleus by attaching to the nuclear envelope and chromatin
Where are ribosomes found within prokaryotic cells?
Free floating
Where are ribosomes found within eukaryotic cells?
The cytoplasm- free or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum,
and inside the mitochondria and chloroplasts
What are ribosomes?
The sites where proteins are synthesised under the direction of the nucleic acids
How are eukaryotic and prokaryotic ribosomes similar?
They are made up of two different-sized subunits
What type of molecule are ribosomes made up of?
ribosomal RNA bound noncovalently to 50 proteins
What are the components of the endomembrane system?
The endoplasmic reticulum, golgi body, lysosomes, vesicles, nucleus
How large is the endomembrane system?
Much of the volume of the cell is taken up by this system
What is the endomembrane system?
A group of interrelated organelles
How is the endoplasmic reticulum viewed?
Through an electron mircograph
What is the structure of the endoplasmic reticulum?
A network of interconnected membranes braching through the cytoplasm forming tubes and flattened sacs
What is the lumen?
The interior of the endoplasmic reticulum
How much of the volume of the cell can the ER enclose?
Up to 10%
What is the rough endoplasmic reticulum?
The ER that is studded with ribosomes that are temporarily attatched
What are the functions of the rough ER?
- Segregates certain newly synthesised proteins and transports them to other locations within the cell
- Inside, proteins can be chemically modified so alter function/destination
What do the ribosomes attached to the ER do?
Synthesize proteins that function outside of the cytosol (proteins transported out of cell, or into membrane or endomembrane system)
Where do proteins synthesized by ribosomes attached to the ER go after they are synthesized?
Into the lumen of the ER
How do proteins enter the ER after being synthesized by ribosomes on its surface?
A sequence of amino acids on the protein act as an RER localisation signal
What happens to proteins after they have entered the RER?
They undergo changes- including: tertiary folding and formation of disulfide bridges
What type of molecule do proteins become after gaining carbohydrate groups in the RER?
Glycoproteins- these can act as an addressing system in lysosomes
What is the structure of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum?
More tubular (less like flattened sacs) Lack ribosomes
What happens to proteins that were synthesized in the RER inside the lumen of the SER?
They are chemically modified
What are the three main roles of the SER?
- Chemically modifying small molecules taken in by the cell (drugs, pesticides)
- Site of hydrolysis of glycogen in animal cells
- Site of lipid and steroid synthesis
What do cells that synthesize a lot of proteins have lots of?
Endoplasmic reticulum
Give examples of cells with many endoplasmic reticulum
Glandular cells- secrete digestive enzymes
White blood cells- secrete antibodies
What type of cell has many smooth endoplasmic reticulum?
Liver cells- these modify molecules that enter the body from the digestive system
What is the shape of the Golgi apparatus?
Flattened membranous stacks piled like saucers with small membrane-enclosed vesicles
What are the name of the membranous sacs that make up the golgi apparatus?
Cisternae
How long is the golgi apparatus?
1 micrometer
What are the three main roles of the golgi apparatus?
- Receive proteins from ER and further modify them
- Concentrate, package and sort proteins before sending (cellular or extracellular)
- Synthesis of some polysaccharides in the plant wall
Where is the golgi apparatus in plants, protists, fungi and many invertebrates within the cell?
Scattered throughout the cytoplasm
How is the golgi apparatus differently arranged in vertebrate cells?
Fewer stacks form larger, single, more complex golgi body
What are the three functionally distinct parts of the golgi body?
Bottom
Middle
Top
What does the bottom cisternae of the golgi apparatus lie closest to and what region is it?
Closest to nucleus/patch of RER
The cis region
What does the middle cisternae of the golgi apparatus make up?
The medial region
What does the top cisternae of the golgi apparatus lie closest to and what region is it in?
Lies closest to the surface of the cell
The trans region
How are the three parts of the golgi apparatus different?
They contain different enzymes and perform different functions
How do proteins remain segregated from the cytoplasm from the ER to the golgi apparatus?
The ER buds off a membranous vesicle containing the protein
What happens once a vesicle reaches the golgi apparatus?
The membranes fuse and releases protein
Where do vesicles that bud off of the trans regions go?
Carry their contents away from the golgi apparatus
Where do lysosomes originate from?
The golgi apparatus
What do lysosomes contain?
Digestive enzymes
What are lysosomes the site of?
Macromolecules (proteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, lipids) are hydrolysed into their monomers