Lesson 1 - Cell Basics

Question 1

True or False: “Cells are the Fundamental Units of Life?”

Answer 1

True: this is due to The Cell Theory.

Question 2

What are the three components of “The Cell Theory”?

Answer 2

1. All living organisms are composed of one or more cells.
2. The cell is the most basic unit of life.
3. All cells arise only from pre-existing cells.

Question 3

What is the first step to making a cell?

Answer 3

Information is required; all cells possess DNA, the hereditary material of genes and RNA which provide the information necessary to build various proteins for the cell’s primary machinery.

Question 4

What is differentiation?

Answer 4

Differentiation is the process of unspecialized or less-specialized cells cells becoming more specialized in regards to their structure and functions.

Question 5

Which one of these cell types lacks a cell nucleus and therefore has no DNA?
a) Gila cells - a non-neruonal brain cell type.
b) Red blood cells - cell delivering oxygen to body tissues.
c) Osteoblasts - cells that make bones.
d) Corneal keratocytes - cells that make the transparent part of the eye.

Answer 5

b) Red blood cells. Maturing blood cells undergo enucleation; ejecting their nucleus. Because of the lack of nuclei and organelles, mature red blood cells and cannot synthesize any RNA.

Question 6

What is the second step to creating a cell?

Answer 6

Chemistry is required! Cells are composed of many chemical elements.

Question 7

What is the third step to creating a cell?

Answer 7

Compartments are required, which is usually defined by a single or double lipid layer membrane.

Question 8

What are the two fundamental roles of compartments?

Answer 8

1. They establish physical boundaries that enable the cell to carry out different metabolic activities.
2. They generate a micro-environment to spatially and temporally regulate biological processes.

Question 9

What are prokaryotes?

Answer 9

An organism which lacks a distinct nucleus and other organelles due to the absence of internal membranes. Often known as a single-cell organism.

Question 10

What are the two kingdoms which contain prokaryotic species?

Answer 10

Archaea and bacteria!

Question 11

What are eukaryotes?

Answer 11

Any cell or organism which possesses a clearly defined nucleus.