Life at a Cellular level Flashcards

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1
Q

What are cells?

A

Basic unit for living organisms

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2
Q

Why are cells small?

A

So they have larger ratios, can allow gases to be exchanged easily and can diffuse

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3
Q

What is a prokaryotic cell?

A

Bacteria

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4
Q

What is a eukaryotic cell?

A

Human cell

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5
Q

What do prokaryotic cells not contain?

A

Nuclei, mitochondria and membrane-bound structures

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6
Q

What do eukaryotic cells contain?

A

Nuclei and membrane-bound structures

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7
Q

What are stem cells?

A

Unspecialised cells that can differentiate into other cell types

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8
Q

What are cancer cells?

A

Cells that fail to respond to cell-cycle regulations and divide uncontrollably throughout the body

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9
Q

What is the 1st law of thermodynamics?

A

Energy can’t be created or destroyed

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10
Q

What is the 2nd law of thermodynamics?

A

Energy transformations increase entropy as heat is produced

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11
Q

What is a dynamic steady state?

A

Equilibrium can not be reached as the products in one pathway can be used in another. It is a Continuation state due to food supplying and waste removing. Entropy can be used to increase the order of other compounds.

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12
Q

What is metabolism?

A

The chemical process by living organisms that allows food to be broken down for tissue growth. It is a mix of anabolic and catabolic reactions.

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13
Q

What is an anabolic reaction?

A

Energy is required. Non-spotaneous. Delta G= +ve

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14
Q

What is a catabolic reaction?

A

Energy is released. Spontaneous. Delta G= -ve.

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15
Q

What happens to the energy released by catabolic reactions?

A

It is used up by anabolic reactions in oder to produce more ordered compounds

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16
Q

What is the function of free-energy carriers?

A

They couple anabolic and catabolic reactions using phosphate group transfers

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17
Q

What are examples of free-energy carriers?

A

ATP and ADP

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18
Q

Where are electron carriers used?

A

In redox reactions

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19
Q

What are examples of electron-carriers?

A

NAD, NADP and FAD

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20
Q

What is substrate level phosphorylation?

A

ATP is produced by the phosphate group of a phosphorylated compound being transferred to ADP

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21
Q

What is oxidative phosphorylation?

A

The process by which enzymes oxidise cells to release energy which is used to create ATP

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22
Q

What are the major elements?

A

O,H,C,N,Na,Cl,K,Ca,S,P

23
Q

What do functional groups affect?

A

The way molecules interact with each other

24
Q

What is configuration?

A

The fixed arrangement of arms in a molecule (Cis or Trans)

25
Q

What is conformation?

A

The precise arrangement of atoms in a molecule (free rotation)

26
Q

What are the chemical reactions that occur in living organisms?

A

Redox, hydrolysis/condensation, internal rearrangements, making/breaking C-C and group transfers

27
Q

What is a protein?

A

Polymers of amino acid monomers joined together by peptide bonds

28
Q

What is a nucleic acid?

A

Polymers of nucleotide monomers linked by phosphodiester bonds

29
Q

What are polysaccharides?

A

Polymers of monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bonds

30
Q

What are cell membranes made up of?

A

Phospholipids, which creates a phospholipid bilayer

31
Q

What is a cytoskeleton?

A

Structure made up of microfilaments and microtubules

32
Q

What is the function of a cytoskeleton?

A

Provides strength and allows for cell motility

33
Q

What are H-bonds?

A

Bonds between the electronegative atom and an electropositive H atom

34
Q

What type of molecules are water-soluble?

A

Molecules with H bonds

35
Q

What type of H-bond is most favourable in water?

A

Water-solute

36
Q

What does amphiphatic molecule?

A

A molecule that contains both hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts

37
Q

What is an example of an amphiphatic molecule?

A

Phospholipid

38
Q

What is pH?

A

A measure of proton concentration

39
Q

What is a buffer?

A

Solutions of weak acids. Acids dissociate to acid-base pairs in solution.

40
Q

How is pH kept constant?

A

Equilibriums maintaining Ka and Kw

41
Q

What does a nucleus contain?

A

DNA, nucleoprotein and some RNA

42
Q

What is a nucleolus?

A

Site for ribosomal RNA synthesis

43
Q

What is the Endoplasmic Reticulum?

A

Interconnecting network of membranous tubules, vesicles and faltered sacs

44
Q

What are the 2 types of Endoplasmic Reticulum?

A

Rough and Smooth

45
Q

Why is the endoplasmic reticulum rough?

A

Ribosomes

46
Q

What is the function of the rough endoplasmic reticulum?

A

Synthesis of packaged proteins

47
Q

What is the function of smooth endoplasmic reticulum?

A

Membrane synthesis and repair

48
Q

What is a ribosome?

A

Small organelle of 2 subunits that is used to create protein in cells

49
Q

What is a Golgi apparatus?

A

Stack of flattened vesicles that are used to process secretary proteins and to synthesise polysaccharides

50
Q

What is a lysosome?

A

Membrane bound organelles that act as cellular stomachs ad contain granular materials

51
Q

What is a peroxisome?

A

Small membrane bound organelles that contain enzymes (oxidase and catalase)

52
Q

What is a mitochondrion?

A

Mobile organelle that contains a permeable membrane made of porin and an inner folded membrane containing amorphous matrix

53
Q

What is a flagellum?

A

Long organelle made up of microtubules that moves like a snake

54
Q

What is a cilium?

A

Small organelle that is made up of microtubules that moves stiffly