life science Flashcards
plant cell
basic unit of life in organisms of the kingdom Plantae. They are eukaryotic cells, which have a true nucleus along with specialized structures called organelles that carry out different functions.
animal cell
cell that dominates most of the tissue cells in animals. Animal cells are different from plant cells because they don’t have cell walls and chloroplasts, which are relevant to plant cells.
organelle
a tiny structure within a cell that performs a specific function for that cell.
cell membrane
the boundary that surrounds a cell and controls which substances can enter or leave the cell.
cell wall
a stiff structure that surrounds and protects a cell; found in plant, fungus, and some bacteria cells.
cytoplasm
the liquid in the inside of a living cell.
mitochondria
an organelle in eukaryotic cells that is the site of cellular respiration and generates most of the cell’s ATP.
Golgi apparatus
complex of vesicles and folded membranes within the cytoplasm of most eukaryotic cells, involved in secretion and intracellular transport.
endoplasmic reticulum
network of membranous tubules within the cytoplasm of a eukaryotic cell, continuous with the nuclear membrane. It usually has ribosomes attached and is involved in protein and lipid synthesis.
ribosomes
minute particle consisting of RNA and associated proteins found in large numbers in the cytoplasm of living cells. They bind messenger RNA and transfer RNA to synthesize polypeptides and proteins.
centrioles
a minute cylindrical organelle near the nucleus in animal cells, occurring in pairs and involved in the development of spindle fibers in cell division.
chloroplast
an organelle in a plant cell that turns energy from the sun into chemical energy for the plant to use.
vesicle
small fluid-filled bladder, sac, cyst, or vacuole within the body.
vacuole
an organelle in a plant cell that turns energy from the sun into chemical energy for the plant to use.
nucleus
the center of an atom containing protons and neutrons (related term: nuclei, nuclear); a region in a cell that is surrounded by a membrane and contains genetic material.
nuclear membrane
double membrane enclosing a cell nucleus and having its outer part continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum. — called also nuclear envelope. — see cell illustration.
dna
found in the nucleus of a cell, a long nucleic acid molecule containing the genetic instructions for the development and functioning of all living organisms; abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid.
lysosome
organelle in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells containing degradative enzymes enclosed in a membrane.
multi-cellular organism
organisms that consist of more than one cell, in contrast to unicellular organisms.
unicellular organism
single-celled organism, is an organism that consists of a single cell, unlike a multicellular organism that consists of Multiple cells. Unicellular organisms fall into two general categories: prokaryotic organisms and eukaryotic organisms.
prokaryote
individual microscopic organism with no nucleus.
eukaryote
having complex cells in which the genetic material is contained inside a nucleus.
cell
the basic unit of all living things (related word: cellular)
tissue
a group of cells that works together to carry out a particular task in an organism.