Midterm 1: Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 Flashcards
History of cells:
Hooke coins term “cell”; used early compound microscope
Leeuwenhoek observes animalcules; used spherical lens
Brown discovers nucleus
Schwann proposes that all animals/plants consist of cells that contain a nucleus
Virchow proposes that cells arise from cells
Cell theory (3 tenets):
All organisms consist of one or more cells
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life
Cells arise from the division of pre-existing cells
Cell functions: (4)
Organized system of molecules that carry hereditary info and direct production of cellular molecules
Generate energy for activity
Respond to external environment
Cellular reproduction
What is magnification?
Ratio of object as viewed : actual size
What is resolution?
Minimum distance between two points that can still be seen as distinct. The shorter the wavelength, the better the resolution.
Types of microscopy:
Bright field, dark field, phase-contrast, Nomarski/DIC, fluorescence, confocal laser scanning, TEM, SEM
Cell size:
Small to maximize SA-to-V ratio
Volume determines amount of chemical activity, SA determines amount of substance exchange
Some cells flatten or develop folds/extensions to increase SA
Basic parts of cell:
Plasma membrane, central region, cytoplasm
3 common shapes of prokaryotic cells:
Rod, spherical, spiral
Genetic material of prokaryotic organisms:
Info from individual genes is copied to mRNA, which instructs ribosomes to assemble proteins
Prokaryotic ribosome:
Consist of large/small subunits
Each contain 3 types of rRNA and 50+ proteins
Glycocalyx:
Polysaccharide layer around prokaryotic cells
Slime layer vs capsule
Protects from physical damage, desiccation
May help with adhesion
Where is chlorophyll located in photosynthetic bacteria?
Cell membrane
What are lamins?
Protein filaments that line the inner surface of the nuclear membrane
Nuclear pore complex:
Octagonally symmetrical structure composed of proteins called nucleoporins
Controls passage of material in/out
Function of nucleolus:
Ribosome subunit assembly
Eukaryotic ribosome:
2 subunits
May be attached to plasma membrane or be freefloating
Contains 4 types of RNA mcules and 80+ proteins
What kind of cells have large rough ERs?
One that make a lot of proteins for release
Lysosome:
Contains 30+ hydrolytic enzymes to break everything down
Only in animal cells
Derives enzymes from ER, body from Golgi
pH = 5
Tay-Sachs disease:
A lysosomal storage disease - enzyme is missing, substrate builds up
Microtubules:
Wall consists of 13 proteins
Composed of tubulin dimers (alpha and beta bound non-covalently)
1/plus end has alpha, 2/minus end has beta - dimers attach and detach more rapidly at 1 end
What are the motor proteins that walk along microtubules?
Dyneins and kinesins
Intermediate filaments:
Composed of intermediate filament proteins
Have specific protein composition for their tissues (unlike the others)
Size comparison of microtubules, intermediate filaments, microfilaments:
Largest, middle, smallest
Microfilaments:
2 polymers of actin wound in a helical shape
Does more stuff at 1/plus end
Involved in cytoplasmic streaming, muscle contraction, division of cytoplasm during division
What motor protein walks along microfilaments?
Myosins
What is a 9+2 complex?
Structure of flagella and cilia - 9 double microtubules surrounding a central single pair
How do flagella/cilia move?
Dynein slides tubules over each other
Formation of flagella/cilia:
Centriole (ring of 9 triple tubules) move to just under plasma membrane
2/3 of triplets grow to form 9 doubles
2 singles form without direct connection
Basal body:
Centriole that remains at the end of flagella/cilia
Specialized structures of plant cells:
Plastids, cell wall, central vacuole
Plastids:
Chloro, chromo, leuco (includes amylo)
Chloroplasts parts:
Stroma - the inside
Thylakoids - inside stroma, site of photosynthesis, contain chlorophyll
Grana - stacked thylakoids
Where does photosynthesis occur? Where are chlorophyll?
Thylakoid membrane inside chloroplasts
Plasmodesmata:
Perforations in cell walls that connects cells to each other to allow transport of ions and small molecules
Cell adhesion molecules:
Glycoproteins embedded in plasma membrane
Bind to specific molecules on other cells
Holds solid tissues together
Types of cell junctions: (3)
Anchoring, tight, gap
Anchoring cell junctions:
Welds adjacent cells together
Common in stretch/shear tissues (heart muscle, skin, organ linings)
Desmosome:
Type of anchoring cell junction where intermediate filaments anchor into cytoplasm
Adherens junction:
Anchoring cell junction where microfilaments anchor to cytoskeleton
Tight cell junctions:
Membranes of cells very close together
Proteins on outer surfaces fuse and form a network
Seals organ linings (stomach, intestine, bladder) - no leaking!
Gap cell junctions:
Hollow protein cylinders line up to form pipes that ions and small molecules travel through
Occur between almost all body tissues of same type
Allow heart muscle, uteran muscle to function as a unit
Extracellular matrix (ECM):
Proteins and polysaccharides secreted by cells in the ECM
Functions to support and protect
Forms the mass of skin, bones, tendons
Components of ECM:
Glycoproteins:
Collagens - high tensile strength and elasticity
Proteoglycans - small proteins attached to polysaccharides
Fibronectins - bind to receptor proteins in plasma membrane to attach cells to ECM
What determines the consistency of the ECM?
Number of interlinks between proteoglycans. The more links, the more water storage, so the more squishy.
Integrin:
Receptor proteins in plasma membrane that communicate between cytoskeleton and ECM
Characteristics of life:
Displays order Harnesses and utilizes energy Reproduces Exhibits homeostasis Responds to stimuli Grows/develops Evolves
Are viruses living or non-living?
NON LIVING. The characteristics of life that they exhibit are dependent on the ability to infect cells. They cannot independently reproduce.
Life is an emergent property.
Arises from simpler interactions
Reducing atmosphere hypothesis:
Oparin-Haldane hypothesis.
Primordial atmosphere consisted of H2O(g), H2, CO2, NH3, CH4 and almost no O2
These molecules have lots of electrons and hydrogens which would react to form larger and more complex organic molecules
UV light provided energy (no ozone layer yet)
Experimental support for reducing atmosphere hypothesis:
Miller-Urey experiment: put hydrogen, methane, ammonia, and water vapour in a closed system and exposed gases to electrode sparks - amino/lactic/formic/acetic acids and urea were formed
Deep sea vent hypothesis:
Hydrothermal vents that release superheated, nutrient rich water
Found near volcanoes and tectonic plates
Surrounded by extremophiles
Extraterrestrial hypothesis:
Murchison meteorite in 1969 found to contain important organic molecules
Clay hypothesis:
Monomers in layered, charged structure of clay allowed for easier polymer formation
Short nucleic acids and polypeptides have been synthesized in clay
3 key attributes of cells:
Membrane-bound compartment
System to store genetic info and to direct protein synthesis
Energy-transforming pathways to bring in energy
Protobiont:
Abiotically produced organic molecules that are membrane-bound
Advantages of membrane-bound compartment:
Allows for more complex metabolic reactions with higher concentration of key molecules
Central dogma of genetic information:
Info stored in DNA -> transcribed to RNA -> translated to production of proteins
Evolution of genetic info transfer:
Before ribosomes evolved, ribozymes could catalyze the formation of v short proteins
Enzymes evolve
DNA evolves after proteins become more complex
Ribozymes:
Thomas Cech discovers a group of RNA molecules that can catalyze reactions on precursor RNA that leads to their own synthesis
They can fold into specific shapes, which is critical for reacting with substrates
Advantages of enzymes over ribozymes:
Enzymes can work much faster
20 types of amino acids vs 4 nucleotides used to build proteins - specificity
Evolution of DNA:
DNA nucleotides formed when oxygen atom is randomly removed from RNA nucleotide. DNA is evolutionarily favoured.