Module 2 Flashcards
light microscope Advantages
• Wide range of specimens can be observed • Specimens can be alive • Specimens can be whole, or embedded in wax ten sectioned
light microscope Disadvantages
• Non-coloured specimens must be stained for specific organelles or molecules • Relatively low resolution does not give detailed information
light microscope Magnification
• Up to 1500x in total
Resolution
• 200nm • Limited by the wavelength of visible light
light microscope Specimen Preparation • into a thin slice
Staining ○ Applying a coloured stain to the sample which binds to certain chemicals/structures, improving their visibility ○ Acetic orcein stains DNA dark red ○ Gentian violet stains bacterial cell walls
Sectioning ○ Specimen is embedded in wax to preserve structure of sample cell walls while cutting them
To correctly use a light microscope
you also need to calibrate the eye piece graticule using the stage micrometer
— this step allows you to measure the size of cells and structures that you are observing.
how to calibrate the eyepiece graticules
To do this, align the stage micrometer (a microscope slide with a scale on it) with the eye piece graticule, then use the reading from the scales to calculate the calibration factor from the objective lens.
Using A Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)
emits an electron beam through a very thin prepared sample. Electrons penetrate the denser parts of the sample with greater difficulty and this gives the contrast in the 2D image produced.
Using A A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
emits an electron beam directly onto a sample such that none of the electrons penetrate it. Instead, they ‘bounce off’ the sample and are received on asensor, producing a 3D image.
A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Magnification
• SEM: Up to x100, 000
Using A Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Magnification
TEM: Up to x500, 000
Resolution (TEM)
• 0.5nm 2000x times more than light microscope • Produces detailed images
resolution SEM)
3-10nm
Magnification
• The degree to which the size of an image is larger than the object itself
Resolution
• The degree to which it is possible to distinguish between two points on an object that are very close together • The higher the resolution, the greater the detail that you can see
Specimen Preparation em
• Specimen needs to be prepared correctly
• Fixed to make it firm
• Dehydrated and embedded in resin
• Stained using metal salts or metal particles
• Mounted on a copper grid
• Placed in a vacuum
• Staining
○ Specimens are stained with metal salts or particles ○ This causes electrons to scatter differently, giving contrast
Advantages
- Produces detailed images of the structures inside cells
* SEM produces detailed 3D images showing contour of cells
Disadvantage
• Electron beams deflected in air, so sample must be in a vacuum • Samples must be dead • Extremely expensive • Large piece of equipment • Use requires a high degree of skill and training
Structure Nucleus
• Largest organelle • Surrounded by nuclear envelope • Contain chromatin • Nucleolus at the centre
Structure Nucleolus •
• Dense spherical structure inside nucleus
Structure Nuclear Envelope
• Surrounds nucleus • 2 membranes with fluid between them • Nuclear pores go through envelope
Structure Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
• Flattened membrane sacs called cisternae • Continuous with outer nuclear membrane • Studded with ribosomes
Structure Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
• Flattened membrane sacs called cisternae • Continuous with outer nuclear membrane • (No ribosomes)
Structure Golgi Apparatus
• Stack of membrane bound, flattened sacs
Structure Ribosomes •
• No outer membrane • Tiny organelles • Each consists of 2 sub-units • Some in cytoplasm, some bound to ER
Structure Mitochondria
• Spherical or sausage shaped • Double membrane • Membranes separated by a fluid filled space • Highly folded inner membrane forms cristae • Central part called matrix
Structure Lysosomes •
• Spherical sacs • Surrounded by single membrane
Structure Chloroplasts •
• Only found in plant cells and some protoctists • Double membrane • Separated by fluid filled space • Continuous inner membrane with elaborate network of flattened membrane sacs called thylakoids • Stack of thylakoids called a granum • Chlorophyll molecules repent on thylakoid membranes and in intergranal membranes
Structure Cell Surface membrane
• Continuous outer membrane • Cell receptors present on surface
Structure Centrioles
• Microtubules • Small tubes of protein fibres • Pair next to nucleus of animal cells
Flagella Structure
• Extension sticking out from cell • Cylinder contains nine microtubules arranged in a circle • Long • Usually present as 1 or 2
Cilia Structure
• Hair-like extensions • Stick out from cell surface • Cylinder contains nine microtubules arranged in a circle • Short • Usually present in large numbers
Function Nucleus
• Houses all of cell’s genetic material • Chromatin consists of DNA and proteins • Has instructions for making proteins
Function Nucleolus
• Makes RNA and ribosomes • These pass into cytoplasm and are the site of protein assembly
FunctionNuclear Envelope
• Pores allow passage of relatively large molecules
FunctionRough Endoplasmic Reticulum
• Transports proteins made on attached ribosomes • Some proteins secreted from cell • Some placed on cell surface membrane
FunctionSmooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
Involved in essential lipid production
FunctionGolgi Apparatus
• Receives proteins from ER and modifies them • Modifies proteins (e.g. Adding sugar) • Packages modifies proteins into vesicles, fro transportation • Some modified proteins are secreted from surface of the cell
FunctionRibosomes
• Site of protein synthesis in the cell • Act as an assembly line where mRNA is used to assemble proteins from amino acids
Function Mitochondria •
site of atp production • Almost all cell activities that require energy are driven by ATP
FunctionLysosomes •
• Contain powerful digestive enzymes • Enzymes break down materials
FunctionChloroplasts •
• Site of photosynthesis in plant cells • Reactions driven by light energy
FunctionCell Surface membrane
• Selectively permeable • Controls exchange between cell and environment • Receptors on cell surface allow for endocytosis and exocytosis
FunctionCentrioles
• Take part in cell division • From spindle fibres, moving chromosomes in cell division
Function Flagella •
• • ‘Tail’ • Enables movement
Cilia Function
x
• ‘Hairs’ • Allow fro movement of substances
Nucleus role in protein synthesis
Contains DNA, which is essentially instructions for the cell to build individual proteins • One gene correlates to one specific protein • Genes are copied into mRNA, which leaves the nucleus via nuclear pores and attaches to a ribosome, which can be found on the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). Ribosome
Ribosome role in protein synthesis
‘Reads’ the gene • Accordingly assembles amino acids into a unique sequence • Forms a polypeptide • The polypeptide is pinched off the RER in a vesicle and transported to the Golgi apparatus
Golgi Apparatus role in protein synthesis
• Polypeptide is modified (by joining two or more chains of polypeptides, or adding carbohydrate branches) and… • Packaged into the final protein within a vesicle. • The vesicle is ready to be transported to the cell surface membrane and exocytosed.
cytoskeleton.
network of fibres made from protein
Microtubules
• Cylinders • About 25nm in diameter • Made from Tubulin • May be used to move microorganisms through a liquid, or waft a liquid past a cell • Microtubule motors (proteins) present on microtubules use ATP to move cell contents along the fibres
Actin Filaments
• Move against each other • Cause the movement seen in white blood cells • Move some organelles around within cells
roole of cytoskeleton.
• Provide mechanical strength fro cell • Aids transport within cells ○ Movement of chromosomes during cell division ○ Movement of vesicles from ER to Golgi • Enable cell movement
eukaryotes vs prokaryotes
May have membranes within the cell which form part of encapsulated organelles, e.g. mitochondria and chloroplasts Plant cell wall made out of cellulose; fungal cell wall made out of chitinRibosomes are 25–30nm in diameter DNA stored as chromosomes within the nucleusATP production takes place in mitochondrial cristae (inner membrane folds).Cell diameter 10–100 µm Strictly aerobic only
prokaryotes Only one membrane: cell surface membrane
Cell wall made out of peptidoglycan
Ribosomes are 20nm in diameter
DNA is free in cytoplasm, in the form of a single loop called a ‘circular chromosome’ — as well as some smaller DNA loops called ‘plasmids’.ATP production takes place in the cell surface membraneCell diameter 1–10 µm
Sometimes capable of anaerobic respiration
Water as Solvent
- Any polar molecule ill dissolve in water • Metabolic processes rely on chemicals being able to react together in solutions • Allows cells to maintain concentration gradients
- 70-95% of cytoplasm is water • Important chemical reactions take place here
Water asLiquid
- Transport medium • Freezes at 0°C • Boils at 100°C • Vast majority of water on earth is liquid • Transport of essential materials around organisms and cells
- Blood is an important transport tissue of oxygen, cholesterol and hormones • Around 80% water
Water asCohesion
- Water molecules stick to each other, creating surface tension
- Transport of water in xylem relies in cohesion of water • Some small organisms make use of this and ‘walk’ on water surface
Water asFreezing
- Water freezes forming ice • Ice is less dense than water and floats
- Frozen ice floats to the top, allowing for organism to survive the water beneath
Water asThermal Stability
- Large bodies of water have fairly constant temperatures • Evaporation removes heat energy
- Oceans provide thermally stable environment • Evaporation used as a cooling mechanism
Water asMetabolic
Water is a reactant in important chemical processes • Chemically inert
• Used in hydrolysis and photosynthesis • Very predictable and will not form any unexpected products
Water asMetabolic
Water is a common habitat • Nutrients can be dissolved in water • Water contains oxygen that is essential to life
• Water is an important habitat to many different species of animals • Fish and marine creatures
Cellulose
• Highly abundant in cell walls, making it most common molecule on the planet. • Polymer of about 10,000 β-glucose molecules in a long unbranched chain called a microfibril. • High stability due to structure - several polysaccharide chains running parallel to each other with cross links between them. • The chain cross links are hydrogen bonds and contribute to the strength of the molecule. • Stability renders plants strength and resistance to wind and rain.
use of lipids
energy store, thermal insulator, for buoyancy, and protection of vital organ
Secondary structure
• interaction of individual amino acids which are in the same polypeptide • causes the polypeptide to coil or fold on itself • direct result of hydrogen bonds • results in the polypeptide chain taking one of two forms: ○ B-pleated sheet – Weak – Strength achieved through layering and bonds between layers ○ a-helix – Strong – Helical shape
Tertiary structure
• the way in which an a-helix or B-pleated sheet further coils or folds on itself • forms a more complex 3D shape which often improves its solubility • Due to interactions between R groups and involves: ○ ionic bonds ○ disulphide bonds ○ hydrogen bonds ○ hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions. • Not all proteins have a tertiary structure • Some polypeptides remain simple long chains, such as keratin or collagen. ○ Such proteins are generally insoluble
Quarternary structure
• interaction between two or more polypeptides • Quaternary structure only exists in proteins consisting therefore of two or more polypeptides • A good example of such a protein is Haemoglobin (Hb) (shown in diagram) ○ bHb ecomes a biologically active molecule upon the establishment of its quaternary structure ○ Hbhas 4 sub-chains and its role is to carry iron and oxygen around the body ○ Has a globular quaternary structure • Another example is collagen ○ has a fibrous quaternary structure