Topic 1- Cell biology Flashcards
Eukaryote:
Animal and plant cells
* Cell membrane
* Cytoplasm
* Nucleus cotaining DNA
Prokaryote:
Bacterial cells
* Cell wall
* Cell memrane
* Cytoplasm
* Single circular strand of DNA
* Pasmid (small loops od DNA)
Permanent vacuole:
- Contains cell sap
- Foound within cytoplasm
- Improves cell’s rigidity
Cell membrane:
- Controls what enters and leaves the cell
Cell wall:
- Prevents cell from bursting when water enters by osmosis
- Provides strength to the cell
Sperm cell:
Specialised to carry the male’s DNA to the egg for reproduction.
* Streamlined head and long tail- to aid swimming
* Many mitrochondria (where respiration happens)- supplies the energy to allow the cell to move
Nerve cells:
Specialised to transmit electrical signals quickly from one place in the bioy to another
* The axon is long- enables impulses to be carried along long distances
* Many dendrites- branched connections can form with other nerve cells
* Nerve endings have many mitochondria- supplies the energy to make special transmitter chemicals called neurotrnasmitters. These allow the impulse to be passed from one cell to another.
Muscle cells:
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Specialised to contract quickly to move bones or simply to squeeze, therefore causing moveement.
* Special proteins side over ecahother, causing the muscle to contract
* Lots of mitochondria- provide energy from respiration for contraction
* Stores glycogen- used in respiration by mitochondria
Root hair cells:
Specialised to take up water by osmosis and mineral ions by active transport fro t he soil as they are found in thee tips of the roots.
* Have a large surface area due to root hair cells- more water can move in
* Large permaneent vacuole- affects speed of movement of water from soil to cell
* Mitochhondria- provide energy from respiration for the active transport of mineral ions into the root hair cell
Xylem cells:
Specialised to transport water and mineral ions up the plant from the roots to the shoots.
* Lignin is deposited- causing the cells to die
* They become hollow and are joined end to end- forms a continuous tube so water and mineral ions can move through
Phloem cells:
Specialised o carry the products of photosynthesis to all parts of the plant.
* Cell walls of each cell- form structures called sieve plates when they break down, allowing the movement of substances from cell to cell
Cell differentaiation:
To become specialised, stem cells must undergo differentiation to form specialised cells. This invloves them accquiring different sub-cellular structures to enale it to carry out a certain function.
* In animals- most cells differentiate at an early stage, then lose this ability
* In plant cells- many cells retain the zability to differentiate hrough their life.
Microscopy:
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- The first microscpe was the light miscroscpe
- Light microscpes are used to view tissues, cells and large sub-cellular structures
- The electron microscope was then developed- allowing siienists to view deep inside sub-cellular structures, such as mitochondria, robosomes, chloroplasts and plamsids.
- Electron microscopes have a higher magnification than light
Culturing microrganisms:
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There are two ways to grow microoganisms in the lab:
1. In nutrient broth solution
2. On an agar plate
Making the plate:
* Hot sterilised agar jelly is poured into a sterile petri dish, which is left to cool and set
* Wire loops containing inoculating loops are dipped into a solution of the microorganism and are spread aver the agar evenly
* A lid is tapped on and the plate iss incubated for a few days so the microorganisms can grow.
Culturing microorganisms- reasons for key steps:
- Petri dishes sterilised using a UV light- so it is not contaminated with other microorganisms (they will compete with desired bacteria for food and space)
- Inoculating loops must be sterilised by passing them through a flame- kills unwanted organisms
- The lid of the petri dish should be sealed with tape- stops airborne microorganisms from contaminating the culture
- Culture dish incubated at 25 degrees- this is the optimum temperature. At a higher temperature, the bacteria could be harmful to humans and any lower, colonies of bacteria would not be able to grow.
How is genetic information stored in a prokaryotic cell?
- Chromosomal DNA
- Plasmid DNA
What are plasmids?
- Small, circular loops of DNA that are found free in the cytoplasm and seperate from the main DNA.
- Carry genes that provide genetic advantages e.g. antibiotic reistance.
What is a micrometre?
1 x10^-6
What is a nanometre?
1x 10^-9
What is the function of the nucleus?
- Controls the cell
- Stores genetic information
What is the plant cell wall made out of?
Cellulose
What is cell differentiation?
The process of which cells become specialised.
Why is cell differentiation important?
- Allows for the production of different tissues and organs that perform various vital functions in the human body.
At what point in the life cycle do animal cells differentiate?
Early in the life cycle.