Topic 1- cell biology Flashcards
the 3 ideas of cell theory
- all living things are composed of cells (or are cell products)
- the cell is the smallest unit of life
- cells only arise from pre-existing cells
Striated muscle
- challenges the idea that a cell has one nucleus
- muscle cells have more than 1 nucleus per cell
Aseptate fungal hyphae
- challenges the idea that a cell is a single unit
- like muscle cell, they are multi nucleated
- fungi may have filamentous structures called hyphae which are separated into cells by internal walls (septa)
Giant algae (acetabularia)
- challenges both the idea that cells must be simple in structure and small in size/idea that larger organisms are always made up of many microscopic cells
- gigantic in size
- complex in form
The 7 basic functions of life
- metabolism (undertake essential chemical reactions)
- response (responsive to internal and external stimuli)
- homeostasis (the maintenance & regulation of internal cell conditions)
- growth (can move, change in size and shape)
- excretion (removal of metabolic waste)
- reproduction (produce offspring either sexually or asexually)
- nutrition (exchange materials & gas with the environment)
Unicellular organisms (must be able to carry out all the life functions): Chlorella
Excretion- controlled by plasma membrane
Metabolism- most metabolic pathways happen in the cytoplasm
Nutrition- photosynthesis happens inside the chloroplast to provide algae with food
Reproduction- binary fission
Growth- gets larger until it divides
Response- moves towards light/changes in the environment
Homeostasis- contractile vacuole fills up with water and expels through plasma membrane to manage water content
(Respiration by diffusion of gases)
Unicellular organism: paramecium
Excretion- controlled by plasma membrane
Metabolism- metabolic pathways happens in the cytoplasm
Nutrition- food vacuoles contain organisms the paramecium has consumed/ feeding using cilia
Growth- gets larger until it divides
Reproduction- binary fission
Homeostasis- contractile vacuole fills up with water and expels it through the plasma membrane to manage the water content
Response- moves towards food/ changes in the environment
(Respiration by diffusion of gases)
Rate of metabolism equation
Mass/volume
Rate of material exchange
= surface area
SA: VOL ratio
As cell grows, volume increases faster than SA
Hence decreased SA:VOL ratio
If metabolic rate exceeds rate of exchange of vital materials and waste, cell will eventually die
Hence growing cells tend to remain small in order to maintain a high SA:VOL ratio suitable for survival
(Indeed small warm blooded mammals lose heat verity quickly due to their large SA:VOL ratio)
Cells & tissues specialised for gas or material exchange will increase SA to promise the transfer of materials, ex) alveoli
Differentiation
- when cells metabolism & shape changes to carry out a specialised function
- the activation of different instructions by chemical signals will cause it to differentiate
- fewer active genes a cell possesses, the more specialised it will become
- inactive genes are mainly packaged in a condensed form (heterochromatin)
Stem cells
- are unspecialised cells that can continuously divide & replicate
- have capacity to differentiate into specialised cell types
Totipotent
Pluripotent
Multipotent
Unipotent
: can differentiate into any type of cell
: can differentiate into many types of cells
: can differentiate into a few closely related types of cell
: can regenerate but can only differentiate into their associated cell type, ex) liver cells
Stargardt’s macular dystrophy
- recessive genetic condition
- causes progressive and eventually total loss of central vision
- embryonic stem cella’s are treated to divide and differentiate to become retinal cells, the retinal cells are injected into the retina. The retinal cells attach to the retina and become functional. Central vision improves as a result of more functional retinal cells.
Leukaemia
- cancer of blood or bone marrow, resulting in abnormally high levels of poorly function white blood cells
- hematopoetic stem cells (HSC) are harvested from bone marrow, peripheral blood or umbilical cord blood
- chemotherapy used to destroy the diseased white blood cells, new white blood cells need to be replaced with healthy cells hence HSCs are transplanted back into the bone marrow where it differentiates to form healthy white blood cells.
- use of a patients own HSCs means there is far less risk of immune rejection compared with traditional bone marrow transplant
Arguments for therapeutic cloning
- transplants are less likely to be rejected as they are cells which are genetically identical to the parent
- transplants do not require death of another human
- stem cells can be taken from embryos that have stopped developing and would have died anyways, ex) abortion
- cells are taken at a stage when embryo has no nervous system and can arguably feel no pain
Arguments against therapeutic cloning
- involves the creation and destruction of human embryos
- religious or moral objections
- embryonic stem cells are capable of continued division and may develop into cancerous cells and cause tumours
Comparison of stem cell sources: embryo
- can be obtained from excess embryos generated by IVF programs
- can only be obtained by destruction of an embryo
- growth potential is almost unlimited
- higher risk of tumour development
- can differentiate into any cell type
- less chance of genetic damage than adult cells
Comparison of stem cell sources: cord blood
- easily obtained and stored, though limited quantities available
- umbilical cord is removed at brith and discarded whether or not stem cells are harvested
- reduced growth potential compared to embryonic cells
- lower risk of tumour development
- limited capacity to differentiate
- less chance of genetic damage that adult cells
Comparison of stem cell sources: adult
- difficult to obtain as there are very few and are buried deep in tissues
- can give permission for cells to be extracted/consent
- reduced growth potential compared to embryonic cells
- lower rick of tumour development
- limited capacity to differentiate
- due to accumulation of mutations through the life of the adult, genetic damage can occur
- fully compatible with the patient as the stem cells are genetically identical
Resolution
The shortest distance between two points that can be distinguished
Prokaryote diagram
Has no nucleus & no membrane bound organelles
Labelled diagram including:
- 70s ribosome
- cell membrane
- plasmid
- cell wall
- nucleoid
- capsule
- flagellum
- pili
Eukaryote diagram
Has nucleus & membrane bound organelles
Labelled diagram including:
- mitochondria
- vesicle
- nucleus
- lysosomes
- cytoplasm
- smooth ER
- Golgi apparatus
- rough ER
- free 80s ribosomes
Process of binary fission
The way in which prokaryotes reproduce asexually
- DNA is duplicated semi conservatively
- Two DNA loops attach to the membrane
- Membrane elongates & pinches off forming two separate daughter cells
Advantage & disadvantage of binary fission
Advantage: quick reproduction
Disadvantage: no/limited variation
Nucleus
- double membrane
- contains genetic information in the form of chromosomes
Mitochondria
- double membrane
- site of ATP production by aerobic respiration
Free ribosomes
- no membrane
- synthesises proteins to function in the cytoplasm
RER
- 80s ribosomes attached to the outside
- synthesises proteins which are transported by vesicles to the Golgi apparatus
Vesicles
- small in size
- used to transport materials inside of a cell
Golgi apparatus
- processes and modifies proteins from the RER
Lysosomes
- contains digestive enzymes that breaks down unwanted/damaged organelles and ingested food
- single membrane
Vacuoles
- storage of water or sugar
- in animals, smelled & temporary
- in plant cells, vacuoles are large & permanent
Flagellum
- used to move the cell
Cilia/pili (animals only)
- used to either move the cell or to exchange genetic materials by attaching to other bacterias
Cell wall
- protects from bursting when under pressure/structural support
Cytoplasm
- where reactions take place
- where genetic material is found
Phospholipid molecule diagram
Labelled with:
- charged phosphate head (hydrophilic)
- non polar lips/fatty acid tail (hydrophobic)
- glycerol
Emergent property of phospholipid molecules
Self organised to keep their ‘heads wet’ and their ‘tails dry’