Topic 2: Cells Flashcards
Who created the microscope and when?
Robert Hooke in 1665
When was the electron microscope created
1940s
What equation links magnification, image size and actual size
image size = magnification x actual size
Define magnification
the enlargement of an image
how many times bigger the image of a specimen observed is in compared to the actual (real-life) size of the specimen
Define resolution
the ability to clearly distinguish between two points of an image
What would happen if you were to only increase the magnification
resolution would decrease
How do you convert from mm - micrometers
x1000
How do you calculate scale diagrams
1) measure scale bar with ruler on mm side
2) calculate how many micrometres is 1mm
3) measure the diameter and multiply by micrometres to get actual size
How do light microscopes work
use a pair of convex glass lenses that can resolve images 2um apart
what restricts the resolution of a light microscope
longer wavelength of light
(electrons have shorter wavelengths)
what are the two types of electron microscopes
TEM and SEM
What is TEM
transmission electron microscopes which works when a beam of electrons passes through the sample (must be thin)
What is SEM
scanning electron microscopes –> beam of electrons scatters across the surface which results in a 3D image
why is a vacuum required for electron microscopes to work
so air particles dont deflect electrons out of beam alignment
what are limitations of electron microscopes
-living specimins cannot be observed
-a complex staining process is required
-a thin sample is needed for TEM
-SEM has a lower resolving power than TEM
-concentrated beam of electrons may destroy specimin
How would you improve the resolution of an image
move the fine focusing knobs
Define cell fractionation
the process where we break up cells and separate out individual organelles
What occurs before cell fractionation
the tissue is placed in a solution that is cold (to reduce enzyme activity), of the same water potential (to prevent bursting and shrivelling) and buffered (to maintain constant pH so organelle structure wont be affected)
What are the two steps to cell fractionation
1) homogenation
2) Ultracentrifugation
What occurs during homogenation
the cell is blended to release all the organelles. The resulting liquid solution is called the homogenate and is filtered to remove debris
What occurs during ultracentriguation
the test tubes of the filtrate are spun. At first speeds are slow and then begin building up fast. At slow speeds the heavier organelles (nuclei) are separated. The supernatent (remaining substance) is removed and spun again at higher speeds
What is the order of organelle separation
1) nucleus
2) chloroplasts/mitochondria
3)golgi apparatus, endoplastic reticulum
4) ribosomes, vesicles, lysosomes
What are advantages of light microscopes
good/cheap method of observing larger cells
can visualise living organisms
What are disadvantages of light microscopes
-must be a thin specimen
-low magnification (x400)
-2D images only
-low resolution due to long wavelengths of light
What are advantages of TEM
provides highest degree of magnification and resolution
What are disadvantages of TEM
-specimen must be extremely thin
-2D images only
-cannot observe living things
-concentrated beam of electrons may destroy specimen
What are advantages of SEM
-provides 3D image
-higher resolution than light microscopes as electrons have shorter wavelengths
-easier to stain with colour
What are disadvantages of SEM
-lower resolution than TEM
-cannot observe living cells
-concentrated beam of electrons may destroy specimen
what is the waxy cuticle
a protective layer of protein on the leaf
What is the function and adaptations of the upper epidermis
secretes protein wax to protect
waterproof
transparent
What is the palisade mesophyll
-tall and thin
-squashed to maximise chloroplast content
-main site of photosynthesis
What is the spongy mesophyll
tissue that has lots of air gaps for gas exchange and diffusion
What is the xylem and phloem
vascular bundles
xylem = transports water + minerals
phloem = sugars and photosynthesis products
What is the lower epidermis
form the stomata
contains leafs content
protective
what is the stomata
contains guard cells
let CO2 in and O2 out
-regulates transpiration and gas exchange
name 5 membrane bound organelles
nucleus
endoplasmic reticiulum
mitochondria
lysosome
vacuole
name 3 features of prokaryotic cells
-plasma/rings of DNA
-cell wall made of murein
-small ribosomes
define transcription
the process by which a DNA system is copied into a RNA sequence by the enzyme RNA polymerase
define translation
the process that takes the information passed from DNA as messenger RNA and turns it into a series of amino acids bound together with peptide bonds.
What is the structure of the nucleus
-outer nuclear membrane
-inner nuclear membrane
-chromatin
-nucleolus
-nuclear pores
-rough endoplasmic reticulum
What is the function of the nucleus
-contains DNA (genetic information) either loose as chromatin or tightly wound in the nucleolus
-controls the activities of the cell by controlling transcription by DNA
-pores allow movement of nucleic acids in and out
What is the structure of the golgi apparatus
group of membrane bound sacs filled with fluid
What is the function of the golgi apparatus
Process and package new lipids and proteins into vesicles for them to move out the cell
Can also modify proteins/lipids
What is the structure of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum
system of membranes
What is the function of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum
-processes and packages lipids into vesicles
-Different to the golgi apparatus as it is found further from the nucleus and does not package proteins – only large lipids such as triglycerides
What is the structure of lysosomes
contains hydrolyctic enzymes
What is the function of the lysosomes
-vesicles contain hydrolytic enzymes
-fuse with vesicles
-bind to an release digestive enzymes to break down organelles or pathogens within the cell
-releases soluble proteins into cytoplasm to use as building material and insoluble products are egested from cell into the blood, kidney and urine
What is the structure of the plasma membrane
-phospholipid bilayer with carrier/channel proteins embedded in the tissue
What is the function of the plasma membrane
-controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell
-will have receptor proteins on surface which are used to release hormonal signals from other parts of the body
what is the structure of the mitochondria
-cristae
-matrix
-inner membrane
-outer membrane
What is the function of the mitochondria
-the mitochondria is the site of aerobic respiration for the cell
-produces ATP from glucose which is used to release energy for cell processes
What is the structure of ribosomes
=made of large and small protein sub-units
-2 types of ribosomes –> 80S (eukaryotic),70S (prokaryotic)
What is the function of ribosomes
-found either attached to REM or free in the cytoplasm
-site of protein synthesis (translation)
-only apparatus not bound by a membrane
What is the structure of the rough endoplasmic reticulum
system of membranes with ribosomes attached
-the structure of folded proteins determine function/structure of proteins
What is the function of the rough endoplasmic reticulum
always found near nucleus. - Folds and processes the proteins that have been made of ribosomes using nucleic acids from the nucleus
What are chloroplasts
where photosynthesis takes place in plants. Stacks of grana containing chlorophyll pigments which absorb light energy. Enzyme filled space for light reaction called stroma
What is the cell wall
contains cellulose bound together with pectin proteins. Forces cells to resist osmotic pressure and maintains cell structure
what are some similarities and differences between a prokaryote and a eukaryote
prokaryotes have smaller ribosomes
the cell wall of prokaryotes are made of murein where it is made of cellulose in plant cells
prokaryotes have no membrane bound organelles
prokaryotes divide by binary fission whereas eukaryotes divide by meiosis/mitosis
what are the cell walls of fungi made from
chitin
what is embedded in plasma membranes
proteins and cholesterol
what percentage of the cytoplasm is made of water
70%
what do the pores in the nuclear envelope control
passage of ions, molecules and RNA between the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm.
what are viruses
-viruses are acellular and non-living, they include genetic material, a capsid and attachment proteins
-viruses are not living as they cannot reproduce independently, not made of living cells, have no nucleus etc
-viruses are made of nucleic acids
Viruses have attachment glycoproteins that bind to complementary receptors on host cells.
They then inject DNA or RNA into the host cell.
The host cell divides as normal and the virus is replicated.
Virus replication –> invade and hijack a host cell which divides
what is the DNA like in prokaryotes
short, circular and not associated with proteins
Give examples of 6 specialised cells
red blood cells
neutrophils
-guard cells
-sperm cells
-ciliated epithelium
-squamous epithelium
How is the red blood cell specialised
has no nucleus so can carry more haemoglobin, biconcave disc to increase surface area, no membrane bound organelles
How is neutrophil specialised
flexible membrane to engulf the pathogen, glycogen = energy store, phagosome contains lethal acidic enzymes to break down pathogen
How are guard cells specialised
thin outer walls for rapid osmosis, more than one vacuole to retain water (controls turgidity of cell), epidermal cells strengthen against osmotic gradient, cellulose microfibrils = strong
How are sperm cells specialised
lots of mitochondria = energy, nucleus = holds genetic information, tail = locomotion, acrosome = filled with digestive enzymes to break membranes of egg so can fertilize
how is the ciliated epithelium specialised
basal membrane maintains ridged, cilia allows substances to waft through breathing, goblet cell secretes mucus
how is the squamous epithelium specialised
proteins and polysaccharides resist bad environments, flat and thin for efficient diffusion pathway
true or false - there are organelles in the cytoplasm of red blood cells
false - no organelles –> only haemoglobin
What do both prokaryotes and eukaryotes have in common
-cell wall present to stop cell from bursting,
-contains ribosomes,
-contains cytoplasm,
-has a plasma membrane
What type of cell has a cytoskeleton and what is the function of this
eukaryotes have a cytoskeleton –> transports vesicles across cytoplasm of the cell
what are the 4 steps of binary fission
DNA replication –> expansion and separation –> constriction –> cytokineses
Describe binary fission in detail
1) DNA replication –> circular DNA and plasmids replicate
2) Expansion and separation –> the prokaryote grows in size and DNA seperates to opposite poles of the cell
3) constriction –> the cell membranes begin to pinch down the middle where it seperates
4) Cytokenesis –> cytoplasm fully separates resulting in two daughter cells (not genetically identical as number of plasmids are different)
What are some differences between binary fission and mitosis
-there are no identical daughter cells in binary fission
-no spindle fibres in binary fission
-no chromosomes in binary fission
who came up with the fluid mosaic model
Singer and Nicholsons’s 1972
why is the plasma membrane described as fluid mosaic
as all components are able to move and it is made of many different components
-Phospholipid molecules can move relative to one another giving the membrane a flexible structure and proteins are embedded which vary in shape/size
what are the 5 purposes of cell membranes
-controls the entry and exit of materials into and out of discrete organelles
-separate organelles from the cytoplasm so that specific metabolic reactions can take place (compartmentalization)
-provide an internal transport system
-isolate enzymes that might damage cells
-provides surfaces on which reactions can occur
name all the parts of the cell membrane
glycoproteins,
glycolipids,
cholesterol,
intrinsic channel proteins, intrinsic carrier proteins, phospholipid bilayer,
extrinsic proteins,
cytoskeleton
what is the function of glycoproteins/glycolipids
allows for cell recognition, act as receptor sites for hormones and allows cell attachment for tissue formation on liver cells
what is the function of cholesterol
maintains stability of the cell membrane and keeps it rigid
Cholesterol acts as a buffer for membrane fluidity. This means at high temperatures, cholesterol prevents fluidity from rising too high, and at low temperatures, cholesterol prevents the membrane from becoming solid.
what is the function of channel proteins
allows water soluble (polar) substances to pass across the cell membrane (facilitated diffusion)
what is the function of carrier proteins
allows for the active transport of large water soluble substances through the cell membrane e.g glucose transporter proteins
what is the function of the phospholipid bilayer
allows small lipid soluble substances to pass across the cell membrane
what is the function of extrinsic proteins
provide additional strength to the membrane
what is the function of the cytoskeleton
coordinates the movement of molecules once inside the cell
describe the phospholipid bilayer of membranes
-the hydrophillic head of a phospholipid is attracted to water, Water is polar and it is attracted to the negative charge on phosphate group
-the hydrophobic tail is repulsed by water which means there is an automatic bilayer formed
-the space between the bilayer is anhydrous (no water present)
what does selective permability mean
only lipid soluble (non-polar) molecules can diffuse through membranes easily
why is the cell membrane selectivley permeable
This is because the membrane has a hydrophillic head on the phospholipids. Therefore ions and other water soluble molecules cannot diffuse through, only small non-polar molecules like CO2 can diffuse through.
how does temperature affect membranes
-below 0 degrees –> not selectively permeable –> phospholipids don’t have much energy so have reduced movement and fluidity. As they are closer together the rigidity changes the structure of the protein causing them to denature and the permeability to increase.
-between 0-45 degrees –> more energy and not tightly packed so membranes are more fluid and proteins are not denatured – normal selective permeability
-45+ degrees —> as temperature increases proteins gain kinetic energy and is no long selectively permeable (it increases).
what does low cholesterol content mean for membranes
more flexible and less rigid (bad)
how are the movement of substances affected by the cell membrane
-The cell surface membrane is a phospholipid bilayer which stops polar molecules diffusing easily whereas it will allow non-polar molecules to diffuse through because non polar molecules are lipid soluble
-channel proteins allow for facilitated diffusion and carrier proteins allow for active transport
-the more channel and carrier proteins the faster rate of diffusion
-cholesterol maintains the structure of the cell membrane
why do bacteria no necessarily need cholesterol in their membranes
they have a cell membrane made of murein which ensures cell shape doesnt change
what are the organelles found in chloroplasts
starch grain
inner/outer membrane
granum
thylakoid
circular DNA
ribosomes
stroma
what is the thylakoid
holds chlorophyll pigments that absorb light energy - light dependent reactions take place
what is the granum
stacks of thylakoid discs to maximise light captured
what is the starch grain
store of energy (glucose) made by photosynthesis in the chloroplast
what is the role of circular DNA in the chloroplast
controls its function
what is the stroma
enzyme filled space for light reaction (contains the substrates needed for photosynthesis)
define an organelle
a structure with a function inside the cell
why is DNA not an organelle
only just a simple polymer
why is the cell surface membrane not an organelle
found outside of the cell
what organelle is common to both chloroplasts and prokaryotes
ribosomes (70s)
How does low temperature affect the permeability of membranes
reduces kinetic energy of substrates causing them to move slow thus reducing rate of transport. Membrane also becomes more rigid which can denature carrier/channel proteins and therefore increases permability
How does high temperature affect the permeability of membranes
High temperatures denature the carrier/channel proteins which increases the permability of membranes
—> both high and low temperatures reduce the selectivity of the membranes by affecting its permability
how does pH affect the permeability of membranes
-increasing or decreasing pH will change the structure of membranes
-lipids are easily attracted by changes to pH and will change their shape
-Carrier and channel proteins in the bilayer will denature and no longer recognise their substrates
-Any change to pH will increase permability but will also kill the cell by destroying the membrane
how does alcohol concentration affect the permeability of membranes
-lipids are soluble in alcohol
-OH groups forms H bonds with the ester bond holding the fatty acid to glycerol
-high concentrations of alcohol will dissolve the phospholipids holding the bilayer and will increase permability
what is the function of pilli in prokaryotic cells
transfer of genetic material
what organelle would enzymes be found in
lysosomes (contains hydrolytic enzymes)
true or false - blue has highest absorbance rate
true
why does the graticule need to be calibrated
scale of graticule depends on the magnification used
suggest two ways a trial could be improved
-double blind trial
-increase sample of participants
in what state does diffusion not happen
solid
what is facilitated diffusion
Facilitated diffusion describes the net movement of particles down a concentration gradient (i.e. from a region of high concentration to a region of lower concentration).
Facilitated diffusion is a passive process so it does NOT use energy.
what are the factors affecting diffusion
-concentration gradient
-temperature
-membrane surface area
-thickness of membrane
-channel or carrier proteins
what is osmosis
Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a partially permeable membrane from a dilute solution (high water potential) to a concentrated solution (low water potential).
what factors affect the rate of osmosis
The lower the water potential gradient, the slower the rate of osmosis.
The thicker the membrane, the slower the rate of osmosis.
The smaller the surface area, the slower the rate of osmosis
what are the stages of identifying water potential in plant cells
1 Cut and weigh the potato pieces
2 Place chips in boiling tubes with different sucrose concentrations
3 Dry the chips and weigh again to record change in mass
4 Plot a graph and identify the isotonic point
explain why ventillation of the lungs increases the efficiency of gas exchange
pressure inside the lungs decreases so volume of oxygen drawn in increases. this maintains the concentration gradient between alveoli and the lungs
Describe structure and function of cell vacuole
-has single membrane/tonoplast
-maintains rigidity of cell
-contains cell sap/amino acids = temporary food supply
what is the function of the capsule
protects against the host immune system
what part of a prokaryotic cell contains the gene for antibiotic resistance
plasmid/ring of DNA
channel proteins
water filled tubes that allow water soluble ions to diffuse
carrier proteins
bind to ions and change shape in order to move this molecules
cholesterol
makes the membrane less fluid at high temperatures
define diffusion
the net movement of molecules or ions from a region of high concentration to low concentrationuntil equillibrium is reached
what is simple diffusion
passive –> all particles are constantly in motion due to kinetic energy they possess, the motion is random, particles are constantly bouncing off one another as well as off other objects.
how can transport be increased
by an increase in surface area of, or by an increase in the number of protein channels and carrier molecules in, their membranes
what is diffusion proportional to
difference in concentration between two regions
(only occurs in different concentrations between the same substance)
what is facilitated diffusion
Movement of polar molecules is made easier by channel and carrier proteins that span the membrane. Facilitated diffusion is a passive process down a concentration gradient
what has the highest water potential
pure water
define active transport
the movement of molecules or ions into or out of a cell from a low to high concentration using ATP and carrier proteins
what is co transport
the mechanism of transport of glucose and amino acid into the epithelial cells in the ileum. Sodium binds to co-transporter proteins to allow glucose and amino acid to be transported.
golgi apparatus
modifies proteins by often adding non-protein components such as carbohydrates
forms lysosomes
secrete carbohydrates
produce secretory enzymes
add carbohydrate to form proteins
what does a high negative water potential mean
very concentrated (more solute must be dissolved)
where does diffusion, osmosis and active transport take place in living organisms
Diffusion occurs in lungs, blood, small intestine
Osmosis occurs in the xylem, root hair cells, guard cells, large intestine
Active transport occurs in the small intestine (glucose) and root hair cells
define diffusion
The movement of molecules or ions from a region of high concentration to a region of lower concentration until evenly distributed (equillibrium is reached)
what factors affect the rate of diffusion
-temperature
-surface area
-concentration gradient
-thickness of diffusion pathway
what happens to the rate of diffusion as temperature increase
Particles have more kinetic energy which increases the rate of movement of particles by diffusion
why does the plasma membrane only allow small lipid molecules to diffuse
it contains polar phospholipids that only allows non-polar molecules to move through the lipid bilayer. Furthermore, molecules must be small so it can fit through the phospholipid molecules
what is the rate of diffusion proportional to
surface area
difference in concentration
what is the rate of diffusion inversely proportional to
thickness of the exchange surface
how is the alveloi adapted for diffusion
Large surface area to volume ratio so more particles can diffuse quickly. Alevoli has thin membranes which means short diffusion pathway for molecules. Alveoli has a rich blood supply so concentration gradient is maintained
define faciliated diffusion
-The movement of polar molecules or ions from a region of high to low concentration until it reaches equilibrium with the aid of carrier or channel proteins
what are channel proteins
Allow small water soluble IONS to pass through. Different channel proteins permit the passage of different polar molecules and ions.
They have to be specific in shape to the ion in order to regulate ion concentration in different cells with different functions
what are carrier proteins
Allows large MOLECULES to pass through. Firstly molecules attaches, the protein then changes shape, then the substance is released in the other side of membrane e.g glucose (dense molecule)
what is osmosis
-The movement of water molecules from an area of high water potential to an area of low water potential through a partially permeable membrane (e.g channel proteins such as aquaporins)
-Large insoluble molecules are unable to pass through the membrane
-Small water molecules can pass through membrane using aquaporins
why is it effective to put your phone in rice if it gets wet
Rice has a more negative water potential (less water) as it is anhydrous. This causes water molecules inside a phone to diffuse out of the phone and into the rice by osmosis