Topic 2 - Cells Flashcards
What is a cell?
A basic unit of structure and function in an organism
What does a eukaryote have? Example of some
A true nucleus with a nuclear envelope surrounding the chromosome and membrane bound organisms
Animal and plant cells
What does a prokaryote have? Example of one
Don’t have membrane bound organelle
Free floating DNA and plasmids, not a nucleus
What does a plant cell have?
Chloroplasts Nucleus Cell membrane Cell wall Vacuole Cytoplasm
What does an animal cell have?
Nucleus Plasma membrane Mitochondria Ribosomes Cytoplasm Golgi apparatus Smooth endoplasmic reticulum Rough endoplasmic reticulum Nuclear envelope Nucleolus Nucleoplasm Vesicles
What does a bacteria cell have?
Flagellum
Plasmids
Free floating DNA
Cytoplasm - containing ribosomes
What does a yeast cell have?
Cell wall Cell membrane Vacuole Cytoplasm Nucleus
Parts of a chloroplast
Double membrane
Thylakoid
Grana
Stroma
structure of Nucleus
Nucleus surrounded by a nuclear envelope (a double membrane)
Nuclear pores allow the passage of large molecules out of the nucleus
Nucleoplasm jelly makes up a bulk of the nucleus
Nucleolus within the nucleoplasm manufactures RNA
Chromosomes
Function of Nucleus
Store genetic information
Control centre of the cell
Structure of Ribosome
2 sub units (one small one big)
Each contain ribosomal RNA and protein
Function of ribosome
Site of protein synthesis
Difference between 70S and 80S ribosomes
80S – eukaryotic cells, 25nm diameter
70S – prokaryotic cells, mitochondria, and chloroplasts, slightly smaller than 80S
Structure of mitochondria
Bound by a double membrane
Outer membrane = Matric
Inner membrane = Cristae
Has its own strand of DNA
Function of mitochondria
Respiration
“Powerhouse of the cell”
Aerobic Respiration
Production of ATP
Structure of the cell membrane
Around the whole cell
The function of the cell membrane
Controls what diffuses in and out of the cell
Structure of Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
Ribosomes present
The function of Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
Protein synthesis
Pathway for the transport of materials (like proteins throughout the cell)
Endoplasmic Reticulum general info
‘ER’
Connected to the outer nuclear membrane
Structure of Golgi Apparatus
Stack of membranes = flattened sacs
Membranes contain small hollow structures called vesicles
The function of the Golgi Apparatus
Transport, modify and store proteins and lipids produced by the Endoplasmic Reticulum
Molecules transported to and from the Golgi by vesicles
Produces Lysosomes and secretory enzymes
Cell post office – receives, sorts and delivers
Structure of Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
No ribosomes
The function of smooth endoplasmic reticulum
Synthesize, store and transport lipids and carbohydrates
Cytoplasm
Between the membrane and nucleus, made up of mainly water
Lysosome
Membrane
Contained up to 50 enzymes
Chloroplast
Outer and Inner membrane
Open space in the stroma
Thylakoid stacks (Grana) provides surface area
Permanent Vacuole
Large membrane bound sacs
Cell wall
On top of the cell membrane, around the whole cell
Cytoplasm
Houses all the organelle
Where chemical reactions take place
Lysosome
Garbage disposal of the cell
Remove useless/dangerous material
Formed when vesicles produced by the Golgi contain useful enzymes
Contain digestive enzymes to break down waste
Chloroplast
Captures light for photosynthesis
Permanent Vacuole
Provides structure and support for the cell and holds sap/water
Cell wall
Provides structure and support for the cell
What are the 3 main adaptations a cell can have?
number of RER and Golgi
Number of mitochondria
Surface area
How does the number of RER and Golgi affect a cell? What cells would need this adaptation?
Increased protein synthesis and production as well as transport for these proteins (and hormones)
Useful for cells that need lots of proteins for example cells that produce enzymes
How does the number of mitochondria affect a cell? What cells would need this adaptation?
Increased respiration which in turn increases energy for cells that need a lot of energy
For example muscle of sperm cells
How does surface area size affect a cell? What cells would need this adaptation?
Increases room to diffuse but also space to carry things
Red blood cells have no nucleus, so, therefore, a bigger surface area, so that it can carry more oxygen and waste products
Which is bigger prokaryotes or eukaryotes?
Eukaryotes
Explain DNA in eukaryotes
Membrane-bound in a true nucleus
Explain DNA in prokaryotes
Free-floating or in plasmids, not membrane-bound
Which organelles are present in prokaryotes?
Plasmid
Free-floating DNA
Flagellum
Ribosomes
Which organelles are present in eukaryotes?
Nucleus Ribosomes Mitochondria Golgi Apparatus SER RER Vesicles Lysosomes
Are ribosomes membrane-bound?
No, but RER is
Is there any photosynthetic material present in prokaryotes? Why?
No, chloroplasts are too big, but some big bacteria’s do have some photosynthetic material
Which ribosomes are present in prokaryotes?
70S
Which ribosomes are present in eukaryotes?
80S
70S (in mitochondria and chloroplasts)
What are cell walls made of in prokaryotes?
murien
What are cell walls made of eukaryotes?
Cellulose
What is a capsule and where is it found?
Most, but not all, prokaryotes
It is a protective layer of mucus slime that helps group bacteria in biofilm (a mass of sticky cells)
What is a virus?
A microscopic intracellular parasitic organism that can infect other organisms
Is a virus a prokaryote or a eukaryote?
Neither
What is a parasite?
An organism that relies on a host for survival to the detriment of the host
Why do viruses require a host?
They replicate inside body cells
Name 4 viral structures
Nucleic acid (RNA or DNA)
Caspid
Attatchment proteins
An envelope
Purpose of nucleic acid (RNA or DNA)
holds genetic information and controls organism
Purpose of capsid
protein coat that protects the genetic material
Purpose of attachment proteins
Helps the virus attach to a host via the cells receptors
Purpose of a viruses envelopes
An outer phospholipid membrane surrounding the capsid
What is a reverse transcriptase?
An enzyme that helps replicate the viruses own DNA
What is a cells plasma membrane made out of?
Phospholipids
What does a eukaryotic cell have that viruses do not?
Mitochondria, Golgi, RER and SER
Because the virus doesn’t have mitochondria, Golgi, RER or SER what can’t it do? So what does it do instead?
It can’t respire or modify, transfer and produce proteins so instead it uses the host cells organelles for these functions
What will the virus use of the host cell and what for?
.Enzymes - metabolic processes
.Mitochondria - respiration - energy
.Ribosomes - protein synthesis
Explain how a virus works
- The virus binds its attachment proteins to the host cells receptors – they are complementary
- The capsid fuses with the membrane, the virus releases its genetic material into the cell where it incorporates with cell genetic material
- The genetic material gets replicated and multiplies in amount of copies, at the same time it takes over the RER, SER, Golgi and Mitochondria to create caspids, attachment proteins and RNA/nucleic acid
- The genetic material and parts created through the cells organelle join up to create viruses and they burst out the cell, via exocytosis, releasing the viruses into the blood so they can spread to other cells
What is it called when the viruses burst out of the cell?
Exocytosis
What are the cells receptors and attachment proteins?
Complementary
Name the 3 types of microscopes
Light microscope, transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope
Why are microscopes useful?
.Let us see microscopic things, subcellular etc, so we can see the differences between cells and help us understand how it works
Define magnification
Magnification is the act or process of enlarging the physical appearance or image of something
Define resolution
Resolution is the minimum distance apart two objects can be in order to appear as separate items
Sources - light
Light radiation
Sources - SEM
electrons
Sources - TEM
electrons
Magnification - light
Up to 1500x
Magnification - SEM
30,000x
Magnification - TEM
Up to 10,000,000x
Resolution - light
Poor resolution
Resolution - SEM
20-100nm
Resolution - TEM
0.1nm
Sample preparation - light
Sample needs to be thin Washed A chemical stain is added Covered with a coverslip Apply pressure
Sample preparation - SEM
Coat surface of the specimen with thin layer of gold
Must be in a vacuum
Sample preparation - TEM
Sliced and stained with heavy metal
Must be in a vacuum
How it works - light
Light passes through the specimen
How it works - SEM
Scan surface of the substance
Electrons reflected off the surface
Beam is observed
How it works - TEM
Electrons passed through the specimen
Only electrons that pass are seen/produce an image
Resulting image - light
Can’t see small cells or organelle
2d black and white
Resulting image - SEM
3d
Resulting image - TEM
2d black and white
Disadvantages - light
Low resolution and magnification
Disadvantages - SEM
Expensive
Can’t view anything alive
Difficult to use
Very big
Disadvantages - TEM
Expensive
Can’t view anything alive
Difficult to use
Very big
What is an artefact? In terms of microscopy
An artefact is something seen that is not naturally there
When does an artefact happen? In terms of microscopy
happens as when you prep the slide you might affect the subject
Example of an artefact in terms of microscopy
for example creating wrinkles in the cell
1km = x m
1000m
1m = x cm
100cm
1cm = x mm
10mm
1mm = x um
1000um
1um = x nm
1000nm
Magnification =
image size / actual size
Image size =
actual size / magnification
Actual size =
image size / magnification
What is a stage micrometer?
A slide with a small etched scale on it
What is an eye piece graticule?
A glass disc placed in the eyepiece with a small scale etched on it
What is cell fractionation?
the process where cells are broken up and the different organelles they contain are separated out
Before a cell fractionation begins it needs to be placed in a solution that is what conditions?
Cold, same water potential as the tissue and buffered
Why does the cell fractionation solution need to be cold?
to reduce enzyme activity that might break down the organelles
Why does the cell fractionation solution need to be same water potential as the tissue?
to prevent organelles bursting or shrinking as a result of osmotic gain or loss of water
Why does the cell fractionation solution need to be buffered?
so that the pH does not fluctuate, any change of the pH could alter the structure of the organelles or affect the functioning of enzymes
What are the two stages to cell fractionation?
Homogentation and ultracentrifugation
What is homogenation?
Cells are broken up by a homogeniser (blender) with waves. This releases organelles from the cell, the resultant fluid, known as homogenate, is then filtered to remove any complete cells and large pieces of debris.
What is ultracentrifugation?
This is the process by which the fragments in the filtered homogenate are separated in a machine called a centrifuge. This spins tubes of homogenate at very high speed in order to create a centrifugal force.
What is the process of ultracentrifugation?
. The homogenate is placed in the centrifuge and spun at a slow speed
. The heaviest organelle, the nuclei, are forced to the bottom of the tube, where they form a thin sediment or pellet
. The fluid at the top of the tube (supernatant) is removed, leaving just the sediment of the nuclei
. The supernatant is transferred to another tube and spun in the centrifuge at a faster speed than before
. The next heaviest granules, mitochondria, are forced to the bottom of the tube
. The process continues like this so that at each increase in speed, the next heaviest organelle is sediment and separated out
What is the first organelle to be separated out and at what speed of centrifugation?
Nuclei at 1000 revolutions/minute
What is the second organelle to be separated out and at what speed of centrifugation?
Mitochondria at 3,500 revolutions/minute
What is the third organelle to be separated out and at what speed of centrifugation?
Lysosomes at 16,500 revolutions/minute
What is lysis?
Breaking down of the membrane of a cell
Why are the cells placed inside a buffer solution for cell fractionation?
.Some Lysosomes are broken open
.Proteins inside the cell are exposed to the external solution
.Organelles are exposed to the external solution
.This could damage them
Order of organelle size (big to small)
- Nucleus
- Chloroplast
- Lysosome
- Nuclear Pore
- Microtubule
- Ribosome
- Cell membrane
Why is it important the homogenate is filtered before it is spun in the centrifuge?
.As debris and other unwanted parts need to be removed so that it doesn’t contaminate the sample or interfere with the results
What is the cell cycle?
The cell cycle is a regular cycle of cell division, separated by periods of cell growth
Why is the cell cycle needed?
.Differentiation, becomes lots of different cells form the first fertilised egg cell
.Growth and repair
What are the 3 main different parts of the cell cycle?
- Interphase
- Nuclear division
- Division of the cytoplasm (cytokinesis)
What happens in nuclear division?
Mitosis, new nuclei form
What happens in Cytokinesis?
Division of the cytoplasm, new membranes form
What is the interphase split up into?
G1, S and G2
What happens in G1?
The cell is growing and working normally
It needs to grow to allow for enough organelle for each daughter cell
Synthesis of DNA polymerase which is an enzyme to make DNA
Producing ribosomes and mitochondria to produce the DNA and DNA polymerase
What happens in S?
DNA replicates to allow for the cell to divide, it halves the DNA between the two daughter cells, (they need the right amount of chromosomes, 23 pairs each)
What happens in G2?
Replication of other organelle/prepare the cell for cell division
checkpoint – apoptosis (programmed cell death) occurs if there is an abnormality
What is G0?
Cell Arrest
When does G0 occur?
Some cells don’t divide at all (nerve cells)
.Some cells will stop dividing, for example when we each adult hood, due to overcrowding or differentiation (like nerve cells).
How long do most mammalian cell cycles last?
24 hours
How long does a liver cell cell cycle last?
one year
Why is mitosis important?
Growth and repair, it helps gametes grow into embryos after their DNA has mixed and helps helps if we cut ourselves we can create the needed cells to repair the cut
How many chromosomes does each body cell have?
23 pairs in every body cell, apart from gametes
What is a centromere?
Where the spindle fiber attaches during cell division
How does the s phase change the amount of chromosomes?
Before the s phase, there are 1 maternal and 1 paternal chromatid to make up one chromosome, during the s phase each chromatid is replicated and doubles so that each chromosome is made up of a pair of identical sister chromatids (be that paternal or maternal) which are connected by the centromere and still regarded as a single chromosome, even though they are made up of two strands of identical genetic material
What is mitosis?
Controlled nuclear division
What are the 4 main stages of mitosis?
Prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase
What happens in prophase?
This is the preparation phase, chromosomes condense and become more visible by shortening and thickening, the nuclear membrane breaks down
What happens in metaphase?
This is all about the middle, a microtubule spindle forms within the cell, all the chromosomes line up along the equator of the cell attached to the spindle fibers (which start at the poles)