Unit 1-Area Of Study 1- Chapter 2-Ultrastructure Of Cells Flashcards
Microbial Mats
Composed of multilayers of a community of microbial species that can form
on moist or submerged surfaces including lakebeds, on sediments such as mud or sand, on tidal flats, in hypersaline (very salty) pools, in fissures, around hot springs and even around deep ocean vents
Fossil
Evidence or remains of an organism that lived long ago
Light Microscope
Microscope consisting of an optical instrument that magnifies the image of an object.
Phase Contrast Microscope
Modified light microscope which enables transparent or unstained specimens, including living organisms, to be seen in more detail than can be obtained with a light microscope
Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope
Technique for obtaining high-resolution optical images with depth selectivity. The key feature of confocal microscopy is its ability to acquire in-focus images from selected depths, a process known as optical sectioning.
Fluorescence Microscope
Microscope in which cells are labelled with fluorescent probes and when irradiated with light of a particular wavelength, the probes are excited and fluoresce
Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM)
Type of microscope that enables observation of cell and tissue surfaces
Transmission Electron Microscope(TEM)
Type of
microscope that enables observation of very highly magnified images of cell sections; often abbreviated to TEM
Resolving Power
Refers to the minimum distance apart that two points must be in order for them to be seen as two discrete points
Resolution
Measure of the ability of a microscope to distinguish fine detail in a specimen; higher resolution means finer detail can be seen.
STED nanoscopy
one of the techniques that make up Super-resolution microscopy. It creates super-resolution images by the selective deactivation of fluorophores, minimising the area of illumination at the focal point, and thus enhancing the achievable resolution for a given system
Cytoskeleton
Network of filaments within a cell
Cytosol
Fluid contents only of a eukaryotic cell
Cytoplasm
Formed by cell organelles, excluding the nucleus, and the cytosol
Chloroplasts
Chlorophyll-containing organelle that occurs in the cytosol of cells of specific plant tissues
Vacuoles
Structures within plant cells that are filled with fluid containing materials in solution, including plant pigments
Tonoplasts
A membrame separating the vacuole from the surrounding cytoplasm in a plant cell
Proto Cells
One of the earliest cells on Earth
Cell Wall
Semi-rigid structure located outside the plasma membrane in cells of plants, algae, fungi and bacteria
Primary Cell Wall
The first layer of cellulose and other polysaccharides forming the cell wall outside a newly formed plant cell
Cellulose
Complex carbohydrate composed of chains of glucose molecules; the main component of plant cell walls
Secondary Cell Walls
Walls of lignin and cellulose
deposited on the primary cell wall of some plant
cells after cell growth has ceased
Lignin
A complex insoluble cross-linked polymer
Nucleus
In eukaryotic cells, membrane-bound organelle containing the genetic material DNA
Nuclear Pore Complex
Protein-lined channel that
perforates the nuclear envelope
Chromatin
Stained material in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell
Deoxyribonucleic Acid(DNA)
Nucleic acid containing the four bases — adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine — which forms the major component
of chromosomes and contains coded genetic instructions
Nucleoli/ Nucleolus
Structure present in
the nucleus and which is a store of ribosomal RNA
(rRNA)
Ribonucleic Acid(RNA)
Type of nucleic acid
consisting of a single chain of nucleotide sub-units which contain the sugar, ribose and the bases A, U, C and G; RNA includes messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA(tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA).
Adenosine Trisphosphate(ATP)
Compound that is the common source of chemical energy for cells and whose structure comprises one adenosine molecule and three phosphate molecules
Mitochondria
In eukaryotic cells, organelles that are the major site of ATP production
Cellular Respiration
Process of converting chemical energy of food into a form usable by cells, typically ATP
Ribosomes
Horizontal underground stems
Endoplasmic Reticulum(ER)
Cell organelle consisting of a system of membrane-bound channels that transport substances within the cell
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
Endoplasmic reticulum with ribosomes attached
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
Involved in transporting different materials within cells, but they are not passive channels like pipes
Golgi Complex
Organelle that packages material into vesicles for export from a cell (also known as Golgi
apparatus or Golgi body)
Autophagy
Breakdown by lysosomes of non- functioning cell organelles that are old and/or damaged and in need of turnover
Lysosome Storage Disease
A disruption of normal
cell function due to defective enzymes; examples include Tay-Sachs disease, Hurler syndrome, Pompe disease
Pompe Disease
An autosomal recessive condition—meaning that each parent of an affected individual must pass on a copy of the mutated gene. This is part of the reason that the disease is relatively rare, affecting 1 in 40,000 people.
Tay Sachs Disease
An inherited metabolic disorder in which certain lipids accumulate in the brain, causing spasticity and death in childhood.
Hurler Syndrome
Abnormal accumulation of complex
carbohydrates
Peroxisome
Small membrane-bound organelle rich in the enzymes that detoxify various toxic materials that enter the bloodstream
Photosynthesis
Process by which plants use the radiant energy of sunlight trapped by chlorophyll to build carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water
Chlorophyll
Green pigment required for photosynthesis that traps the radiant energy of sunlight
Grana
(Singular = granum) stacks of membranes on which chlorophyll is located in chloroplasts
Stroma
In chloroplasts, the semi-fluid substance between the grana which contains enzymes for some of the reactions of photosynthesis
Cilia
(Singular = cilium) in eukaryote cells, whip- like structures formed by extensions of the plasma membrane involved in synchronised movement
Flagella
(Singular = flagellum) whip-like cell organelles involved in movement
Microtubules
Part of the supporting structure or cytoskeleton of a cell, made of sub-units of the protein tubulin
Sessile
Fixed to one spot
Endosymbiosis
A special case of symbiosis where one of the organisms lives inside the other
Endosymbiosis Theory
See endosymbiosis, a theory proposed by Lynn Margulis
