Unit 3: Cell Structure + Staining Flashcards
What are the different types of microscopes?
Light microscope, fluorescent microscope, electron microscope
What are the types of light microscopes?
Bright field microscope (regular)
Phase contrast microscope (specialized)
Dark field microscope (specialized)
How do light microscopes (bright field) work?
light source emits visible rays, the condenser focuses the rays onto a sample, the light that is absorbed by the sample produces contrasts that help reveal structural details of the specimen (cells/tissue), the objective lens captures the rays, and it is passed to the ocular lens or a video camera
What is the limit of resolution (resolving power of a microscope)?
The extent to which a microscope can distinguish fine details in the specimen as separate, distinct image points
What is used in A?
Bright field microscope
What is used in B?
Phase contrast microscope
What is used in C?
Interference-contrast optics
What is used in D?
Dark field microscopy
Why is phase contrast microscopy used?
enables us to visualize unstained, live cells
Why is dark field microscopy used?
to visualize small structures (ex. Microtubules with a diameter of 25nm)
How do phase contrast microscopes work?
shows differences in the refractive index of parts of the cells as different areas of brightness and darkness. This is due to a phase plate between the illumination source and the condenser lens
How do dark field microscopes work?
opaque disc is placed on the center of the condenser so light only passes around its edges => results in light scattering, which makes specimens appear bright against a dark background.
How can the resolving power of a microscope be increased in an electron microscope?
resolving power of a microscope is a function of the wavelength of the illuminating source and the numerical aperture of the lens system being used
the resolving power can be increased by using an illuminating radiation of a shorter wavelength
What are the types of electron microscopes?
Transmission electron microscope
Scanning electron microscope
How are electrons and wavelength related to resolving power of an electron microscope
have a shorter wave length of 0.004 nm, and are used to increase the resolving power of the microscope. The electrons are particles, as well as exhibit wave-like behavior
What are the techniques like for preparing tissues/cells for electron microscopy?
almost similar to that used for light microscopy
What is atomic force microscopy used to visualize?
one of the most powerful tools for studying the surface topography at molecular and atomic resolution
How does atomic force microscopy work?
a very sharp, pointed probe, approaching the size of a single atom at the tip, scans the specimen following parallel lines along the x-axis, repeating the scan at small intervals along the y-axis.
The sharp tip is mounted at the end of a very flexible cantilever so that the tip deflects the cantilever as it
encounters the atomic force on the surface of the specimen
Does atomic force microscopy use illumination?
This is a non-optical microscope which works in the same
way as a fingertip, which touches and feels the skin of our
body when we cannot see it.
How are transmission electron microscopes and scanning electron microscopes different?
What is immunostaining?
process of identifying proteins in tissue sections by incubating the sample with antibodies specific to the protein of interest, then visualizing the bound antibody using a chromogen (immunohistochemistry or IHC) or fluorescence (immunofluorescence or IF)
What is the membrane which surrounds the cell?
Plasma membrane
A typical cell membrane consists of
Lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates
What is a cell membrane?
an essential feature of every cell which defines the boundaries of the cell and delineates its various compartments
What is the structure of cell membranes?
6-10 nm wide, resembles a railroad track when observed by electron microscopy. The outer, dark lines are 2 nm thick while the central electron lucent space is 3.5 nm thick.
How has the structure of cell membranes been found?
The structure has be elucidated by the use of TEM and freeze-fracture studies as well as light microscopy of living cells and has resulted in the fluid mosaic model
What are the functions of the cell membrane?
Boundary and permeability barrier
-Organization and localization of function
-Transport process
-Signal detection
-Cell-to-cell communication
What is the fluid mosaic model? *
this is the generally accepted model.
phospholipid bilayer in which the hydrophilic heads of the molecules are directed toward the outside of the cell and the cytoplasm. The hydrophobic tails are found within the membrane away from the aqueous surfaces. Because of this amphipathic property, the lipid molecules form a bilayer in aqueous environments
What are intrinsic/integral proteins?
have hydrophilic domains and hydrophobic domains situated in the middle of the bilayer
may have enzymes linked to them, as well as glycoproteins, receptor proteins, and cholesterol
How can intrinsic proteins be visualized?
freeze-fracture replicas by TEM and they appear as bumps or depressions on the E-face and P-face. In these preparations they are called intramembranous particles (IMPs).
What are examples of intrinsic proteins?
Rhodopsin, glycophorin
What are examples of extrinsic proteins?
Aldolase, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase
Is the cell membrane fluid or static? Do intramembranous particles move?
Fluid
IMPs may have considerable movement along the phospholipid bilayer unless they are otherwise prevented by cell junctions or other modifications
What are phospholipids and structure? *
the most abundant lipids
unique structure with Amphipathic nature with hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions
What are the phospholipids found in the cytoplasmic side of the bilayer?
Phosphatidyl ethanolamine, Phosphatidyl serine, Phosphatidyl inositol
What are the phospholipids found in the extracellular side of the bilayer?
Phosphatidyl choline, Sphingomyelin
What are the other other lipid molecules in the bilayer?
Glycolipid - found on all plasma membrane surfaces 5% of the lipid in outer monolayer
What are the functions of glycolipids?
Receptors for extracellular molecules
Receptors for bacteria
Protection
What are examples of glycolipids?
Galactocerebroside, GM ganglioside and Sialic acid (Neuraminic acid)
The fluidity of the lipid bilayer depends on
Composition
What do eukaryotic plasma membranes contain which enhance the permeability of membrane?
Cholesterol
What does cholesterol do in the plasma membrane? *
Regulates the rigidity of the membrane
limits the movement of adjacent phospholipids and makes the membrane less fluid, and more mechanically stable
What does the outer part of the lipid bilayer consist of?
predominantly of phosphatidyl choline, sphingomyelin,
and glycolipids
What does the inner part of the lipid bilayer consist of?
aminophospholipids such as phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphatidyl inositol
Phosphatidyl serine contributes a negative charge in the inner membrane
Where is cholesterol in the lipid bilayer?
Both inside and outside
What is the functional importance of lipid bilayer asymmetry? *
Protein kinase C (PKC), when activated, binds to negatively charged phosphatidyl serine on the inner membrane Negatively charged environment is essential for PKC function
Phosphoinositol - inner membrane and involved in signal transduction
What is permeable and impermeable in the lipid bilayer?
Permeable: small nonpolar molecules (O2 and CO2)
Impermeable: all ions and charged molecules (no matter how small)
How much of the membrane do membrane proteins constitute?
Generally 50%
What are the functions of membrane carbohydrates?
Protection, lubrication, cell-to-cell recognition, adhesion
What are glycocalyx?
Carbohydrates coat on the cell surface
Are the membrane proteins mobile?
Yes
Are microvilli motile?
Not capable of significant mobility