White lecture 1 9/21 Flashcards
What is the significance of the cytoskeleton?
- bones of the cell
- helps to organize
- correctly shaped cells
- insures proper structure
True or false, the cytoskeleton can move the cell
True, usually via crawling
What does the cytoskeleton help to do in cell division?
Helps to pull the chromosomes apart
Also helps to split the dividing cells apart
What happens if there is defect in the cytoskeleton in regards to cell division?
Abnormal number of chromosomes as it helps to pull them apart
incorrect cell division
What is the role of the cytoskeleton in regards to intracellular trafficking?
Sidewalk; vesicles are able to move around the cytoskeleton like a sidewalk
What is the importance of the cytoskeleton to sperm?
acts like a motor
Which cells need to crawl?
WBC and fibroblasts
What is responsible for the biconcavity of the RBC?
cytoskeleton
Describe why a cytoskeleton is important to RBC’s
- biconcavity
- strength
- flexibility and strength in transport
- withstand shearing force of the heart
What happens if the cytoskeleton in RBC’s is out of whack?
-anemia
-hereditary spherocytosis
hemolytic anemia
Describe Hereditary spherocytosis
RBCs are spherical and fragile
and they burst
Define protofilaments
long linear strings of proteins of subunits joined end to end
thermally unstable
How is a cytoskeletal filament able to resist breakage by ambient thermal conditions?
There is strength in numbers, the protofilaments bind side to side. THEREFORE when it is trying to be broken, 5 of the bonds need to be broken
What are the three families of cytoskeletal proteins?
actin filaments
microtubules
intermediate filaments
Describe an actin filament
- two stranded helical polymers
- subunits are compact and globular flexible 5-9 nm in diameter
- mardi gras beads
What is the function of the actin filaments?
determine the shape of a cell’s surface and are necessary for whole-cell locomotion, secretion, and endocytosis
Describe microtubules
- slinky of life
- tube like structures
- long hollow cylinders
- tubulin subunits that are compact and globular
- long and straight 25 nm
- rigid
- one end attached to a singe microtubule-organizing called a centrosome
What is the function of the microtubule?
- determine the position of the membrane enclosed organelles
- directs intracellular transport
- make up centrioles and mitotic spindles
- sperm swim and cilia moves eggs
What is lacking in function in cystic fibrosis?
Cilia
Describe intermediate filaments
- rope like fibers
- large heterogeneous family
- smaller subunits that are elongated and fibrous
- across the cytoplasm to provide strength
- one cell junction to another
What is the function of the intermediate filaments?
- provide mechanical strength
- strong filament
- resists mechanical stress
- formation of hair and finger nails
How are intermediate filaments organized to allow it to tolerate bending and stretching?
staggered side to side, rope-like structures
Describe the adaptive nature of a fibroblast actin specifically in the division of cells
- actin cytoskeleton assembles to push its leading edge which allows the fibroblast to crawl
- actin can disassemble so that the cell can change shape
- actin forms a contractile ring and allows cell division
Describe the adaptive nature of fibroblast microtubules specifically in the division of cells
- microtubules emanate from a single microtubule-organizing center
- form a bi-polar mitotic spindle
- separates chromosomes