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General Biology: Cell Anatomy and Membrane Transport

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Terms in this set (30)

  • What are the two fundamental types of cells based on morphology?
    Eukaryotes have a membrane-bound nucleus; Prokaryotes lack a membrane-bound nucleus.
  • Name the three domains of life based on phylogeny.
    Bacteria (prokaryotic), Archaea (prokaryotic), and Eukarya (eukaryotic).
  • What are key components of prokaryotic cells?
    At least one chromosome, many protein-synthesizing ribosomes, and sometimes internal photosynthetic membranes.
  • What is the primary structural component of bacterial cell walls?
    Peptidoglycan, a tough polysaccharide layer surrounding the plasma membrane.
  • What external structures enable prokaryotic movement and attachment?
    Flagella for propulsion and fimbriae for attachment to surfaces or other cells.
  • What defines a eukaryotic cell?
    A cell with a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles with specialized functions.
  • What is the plasma membrane composed of?
    A phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins, cholesterol, and sometimes glycolipids.
  • What is the function of the cytoskeleton?
    Maintains cell shape, secures organelles, enables cytoplasm and vesicle movement, and allows cell motility.
  • What roles do vesicles and vacuoles play in cells?
    Membrane-bound sacs for storage and transport; central vacuole regulates water concentration and provides structural support in plants.
  • What is housed inside the nucleus?
    The cell's DNA in chromatin form; it directs ribosome and protein synthesis.
  • What is the nucleolus responsible for?
    Assembly of ribosomal RNA and ribosome subunits.
  • What is the endomembrane system?
    A group of membranes and organelles that modify, package, and transport lipids and proteins within eukaryotic cells.
  • What are ribosomes and their function?
    Cellular structures responsible for protein synthesis.
  • Differentiate between rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER).
    Rough ER has ribosomes for protein modification; smooth ER synthesizes lipids and lacks ribosomes.
  • What is the Golgi apparatus?
    A series of flattened membranous sacs that modify, sort, and package proteins and lipids.
  • What is the function of lysosomes?
    Contain digestive enzymes to break down cellular waste and macromolecules.
  • What do peroxisomes do?
    Carry out oxidation reactions to break down fatty acids and detoxify poisons.
  • What is the role of mitochondria?
    Produce ATP, the cell's main energy-carrying molecule.
  • What is the function of chloroplasts?
    Conduct photosynthesis, converting CO2, water, and light into glucose.
  • What does the endosymbiosis theory propose?
    Mitochondria and chloroplasts originated as free-living bacteria engulfed by ancestral eukaryotes, forming a mutualistic relationship.
  • What is the fluid mosaic model of the plasma membrane?
    A phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins, cholesterol, and carbohydrates that create a flexible, selectively permeable membrane.
  • What is passive transport?
    Movement of substances across membranes without energy input, down their concentration gradient.
  • Define osmosis.
    Diffusion of water molecules through a semipermeable membrane.
  • What is tonicity?
    The relative concentration of solutes in a solution compared to another, affecting water movement.
  • What is facilitated diffusion?
    Passive transport requiring protein channels to move substances down their concentration gradient.
  • What is active transport?
    Energy-requiring process moving substances against their concentration gradient, often using ATP.
  • Describe the sodium-potassium pump.
    An active transport protein that moves Na+ out and K+ into the cell against their gradients using ATP.
  • What is secondary active transport?
    Uses electrochemical gradients set up by primary active transport to move other molecules against their gradient without direct ATP use.
  • What is endocytosis?
    Active transport process where cells engulf large particles or fluids; includes phagocytosis and pinocytosis.
  • What is exocytosis?
    Process by which cells expel materials in vesicles by fusing them with the plasma membrane.