GENERAL BIOLOGY 1 – THE CELL & ENERGY TRANSFORMATION

A comprehensive set of 176 question-and-answer flashcards covering cell theory, organelles, membrane structure, energy transformation, and key historical developments in General Biology 1.

Which major content area of the course covers the cell cycle and transport mechanisms?

The Cell (first content area).

Name the two kinds of cell division listed under the cell cycle.

Mitosis and meiosis.

Give the four transport mechanisms mentioned in the syllabus.

Simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, active transport, and bulk/vesicular transport.

4 main classes of biological molecules highlighted.

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Which macromolecule class stores hereditary information?

Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA).

What molecule is described as the universal cellular energy currency?

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

What cycle describes the continual conversion between ATP and ADP?

The ATP-ADP cycle.

During photosynthesis, which gas is released into the atmosphere?

Oxygen (O₂).

During cellular respiration, which gas is consumed as a reactant?

Oxygen (O₂).

State the first postulate of the cell theory.

The cell is the basic unit of life.

State the second postulate of the cell theory.

All living organisms are composed of cells.

State the third postulate of the cell theory.

New cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Who coined the term “cell” in 1665?

Robert Hooke.

What material was Robert Hooke observing when he discovered cells?

Cork.

Which scientist first described moving “animalcules” under the microscope?

Anton van Leeuwenhoek.

Which botanist proposed in 1838 that plants are made of cells?

Matthias Jakob Schleiden.

Which zoologist asserted in 1839 that animals are composed of cells?

Theodor Schwann.

Who introduced the phrase “Omnis cellula e cellula”?

Rudolf Virchow.

What does “Omnis cellula e cellula” mean?

Cells come from pre-existing cells.

What invention was crucial for early discoveries about cells?

The microscope.

Who is credited with building the first compound microscope around 1590?

Zacharias Janssen.

Which scientist discovered the cell nucleus in 1831?

Robert Brown.

What did Marcello Malpighi and Nehemiah Grew study between 1665-1676?

Plant cells and the presence of organelles.

Who stated in 1840 that sperm and egg are made of cells?

Albrecht von Roelliker.

Which scientist’s fermentation work in 1849 showed bacteria can multiply?

Louis Pasteur.

What scientific field searches for life beyond Earth?

Astrobiology.

According to the lesson, what visible sign shows a cell is alive under the microscope?

Movement of organelles inside the cell.

Name the three major structural parts of a typical eukaryotic cell.

Plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus.

What is the primary function of the plasma membrane?

To separate the cell’s interior from the environment and regulate exchange of materials.

What model describes the dynamic nature of the plasma membrane?

The fluid mosaic model.

Which lipid molecules form the fundamental bilayer of cell membranes?

Phospholipids.

Describe the basic structure of a phospholipid.

A glycerol backbone, two fatty-acid tails, and a phosphate-linked head group.

Are the fatty-acid tails of phospholipids hydrophilic or hydrophobic?

Hydrophobic.

Which membrane component made of four fused rings helps stabilize fluidity?

Cholesterol.

What do we call membrane proteins that span the entire bilayer?

Integral proteins.

What do we call membrane proteins attached only to one surface of the bilayer?

Peripheral proteins.

What name is given to proteins with carbohydrate chains attached?

Glycoproteins.

What name is given to lipids with attached carbohydrate chains?

Glycolipids.

What specialized channel protein allows rapid water movement across membranes?

Aquaporin.

Approximately what percentage of a cell’s volume is cytosol?

About 70 %.

Cytosol is composed mainly of water, salts, and what macromolecules?

Proteins.

Give two functions of the cytoplasm besides housing organelles.

Breaks down waste via enzymes and allows cellular expansion/growth.

What intracellular network helps determine cell shape and enables movement?

The cytoskeleton.

What double membrane surrounds the nucleus?

The nuclear envelope.

What structures perforate the nuclear envelope to allow transport?

Nuclear pores.

What dense nuclear region produces ribosomes?

The nucleolus.

What hereditary structures are stored inside the nucleus?

Chromosomes composed of DNA.

What system of membranes works together to process and transport proteins and lipids?

The endomembrane system.

List any four organelles that belong to the endomembrane system.

Endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, and vacuoles (others include peroxisomes and transport vesicles).

What does the abbreviation ER stand for?

Endoplasmic reticulum.

Name the two distinct regions of the endoplasmic reticulum.

Rough ER and smooth ER.

What structural feature distinguishes rough ER from smooth ER?

Ribosomes on the surface of rough ER.

What is the hollow interior of ER tubules called?

The lumen (cisternal space).

Which ER region synthesizes membrane proteins and proteins for export?

Rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Which ER region is abundant in liver cells for detoxification?

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum.

What two kinds of molecules are synthesized in the smooth ER?

Fatty acids and phospholipids.

Where in the cell are ribosomes located? (give two locations)

Attached to rough ER and free in the cytoplasm.

What is the principal function of ribosomes?

Protein synthesis.

Do both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells contain ribosomes?

Yes, both do.

Which types of cells have especially large numbers of free ribosomes?

Developing muscle, skin, and hair cells.

What is a vacuole?

A membrane-enclosed, fluid-filled vesicle for storage and other functions.

Are vacuoles typically more prominent in plant or animal cells?

Plant cells.

What special property of the vacuolar membrane allows water to pass but retains solutes?

Selective permeability.

Which animal-cell organelle performs digestive functions similar to plant vacuoles?

Lysosomes.

What is the main role of lysosomes?

Digestion and recycling of cellular waste and foreign material.

What type of enzymes fill lysosomes?

Hydrolytic enzymes.

What nickname is often given to lysosomes because of their self-destructive potential?

“Suicide bags” of the cell.

What cellular process involves lysosomes digesting the cell’s own organelles?

Autophagy.

Which immune cells use phagocytosis and lysosomal digestion to destroy bacteria?

Macrophages.

What small single-membrane organelle breaks down fatty acids and detoxifies poisons?

The peroxisome.

From which dangerous molecules do peroxisomes protect the cell?

Reactive oxygen species (ROS).

What organelle consists of flattened membrane sacs with cis and trans faces?

The Golgi apparatus.

Which face of the Golgi apparatus receives vesicles from the ER?

The cis face.

Which face of the Golgi apparatus dispatches modified products?

The trans face.

What name is given to the tiny vesicles that bud off the Golgi for secretion?

Secretory vesicles.

Of what two perpendicular structures is a centrosome composed?

Two centrioles.

What is the role of the centrosome during cell division?

It organizes spindle fibers.

Besides mitosis, what do microtubules organized by the centrosome help form?

The cytoskeleton that maintains cell shape.

Which organelle is popularly called the “powerhouse of the cell”?

The mitochondrion.

Which energy-producing process takes place inside mitochondria?

Cellular respiration (ATP production).

What is the highly folded inner mitochondrial membrane called?

Cristae.

What is the fluid-filled region inside mitochondria called?

The matrix.

Name two energy-rich molecules that can be broken down in mitochondria to produce ATP.

Glucose and fatty acids (amino acids can also enter).

Do mitochondria contain their own DNA?

Yes, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).

Which kinds of cells generally contain the most mitochondria?

Cells with high energy demands, such as liver or muscle cells.

What molecule is produced when the terminal phosphate is removed from ATP?

Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and free energy.

What process adds a phosphate group to ADP to regenerate ATP?

Phosphorylation using energy from food breakdown.

Which organelles carry out photosynthesis?

Chloroplasts.

In what two groups of organisms are chloroplasts found?

Plants and algae.

What pigment located in thylakoid membranes captures light energy?

Chlorophyll.

What are stacks of thylakoids called?

Grana (singular: granum).

What enzyme-rich fluid surrounds the thylakoid system?

The stroma.

Name the three membrane systems present in a chloroplast.

Outer membrane, inner membrane, and thylakoid membrane.

Which chloroplast membrane is semi-porous and allows diffusion of small molecules?

The outer membrane.

What is the space between the inner and outer chloroplast membranes called?

The intermembrane space.

Where in the chloroplast are fatty acids synthesized?

In the inner membrane.

Give two major products of photosynthesis.

Glucose and oxygen.

Why are cells generally small with respect to surface area-to-volume ratio?

Smaller cells have a higher surface area-to-volume ratio, enabling efficient exchange of materials.

What is a prokaryotic cell?

A cell lacking a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles.

What is a eukaryotic cell?

A cell with a membrane-bound nucleus and various organelles.