BIOL210A Study Guide Flashcards

These flashcards encompass key vocabulary and concepts from the BIOL210A study guide, covering topics such as membrane transport, metabolism, cellular respiration, and photosynthesis.

Plasma Membrane

A biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of a cell from the external environment.

Fluid Mosaic Model

Model describing the structure of cell membranes as a mosaic of diverse protein molecules embedded in a fluid lipid bilayer.

Membrane Fluidity

The viscosity of the lipid bilayer of a cell membrane, affected by temperature and the composition of fatty acids.

Peripheral Proteins

Proteins that are loosely attached to the exterior or interior surfaces of membranes.

Integral Proteins

Proteins that are embedded within the lipid bilayer and can extend across the membrane.

Transmembrane Proteins

Integral proteins that span the entire membrane and are involved in transporting materials across the membrane.

Diffusion

The process by which molecules spread from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

Concentration Gradient

A difference in the concentration of a substance across a space.

Active Transport

The movement of molecules across a membrane against their concentration gradient, requiring energy (ATP).

Passive Transport

The movement of molecules across a membrane without the need for energy, following their concentration gradient.

Redox Reaction

A chemical reaction that involves the transfer of electrons between two species.

Chemiosmosis

The movement of ions across a selectively permeable membrane, down their electrochemical gradient, used to produce ATP.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

Chlorophyll

A green pigment found in plants that is essential for photosynthesis, allowing plants to absorb light.

Enzyme Activity

The rate at which an enzyme catalyzes a chemical reaction, influenced by factors such as substrate concentration and temperature.

Activation Energy

The minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur.

Competitive Inhibition

A process in which substances compete for the active site of an enzyme.

Non-competitive Inhibition

A process in which an inhibitor binds to an enzyme at a site other than the active site, reducing its activity.

Allosteric Regulation

Regulation of an enzyme by binding an effector molecule at a site other than the enzyme’s active site.

Feedback Inhibition

A regulatory mechanism in which a pathway's end product inhibits an enzyme involved early in the pathway.

Calvin Cycle

The set of chemical reactions that take place in chloroplasts during photosynthesis, leading to the synthesis of glucose.