Cell biology Vocab

amino acids

structural unit of proteins

cell membrane

frail, semipermeable, flexible structures surrounding the cell

barricade to protect cellular contents

centrosome

located in the center of the cell at each end of the mitotic spindle that contains the centrioles

chromosome

tiny, rod-shaped bodies that contain genes

DNA

a type of nucleic acid that carries genetic information necessary for cell replication and protein synthesis

genes

segments of DNA that serve as basic units of hereditary

meiosis

the process of germ cell division that reduces the number of chromosomes in the daughter cell the half that of the parent cell

mRNA

substance that directs the process for making proteins of amino acids

mitosis

the process of somatic cell division where a parent cell divides to form 2 daughter cells that are identical to the parent cell

proteins

amino acids linked in various patterns containing carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and occasionally other elements

protoplasm

the chemical building material for all living things

containing organic and inorganic materials

RNA

type of nucleic acid that carries genetic information from DNA to ribosomes

ribosomes

small spherical cytoplasmic organelles that attach to the endoplasmic reticulum

where mRNA and tRNA combine amino acids into proteins

tRNA

type of RNA that combines individual amino acids from different areas of the cell and attaches them to the ribosomes