Types of Cells, Cellular Organelles, and Properties of Life Flashcards

Flashcards covering prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cell structure, cellular organelles, transport mechanisms, and the fundamental properties of life based on lecture materials.

What four cellular components are present in all cells?

Plasma membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes, and DNA (genetic material).

What is a key structural distinction between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Eukaryotic cells contain a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, whereas prokaryotic cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

How do the structure and function of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rough ER) and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (smooth ER) differ?

Rough ER is studded with ribosomes and is involved in protein synthesis and modification. Smooth ER lacks ribosomes and functions in synthesizing lipids, carbohydrates, and steroid hormones, detoxifying chemicals, and storing calcium ions.

Why are "pancakes" and the "post office" used as analogies to describe the Golgi apparatus?

"Pancakes" describes its physical structure of stacked, flattened membranous sacs, while "post office" describes its function of sorting, tagging, packaging, and shipping lipids and proteins to their proper destinations.

How do passive transport and active transport differ regarding energy requirement and movement relative to concentration gradients?

Passive transport does not require cellular energy (ATP) and moves substances down their concentration gradient, whereas active transport requires energy (ATP) to move substances against their concentration gradient.

What is the basic unit of life?

The cell.

Which organelle is the site of protein synthesis?

Ribosomes.

Which organelle is responsible for energy processing in eukaryotic cells?

Mitochondria.

What is osmosis, and how does water move during this process?

Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a membrane from an area of higher water concentration (lower solute concentration) to an area of lower water concentration (higher solute concentration).

In the provided eukaryotic cell diagram, what organelle corresponds to Label H?

Golgi apparatus.

What are the key properties of life listed in the lecture notes?

Response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, homeostasis, energy processing, adaptation and evolution, and organization.

What is chemotaxis, and what is an example of it?

Chemotaxis is the movement or response of an organism in response to a chemical stimulus, such as bacteria moving toward a sugar crystal.

What is a thigmonastic response?

A plant response or movement triggered by physical contact or touch, such as the rapid closure of a Venus flytrap.

How does asexual reproduction differ from sexual reproduction in terms of offspring genetic identity?

Asexual reproduction involves a single parent and produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent (clones), whereas sexual reproduction combines genetic material from two parents to produce genetically diverse offspring.

How do autotrophs and heterotrophs differ in how they process energy?

Autotrophs capture energy from sunlight or inorganic chemical sources to create their own food molecules, whereas heterotrophs acquire energy by consuming other organisms or organic matter.

In the context of homeostasis, what physiological mechanisms occur in the human body when body temperature rises?

Blood vessels dilate to lose heat to the environment, and sweat glands secrete fluid, which cools the body through evaporation.

What is an osmoconformer?

An animal whose body fluids maintain the same solute concentration (isotonic state) as the surrounding water.

What does it mean for a solution or body fluid to be isotonic?

It has the exact same solute concentration as another solution.

What are the primary structural features of a chloroplast as shown in the lecture notes?

Outer membrane, inner membrane, intermembrane space, stroma (aqueous fluid), thylakoids, and grana (stacks of thylakoids).

Where are ATP synthase enzymes and the electron transport chain located within the mitochondrion?

They are embedded within the inner membrane of the mitochondrion.

How did Galápagos finches illustrate adaptation and evolution during the 1977 drought?

Environmental changes caused natural selection on beak size and shape, leading to evolutionary shifts in finch beak traits across generations.