Introduction to Cell Biology: Cell Types, Structure, and Gene Regulation

A vocabulary-style set of flashcards covering core cellular biology terms from the lecture notes.

Prokaryotes

Bacteria and Archaea; lack a nucleus and internal membranes.

Eukaryotes

Organisms with a nucleus and extensive internal membrane system (animals, plants, fungi, protists).

Plasma membrane

Lipid bilayer boundary that separates the cell from its surroundings and regulates internal conditions.

Cytoplasm

The soluble internal contents of the cell outside the nucleus.

Nucleoid

Region in prokaryotes where circular DNA is concentrated.

Ribosome

Molecular machines that synthesize proteins; scattered throughout the cytoplasm.

Flagellum

A proton-driven structure used for cell movement (in prokaryotes).

Extracellular matrix

Material produced by cells and deposited outside the plasma membrane.

Cell wall

Rigid outer layer found in some cells, providing shape and protection.

Lipopolysaccharide capsule

Capsule made of lipopolysaccharide found in some bacteria.

Nucleus

Eukaryotic organelle containing DNA; site of transcription, splicing, and mRNP assembly.

Mitochondria

Organelle that produces ATP; also involved in signaling and apoptosis.

Cytoskeleton

Network of filaments that provides structure and tracks for transport.

Chloroplast

Organelle that conducts photosynthesis and makes ATP from light.

Plant cell wall

Rigid cellulose-containing wall that defines cell shape and provides protection.

Modern Cell Theory

Key statements: cells are the basic units of life, arise from preexisting cells, contain hereditary information, and energy flow occurs within cells; all living things are composed of cells.

Differential gene expression

Not all genes are active in every cell; expression varies by cell type and environment.

Transcriptome

The complete set of RNA transcripts produced in a cell or tissue.

Central Dogma

DNA codes for RNA, which codes for proteins (DNA → RNA → Protein).

Transcription factor

Protein that binds DNA regulatory sequences to modulate transcription.

Epigenetics

Heritable changes in gene expression without changes to the DNA sequence.

Chromatin modification

Epigenetic changes that alter access to DNA and regulate transcription.

Non-coding RNAs

RNA molecules that regulate gene expression but do not encode proteins (e.g., miRNA, lncRNA, siRNA).

miRNA

MicroRNA; small non-coding RNA that regulates mRNA stability and translation.

siRNA

Small interfering RNA; cleaved from double-stranded RNA to silence target RNAs.

RNAi

RNA interference; gene silencing mechanism using dsRNA, Dicer, and RISC.

Dicer

Enzyme that cleaves double-stranded RNA into siRNA/miRNA.

RISC

RNA-induced silencing complex; uses siRNA/miRNA to target and regulate/destroy mRNA.

Signal transduction

Cell signaling pathways that transmit information to elicit responses.

Morphogenesis

Development of the form and structure of organisms during development.

Differentiation

Process by which cells become specialized in structure and function.

Endosymbiosis

Evolutionary origin of organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts via symbiosis.

Zygote

Fertilized egg; the initial cell that divides to form an embryo.

Dictyostelium

A single-celled amoeboid protist that can aggregate into multicellular structures.

Myxobacteria

Prokaryotes capable of forming multicellular swarms and fruiting bodies.

COPI coat

Protein coat in the Golgi that concentrates cargo and shapes membranes.

Arf1

GTPase involved in COPI coat assembly and Golgi trafficking.

ArfGAP1

GTPase-activating protein that regulates Arf1 and COPI coat dynamics.

Coatomer

Protein complex that forms the COPI coat on Golgi membranes.

FRAP

Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching; method to study protein mobility in membranes.