Cell Biology and Microscopy Vocabulary Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards derived from lecture notes covering cell theory, microscopy techniques, prokaryotic and eukaryotic organelles, cell fractionation, and cell compartmentalization.

Cell Theory

A foundational biological concept stating three core principles: 1. All living things are composed of cells, 2. Cells are the basic units of structure and function, and 3. Cells come from preexisting cells.

Eyepiece Graticule

A scale placed inside the microscope eyepiece that serves as a ruler with no units, used to measure specimens on screen.

Magnification Formula

$\text{Magnification} = \frac{\text{Measured Length}}{\text{Actual Length}}$ or $\text{Actual Length} = \frac{\text{Measured Length}}{\text{Magnification}}$

Light Microscope

An affordable and easy-to-use microscope that relies on light, but cannot measure or resolve fine subcellular structures.

Electron Microscope

An expensive and complex instrument that uses beam of electrons instead of light to achieve high magnification (e.g., 2000x+) and better resolution, allowing clear visualization of subcellular structures.

Cryo-EM

A technique where samples are kept in a layer of liquid, shot with high-speed electrons from an electron gun, and captured by a high-tech camera to create 3D moving images.

Freeze Fracture Electron Microscopy

A technique where cell membranes are frozen and then fractured/separated to analyze structural features and identify integral proteins.

Fluorescent Stains

Chemically attached fluorescent dyes bound by antibodies to specific proteins, antigens, or tissues, which are then analyzed using a fluorescent microscope.

70S Ribosomes

The smaller type of ribosomes present in prokaryotic cells.

80S Ribosomes

The larger type of ribosomes found in eukaryotic cells.

Processes of Life

Eight vital functions carried out by all living organisms (including unicellular ones): movement, nutrition, growth, metabolism, reproduction, reaction to stimuli, homeostasis, and excretion.

Homogenization

The process of blending cells in a cold, isotonic, and buffered solution to break them open, followed by filtering to remove cell debris.

Ultracentrifugation

A process of spinning homogenized cell samples at progressively higher speeds (from slow to fast) to separate organelles into pellets based on their density.

Nuclear Separation

An advantageous structural feature of eukaryotic cells that keeps genetic material isolated in the nucleus, protecting DNA from metabolic activities in the cytoplasm and allowing only mRNA to exit.

Prokaryotic Transcription and Translation

Gene expression processes that both take place in the cytoplasm and occur simultaneously due to the absence of a distinct nucleus.

Eukaryotic Transcription and Translation

Spatially and temporally separated gene expression processes, where transcription occurs inside the nucleus and translation occurs in the cytoplasm.

Compartmentalization

The division of eukaryotic cells into separate membrane-bound organelles, allowing biological processes to occur efficiently, organized, and independently without interfering with each other.