AnP Animal Cell Review

Cell

The basic building block of life; the smallest unit able to carry out five life functions: uses energy, maintains homeostasis, grows, reproduces, and adapts.

Prokaryotic Cell

A cell that has no true nucleus nor membrane-bound organelles; examples include Archae and Bacteria.

Eukaryotic Cell

A cell that contains a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; examples include animals, plants, protists, and fungi.

Light Microscope

A type of microscope that passes light through a specimen; limited in magnification and resolution.

Electron Microscope

A type of microscope that uses electrons instead of light for greater magnification.

Robert Hooke

Credited as the first person to describe and name the cell in cork (1665).

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

Credited as the first to discover living cells in pond water (1675).

Matthias Schleiden

German botanist who concluded that all plants are made up of cells (1838).

Theodore Schwann

German biologist who concluded that all animals are made up of cells (1839).

Rudolf Virchow

German physician who concluded that new cells arise only from pre-existing cells (1855).

Cell Theory

A three-part theory stating that all living things are made of cells, cells are the structural and functional units of life, and new cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Cell Membrane

A selectively permeable bilayer that surrounds the cytoplasm of the cell and controls the movement of substances in and out.

Cytoplasm

The jelly-like substance of a cell that serves as a medium for chemical reactions.

Genetic Information

DNA and proteins that carry the genetic instructions for an organism.

Ribosomes

Small circular granules of RNA that function in protein synthesis.

Cytoskeleton

The protein framework of a cell that provides support and assists in movement.

Nucleus

The large membrane-bound organelle that contains the cell's genetic information and controls cellular activities.

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

A membranous network of tunnels and passageways involved in assembling and transporting materials throughout the cell.

Golgi Bodies

Flattened stacks of membranous sacks that sort, modify, and package secretions.

Vesicles

Packaged secretions used to import or export materials between cells.

Mitochondria

Kidney-shaped membrane-bound organelles that produce cellular energy (ATP) through cellular respiration.

Vacuoles

Membranous sacks used to store food, water, or waste products.

Lysosomes

Membrane-bound organelles containing digestive enzymes that break down pathogens and damaged cells.

Peroxisomes

Membrane-bound organelles containing enzymes that detoxify cells and assist in metabolism.

Centrioles

Paired bundles of microtubules that assist in cell division by producing spindle fibers.

Flagellum

A long whip-like structure that propels cells, found only in sperm cells in humans.

Cilium

Short hair-like structures that aid in movement, found in cells lining the respiratory tract.

Interphase

The phase of the cell cycle where the cell prepares for division; includes G1, S, and G2 phases.

Prophase

The first stage of mitosis where chromatin condenses into visible chromosomes and the nuclear envelope begins to break down.

Metaphase

The second stage of mitosis where chromosomes align at the cell's equator, attached to spindle fibers.

Anaphase

The third stage of mitosis where sister chromatids are pulled apart toward opposite poles of the cell.

Telophase

The fourth stage of mitosis where chromosomes de-condense and the nuclear envelope reforms around each set of chromosomes.

Cytokinesis

The process following mitosis where the cytoplasm divides, resulting in two separate daughter cells.

Active Transport

The movement of molecules across a cell membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration, utilizing energy (ATP).

Passive Transport

The movement of molecules across a cell membrane without the use of energy, occurring along the concentration gradient.

Osmosis

The diffusion of water molecules through a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration.

Diffusion

The process by which molecules spread from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration until equilibrium is reached.

Exocytosis

The process by which a cell expels materials in vesicles that fuse with the cell membrane, releasing their contents outside the cell.

Endocytosis

The process by which a cell takes in materials by engulfing them with its membrane, forming a vesicle