Lesson 5 - The Cell 2

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes covering key cellular structures and organelles.

Mitochondria

Organelles in eukaryotic cells that serve as the site of cellular respiration and ATP synthesis.

Mitochondrial matrix

The compartment of the mitochondrion enclosed by the inner membrane, containing enzymes, DNA, and ribosomes.

Thylakoids

Flattened, membranous sacs inside a chloroplast where the light reactions of photosynthesis occur.

Cytoskeleton

A network of protein fibers in the cytoplasm that provides structural support, cell shape, and motility.

Centrosome

A cellular structure that functions as a microtubule-organizing center during cell division in animal cells.

Cilia

Short, hair-like cell projections containing microtubules that facilitate cell movement or move fluid over the cell surface.

Intermediate filaments

Cytoskeletal fibers composed of fibrous proteins that provide cell structure and maintain organelle positions.

Tight Junctions

Intercellular junctions between animal cells that prevent fluid leakage across cell layers.

Chloroplast

An organelle found in plants and photosynthetic organisms that converts solar energy into chemical energy.

Endosymbiont theory

The evolutionary theory stating that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated as prokaryotic organisms engulfed by host eukaryotic cells.

Stroma

The fluid-filled space within the chloroplast surrounding the thylakoid membrane where the Calvin cycle occurs.

Motor proteins

Proteins that interact with cytoskeletal elements to move cellular components and produce cell motility.

Centriole

A cylindrical organelle in the centrosome composed of organized microtubule triplets.

Microfilaments

Thin, solid rods composed of actin proteins that function in cell movement and structural support.

Extracellular matrix

A meshwork of secreted proteins and carbohydrates surrounding animal cells.

Desmosomes

Anchoring junctions that mechanically attach adjacent animal cells together into strong sheets.

Peroxisome

A metabolic organelle that contains enzymes that transfer hydrogen to oxygen, producing hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct.

Cristae

Infoldings of the inner membrane of a mitochondrion where electron transport chains and ATP synthesis machinery reside.

Grana Gramum

Stacks of thylakoids located within the stroma of a chloroplast.

Microtubules

Hollow protein tubes made of tubulin that form parts of the cytoskeleton, cilia, and flagella.

Flagella

Long, whip-like cellular appendages specialized for cell locomotion.

Cell wall

A rigid outer layer surrounding the plasma membrane in plant cells, fungi, bacteria, and some protists.

Plasmodesmata

Channels through plant cell walls that allow direct transport and communication between adjacent plant cells.

Gap Junction

Intercellular channels in animal cells that permit the direct flow of ions and small molecules between cells.