Cellular Anatomy and Physiology Flashcards

Flashcards covering key concepts from Chapter 3: Cellular Anatomy and Physiology, including cell structure, organelles, membrane transport, and resting membrane potential.

What are the three major regions of a generalized cell?

Plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus

What is the main function of mitochondria?

ATP production through cellular respiration

What is the primary role of peroxisomes?

Detoxification of harmful substances and breakdown of fatty acids

What is the function of lysosomes?

Intracellular digestion and waste removal

What is the main function of the rough endoplasmic reticulum?

Protein synthesis and modification

What is the function of Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum?

Lipid and steroid synthesis, detoxification

What do ribosomes do?

Protein synthesis

What is the role of the Golgi apparatus?

Processing and packaging of proteins and lipids

What are the main components of the plasma membrane?

Phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates

What does it mean for a membrane to be selectively permeable?

It allows some substances to cross more easily than others.

Define Osmosis.

The movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of higher water concentration to an area of lower water concentration.

Define Diffusion.

The movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

Define Tonicity.

The ability of a solution to change the shape or tone of cells by altering their internal water volume.

Give examples of major transport mechanisms.

Simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, primary active transport, secondary active transport, exocytosis, phagocytosis, pinocytosis, receptor-mediated endocytosis

Define hypertonic.

A solution with a higher solute concentration than inside the cell, causing water to move out of the cell.

Define hypotonic.

A solution with a lower solute concentration than inside the cell, causing water to move into the cell.

Define isotonic.

A solution with the same solute concentration as inside the cell, resulting in no net movement of water.

What is vesicular transport?

Transport of large particles and macromolecules across plasma membranes in membranous sacs called vesicles.

What is the function of the sodium-potassium pump?

It maintains the resting membrane potential by pumping sodium ions out of the cell and potassium ions into the cell, both against their concentration gradients.

Define chemical gradient.

Concentration gradient of ions across a plasma membrane

Define electrical gradient.

Difference in electrical charges between the inside and outside of the cell

Define electrochemical gradient.

The combined forces of the concentration gradient and the electrical gradient