Cell Biology and Photosynthesis Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering cell structure, cell theory, scientists, cellular organelles, microscopic terminology, unicellular/multicellular classifications, prokaryotic/eukaryotic distinctions, and photosynthesis concepts from lecture sources.

Photosynthesis

The process by which a cell captures the energy in sunlight and uses it to make food.

Pigments

Colored chemical compounds that absorb light.

Chlorophyll

The main green pigment found in the chloroplasts of plants that captures light energy.

Stomata

Small openings on the undersides of leaves through which carbon dioxide enters a plant.

Autotroph

An organism that makes its own food, obtaining energy directly from the sun.

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot make its own food, obtaining energy indirectly from the sun.

Photosynthesis Equation

The chemical reaction expressed as $6\,\text{CO}_2 + 6\,\text{H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow \text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6 + 6\,\text{O}_2$ where 6 carbon dioxide molecules and 6 water molecules react using light energy to yield 1 sugar molecule and 6 oxygen molecules.

Cellulose

A carbohydrate built from sugar that cells use as a structural building material.

Robert Hooke

The scientist who observed and named cells while examining a sample of cork.

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

The scientist who observed living microscopic organisms in lake water.

Matthias Schleiden

The scientist who concluded that all plants are made of cells.

Theodor Schwann

The scientist who concluded that all animals and all living things are made of cells.

Rudolf Virchow

The scientist who proposed that new cells come from preexisting cells.

Magnification

The ability to make objects look larger than they actually are.

Resolution

The sharpness or clarity of an image.

Light Microscope

A microscope that uses curved glass lenses to produce a magnified image.

Electron Microscope

A microscope that uses a beam of electrons to produce a magnified image.

Cell Theory

A fundamental biological theory stating that: 1. The cell is the basic unit of structure and function in living things; 2. All living things are made of cells; and 3. All cells come from preexisting cells.

Organelles

Tiny structures within cells that perform specific functions.

Cell Wall

A rigid outer layer of nonliving material that surrounds plant cells and gives the cell its shape and protection.

Cell Membrane

A cell structure that forms the outside boundary separating the cell from its environment and controls which substances enter and leave the cell.

Nucleus

A large, oval structure containing genetic material (DNA) that directs all of the cell's activities.

Cytoplasm

The region between the cell membrane and the nucleus filled with a gelatin-like fluid in which organelles float.

Mitochondria

Organelles that break down food to release energy for the cell to function, often referred to as the powerhouse of the cell.

Endoplasmic Reticulum

A maze of passageways and tubes in which proteins and other materials are processed and transported from one part of the cell to another.

Ribosomes

Small organelles that function as factories to manufacture proteins.

Golgi Bodies

Organelles that sort, package, and deliver newly formed proteins and materials to other parts of the cell or outside the cell membrane.

Chloroplasts

Organelles found in plant cells that contain chlorophyll to capture sunlight energy and produce food.

Vacuole

A large, membrane-bound organelle that acts as a storage area for food, water, and waste, and helps maintain water pressure in plant cells.

Lysosomes

Small, round structures that digest waste, break down large food particles, and recycle cell parts that no longer work.

Prefix Uni-

A root prefix that means one.

Prefix Multi-

A root prefix that means many.

Suffix -elle

A root suffix that means small.

Unicellular Organism

An organism consisting of a single cell that carries out all necessary life functions.

Multicellular Organism

An organism composed of many cells that perform specialized functions.

Prokaryote

A single-celled organism that lacks a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles, such as a bacterial cell.

Eukaryote

An organism whose cells contain a membrane-bound nucleus and other organelles.