6.1 physiology of marine organisms vocab

organelle

a specialized structure within a cell
that has a specific function

cell

the smallest structural unit of an organism
that is capable of independent functioning

cell wall

a layer that surrounds some types of cells
and gives strength and support; plant cell walls are
made of cellulose

cytoplasm

all of the material, except for the
nucleus, that is found within a cell

cell surface membrane

a biological membrane
that separates the internal contents of a cell from
its external environment

nucleus

membrane bound organelle that contains
the genetic material of a cell

chloroplast

the photosynthetic organelle in
eukaryotes

mitochondrion

(plural: mitochondria) the
organelle in eukaryotes in which aerobic respiration
takes place

golgi body

cell organelle that modifies proteins

light microscopes

a type of microscope that uses
visible light and glass lenses to magnify structures

electron microscope

a type of microscope that
uses electrons and electromagnets to magnify
structures

rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum

a network of flattened sacs running through
the cytoplasm or eukaryotic cells; molecules,
particularly proteins, can be transported through
the cell inside the sacs separate from the rest of
the cytoplasm; ER is continuous with the outer
membrane of the nuclear envelope

magnification

the process of enlarging the size
of an image

resolution (resolving power)

the smallest
distance between two points that can be
detected; it is a measure of the level of detail
that can be seen

wavelength

the distance between two
corresponding points of a wave; different colors
of light have different wavelengths

chromatin

DNA, RNA, and protein, located
within the nucleus of cells

nucleoli (singular nucleus)

small circular
areas inside the nucleus that produce RNA for
ribosomes

ribosomes

small organelles that are involved in
the synthesis of proteins

cisternae

flattened membranes of the Golgi
body and endoplasmic reticulum

vesicle

small structures that consist of fluid
surrounded by a membrane; they are used for
transporting substances around cells

steroid hormones

steroid molecules that are
used as hormones

oestrogen

a steroid hormone that is the primary
female sex hormone

testosterone

a steroid hormone that is the
primary male sex hormone

lysosomes

membrane enclosed organelles that
contain digestive enzymes

cristae

folds of the inner mitochondrial membrane;
they are involved in aerobic respiration

matrix

the fluid filled space within the inner
mitochondrial membrane; it contains enzymes
and sugars involved with respiration

stroma

the liquid substance in the center
of chloroplasts, surrounding the thylakoid
membranes; it is where the light-independent stage occurs

thylakoid membranes

membrane bound
structures in the stroma of chloroplasts; stacks of
thylakoids are called grana; they are where the
light dependent stage of photosynthesis occurs

grana

areas in the stroma of chloroplasts where
thylakoid membranes containing photosynthetic
pigments are stacked on top of each other

photosynthesis

the process of using light
energy to synthesize glucose from carbon
dioxide and water to produce chemical energy

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

the molecule that is used as hereditary material being passed onto subsequent generations; it contains the code for all the genes of organisms

cellulose

an important component of plant
cell walls which is made from many straight
chains of glucose molecules held together by
hydrogen bonds

ß-glucose

an isomer of the sugar, glucose; it is
the monomer that cellulose is made up of

middle lamella

a layer of pectin on the outside of
plants cells; it cements neighboring cells together

large permanent vacuole

a membrane bound
organelle that is present in all plant and fungal
cells; it contains cell sap

tonoplast

the membrane found outside a large
permanent vacuole in plant and fungal cells

cell sap

the fluid located inside a large
permanent vacuole

fluid mosaic model

a model that explains the
properties of cell membranes

glycerol

a simple molecule that is a constituent
of triglycerides and phospholipids

nonpolar

molecules that do not have electric
charge

hydrophobic

substances that will not mix with
water; they will not dissolve in water

hydrophilic

substances that are attracted to
water molecules; will dissolve in water

carrier proteins

membrane proteins that are
involved in the transfer of substances from one
side of membranes to the other; they possess a
specific binding site to which substances bind
and change shape as the substance is moved
across the membrane

channel protein

membrane proteins that are
involved in the transfer of substances from one
side of membranes to the other; contain a pore
through which substances will pass through