Cell Function, Energy, and Plant Biology

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering cell membrane function, transport mechanisms, metabolism, laws of thermodynamics, cellular respiration, photosynthesis, plant evolution, and floral anatomy.

Plasma membrane

A phospholipid bilayer that controls what enters and leaves the cell.

Selectively permeable

A characteristic of the membrane that allows some substances to pass while blocking others.

Hydrophilic head

The water-loving part of a phospholipid.

Hydrophobic tails

The water-fearing part of a phospholipid.

Passive transport

The movement of molecules from high to low concentration without using ATP.

Diffusion

The movement of molecules from a region of high concentration to low concentration.

Osmosis

The movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane.

Facilitated diffusion

The movement of molecules through membrane proteins without using ATP.

Active transport

The movement of substances from low to high concentration using ATP.

ATP

The cell's main source of energy.

Endocytosis

The process by which a cell takes materials into itself.

Exocytosis

The process by which a cell releases materials out of itself.

Phagocytosis

A type of endocytosis referred to as cell eating, used for large particles.

Pinocytosis

A type of endocytosis referred to as cell drinking, used for liquids.

Receptor-mediated endocytosis

A process where the cell takes in specific molecules using receptors.

Energy

The ability to do work.

Metabolism

All chemical reactions occurring within an organism.

Anabolic pathway

A chemical pathway that builds molecules and requires energy.

Catabolic pathway

A chemical pathway that breaks down molecules and releases energy.

Potential energy

Stored energy, commonly found in chemical bonds.

Kinetic energy

Energy in motion.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Law stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Law stating that energy transfers lose some energy as heat.

Cellular respiration equation

$$C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{ATP}$$

Glycolysis

The stage of cellular respiration occurring in the cytoplasm that produces $2 \text{ pyruvate}$, $2 \text{ ATP}$, and $\text{NADH}$.

Krebs cycle

The stage of cellular respiration occurring in the mitochondrial matrix that produces $CO_2$, $\text{ATP}$, $\text{NADH}$, and $FADH_2$.

Electron Transport Chain

The stage of cellular respiration occurring in the inner mitochondrial membrane that makes the most ATP.

Aerobic respiration

Respiration that requires oxygen and produces about $36\text{-}38 \text{ ATP}$.

Anaerobic respiration

Respiration without oxygen that produces $2 \text{ ATP}$; types include lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation.

Lactic acid fermentation

A type of anaerobic respiration that produces lactic acid.

Alcoholic fermentation

A type of anaerobic respiration that produces alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Photosynthesis equation

$$6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{Light} \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2$$

Chloroplast

The organelle where photosynthesis occurs.

Chlorophyll

The pigment that absorbs sunlight, specifically absorbing red light well and reflecting green light.

Light-dependent reactions

The stage of photosynthesis occurring in thylakoid membranes that produces oxygen, ATP, and NADPH.

Calvin Cycle

The stage of photosynthesis occurring in the stroma that produces glucose.

Autotroph

An organism that makes its own food, such as plants and algae.

Heterotroph

An organism that gets food by eating other organisms, such as humans and animals.

Cuticle and Stomata

Adaptations that helped plants live on land by managing water loss.

Bryophytes

Nonvascular plants, such as mosses.

Seedless vascular plants

Plants that have vascular tissue but do not produce seeds, such as ferns.

Gymnosperms

Cone-producing plants with naked seeds.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants with seeds enclosed inside fruit.

Petals

Structures used to attract pollinators.

Sepals

Structures that protect the flower bud.

Stamen

The male part of a flower consisting of the anther and filament.

Pistil (Carpel)

The female part of a flower consisting of the stigma, style, and ovary.

Anther

The part of the stamen that produces pollen.

Stigma

The part of the pistil that receives pollen.

Ovary

The part of the flower containing ovules which become seeds after fertilization.

Seed dispersal

Methods by which seeds are spread, including wind, water, animals, explosion, and humans.

Mitochondrial dysfunction

A condition where cellular energy production is impaired, causing fatigue, muscle weakness, and poor growth.