Unit 2: Tour of the Cell Study Guide

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering basic microscope parts, cell theory, prokaryotic versus eukaryotic structures, bacterial anatomy, and organelle functions based on Unit 2: Tour of the Cell.

Eyepiece

The microscope lens component with a magnification power of $10\times$.

Low Power Objective Lens

The objective lens on a light microscope with a magnification power of $4\times$, best used when starting to focus a specimen.

Medium Power Objective Lens

The objective lens on a light microscope with a magnification power of $10\times$.

High Power Objective Lens

The objective lens on a light microscope with a magnification power of $40\times$, yielding a total magnification of $400\times$ when paired with a $10\times$ eyepiece.

Coarse Focus Adjustment Knob

Microscope adjustment control that should NOT be adjusted when viewing a specimen under the high power objective.

Robert Hooke

The scientist recognized as the first to discover cells.

Matthias Schleiden

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

Theodor Schwann

The scientist who determined that all animals are made of cells.

Rudolf Virchow

The scientist who established that all cells come from other cells.

Cell Theory

The core biological theory stating that all living things are made of cells, cells are the basic units of structure and function in living things, and all cells come from other cells.

Prokaryotic Cells

Cells, such as bacteria, that do not have a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles.

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells found in plants, animals, fungi, and protists that are larger and more complex, possessing a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Bacteria Shapes

The three common shapes bacteria take: spherical, bar/rod, and spiral.

Plasmid

Genes separate from the chromosome that carry genetic information for resistance to antibiotics in bacteria.

Pilus

Extensions of the plasma membrane that help bacteria stick to many different types of surfaces.

Capsule

A bacterial structure that provides enhancement for some bacteria, enabling them to cause diseases.

Bacterial Cell Wall

Structure that surrounds the cell membrane to provide shape and help prevent osmosis.

Flagellum

A long whip-like projection that supports bacterial mobility and helps the cell move.

Bacterial Chromosome

A single DNA molecule not enclosed in a nucleus that contains the majority of a bacteria's genes.

Organelle

A tiny structure that carries out cell functions, all working together to support the cell as the smallest unit of life.

Ribosome

A cellular structure referred to as the 'protein factory,' responsible for creating proteins.

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum

An organelle that makes membrane lipids and helps detoxify the cell.

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum

An organelle dotted with ribosomes that serves as a site of protein synthesis.

Endoplasmic Reticulum

An organelle that helps move substances within the cell, known as the 'Highway of the cell.'

Chloroplast

Plant organelles that convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy through photosynthesis.

Cell Membrane

Structure that surrounds the entire cell, separates the inside from the outside environment, and controls or regulates what enters and leaves the cell.

Lysosome

An organelle containing enzymes that help to digest food and other materials.

Nucleolus

An organelle located inside the nucleus that makes ribosomes.

Centrioles

Organelles in animal cells that assist with cell division.

Vacuole

The storage center of a cell, which is characteristically large and central in plant cells.

Cytoplasm

The liquid part of the cell that surrounds DNA, supports the organelles, and helps give the cell its shape.

Golgi Apparatus

An organelle that sorts, modifies, and packages proteins.

Nuclear Envelope

A structure that surrounds the nucleus and regulates what enters and exits the nucleus.

Mitochondria

The energy powerhouse organelle of the cell.

Cytoskeleton

An internal frame composed of microtubules that gives the cell its shape and helps hold all of the organelles in place.

Plant Cell Wall

An external support structure found in plant cells around the cell membrane, contributing to their square shape.

Nucleus

The organelle that regulates all cell activity and contains DNA.

Cilia

Small hair-like projections that assist in cell motility, distinguished from longer flagella.

Chromatin

Granular genetic material (DNA), distinguished from tightly packed and organized chromosomes.