Unit 3 Bio - Cytoskeleton and Cell Functions

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Unit 3 Biology on cytoskeleton, cell functions, metabolism, and cell theory.

Cytoskeleton

An intracellular matrix that supports cell shape and function.

Microtubules

Long, hollow, cylindrical shaped proteins, used for structural support and locomotion.

Microfilaments

Thin, solid, hair-like structures, used to increase surface area and for locomotion.

Centrosome

Serves as the main microtubule organizing center and cell cycle regulator in animal cells.

Extracellular Matrix

A structure that surrounds the outside of the phospholipid bilayer providing extra structural and biochemical support.

Metabolism

All the chemical reactions that occur inside a cell.

Potential Energy

The energy of position or the energy stored within a molecule.

Kinetic Energy

Usable energy or energy in motion.

Thermodynamics

The study of energy.

Law of Conservation of Energy

States that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Free Energy (∆G)

The energy that can do work under cellular conditions.

Catabolic Reaction

A reaction that breaks chemical bonds and releases free energy.

Anabolic Reaction

A reaction that forms chemical bonds and stores free energy.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The cell’s energy currency providing energy for cellular functions.

Endosymbiosis Theory

The theory that a small prokaryote was engulfed by a larger one, leading to the formation of mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Mitochondria

The site of cellular respiration that produces ATP.

Chloroplast

The site of photosynthesis in autotrophs.

Prokaryotes

The most basic type of cell; not compartmentalized and lacks membrane-bound organelles.

Nucleoid

The region of circular DNA in prokaryotic cells.

Cell Theory

States that all living organisms are made of cells, cells are the basic unit of life, and all cells come from pre-existing cells.

Plasma Membrane

A selectively permeable bilayer that forms the outer boundary of a cell.

Ribosomes

Cellular structures that make proteins.