Functional Anatomy of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

A set of flashcards covering the vocabulary and key concepts related to the functional anatomy of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Prokaryote

A cell type that has one circular chromosome, no histones, and no organelles.

Eukaryote

A cell type that has paired chromosomes, histones, organelles, and a nuclear membrane.

Binary fission

The process by which prokaryotic cells divide.

Peptidoglycan

A polymer that forms the cell walls of bacteria, composed of sugars and amino acids.

Glycocalyx

A viscous coating composed of glycoproteins and glycolipids that covers the cell membrane, providing protection and aiding attachment.

Flagella

Hair-like structures that provide motility to bacteria, made of chains of flagellin.

Fimbriae

Short, hair-like structures on bacterial cells that allow for attachment to surfaces.

Pili

Longer than fimbriae, structures that facilitate the transfer of DNA from one cell to another and assist with motility.

Gram-positive bacteria

Bacteria with thick peptidoglycan walls that retain the crystal violet dye used in Gram staining, appearing purple under a microscope.

Gram-negative bacteria

Bacteria with thin peptidoglycan walls and an outer membrane that do not retain the crystal violet dye, appearing pink under a microscope.

Endospore

A dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure formed by some bacteria, allowing them to survive extreme conditions.

Osmosis

The movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration.

Active transport

The movement of molecules against their concentration gradient, requiring energy in the form of ATP.

Cytoplasm

The substance inside the plasma membrane of a cell, excluding the nucleus in eukaryotes.

Nucleoid

The region in prokaryotic cells where the bacterial chromosome is located.

Ribosomes

Molecular machines in the cell responsible for protein synthesis; prokaryotic ribosomes are 70S in size.

Lipid bilayer

The fundamental structure of cell membranes, comprising two layers of phospholipids.

Simple diffusion

The passive movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.

Facilitated diffusion

The process by which specific molecules are transported across cell membranes through protein channels.

Atypical cell walls

Walls found in mycoplasmas (which lack cell walls) and in some archaea (which have pseudomurein).