Cytoskeleton and Cellular Organelles

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the cytoskeleton, cellular organelles, and their functions.

Cytoskeleton

A network of fibers extending throughout the cytoplasm, essential for maintaining shape and internal organization.

Microtubules

Hollow tubes made of tubulin polymers, 25 nm in diameter, playing key roles in chromosome movements and structural components of cilia and flagella.

Microfilaments

Flexible, solid fibers 7 nm in diameter, consisting of two intertwined chains of actin molecules, contributing to cell shape, motility, and muscle contraction.

Intermediate Filaments

Tough, flexible ropes about 10 nm in diameter, providing mechanical strength and stabilizing cell shape.

Extracellular Matrix (ECM)

Unique to animals, consisting of glycoproteins like collagen, aiding in cell adhesion and communication.

Plasmodesmata

Channels perforating plant cell walls that facilitate transport of materials between adjacent cells.

Tight Junctions

Specialized connections that prevent fluid passage across layers of cells.

Desmosomes

Structures that provide adhesion between adjacent cells.

Gap Junctions

Proteins forming channels that allow for communication between cells, enabling the passage of molecules.

Secondary Lysosomes

Lysosomes that fuse with vesicles carrying material for degradation, playing a role in cellular digestion.

Peroxisomes

Organelles containing enzymes that perform metabolic functions, including breakdown of fatty acids and detoxification.

Vacuoles

Large, fluid-filled sacs in cells that serve multiple functions, including storage and waste disposal.

Endomembrane System

A system of organelles involved in the synthesis and transport of proteins within the cell.

Mitochondria

Energy-converting organelles that convert chemical energy into ATP.

Chloroplasts

Organelles that convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis.

Endosymbiont Theory

Proposes that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from free-living prokaryotic cells engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells.