HUMB1000 Compendium 2 - Cells and Organelles

Flashcards for cell biology lecture review.

Cell

The structural and functional unit of all living things.

Plasma Membrane

Encloses and supports cellular contents; controls what goes in and out of the cell.

Cytoplasm

Cellular fluid material outside the nucleus but within the boundaries of the plasma membrane.

Cytosol

Fluid portion of the cytoplasm (ions and proteins in water).

Cytoskeleton

Supports the cell and its organelles; responsible for changes to the shape of the cell.

Nucleus

Control center of the cell; contains DNA.

Ribosomes

Sites of protein synthesis.

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

Involved in synthesis and modification of proteins (rough) and lipid/steroid/carbohydrate synthesis (smooth).

Golgi Apparatus

Modifies, packages, and distributes proteins and lipids.

Lysosomes

Cell's demolition crew; digests molecules that are no longer needed.

Mitochondria

Power plants of the cell; produces ATP.

Centrioles

Involved in cell division.

Cilia

Motile cellular extensions that move substances across the cell surface.

Flagella

Long cellular extension that moves the entire cell (e.g., sperm cell).

Microvilli

Extensions of the plasma membrane that increase the cell's surface area for absorption.

Glycocalyx

Outer surface of cell membrane composed of glycoproteins and glycolipids.

Nuclear Envelope

A bilayer membrane surrounding the nucleus.

Nucleolus

Primarily produces ribosomes.

Chromatin

DNA complexed with proteins (histones).

Chromosome

Condensed chromatin during cell division.