Flashcards on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells from the lecture notes.

Prokaryotic Cells

Simple, single-celled organisms without a membrane-bound nucleus, such as bacteria.

Eukaryotic Cells

More complex cells with membrane-bound organelles, including a nucleus, and are found in organisms such as plants and animals.

Nucleoid

The region in a prokaryotic cell where the DNA is located, not enclosed by a membrane.

Peptidoglycan

A structural component of the bacterial cell wall that provides rigidity.

Capsule

A protective layer found outside the cell wall of some bacteria that helps in maintaining moisture and resisting phagocytosis.

Flagella

Long, whip-like structures that protrude from the cell body and are used for locomotion in prokaryotes.

Pili

Hair-like structures on the surface of bacteria that help in attachment to surfaces and conjugation.

Ribosomes

Molecular machines in cells that translate mRNA into protein, present in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Binary Fission

The asexual reproductive process by which prokaryotic cells divide into two identical daughter cells.

Endosymbiotic Theory

The theory that mitochondria and chloroplasts in eukaryotic cells originated from free-living prokaryotes through a symbiotic relationship.

Extracellular Components

Structures outside the cell membrane that help coordinate cellular activities, found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Cell Membrane

A biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the outside environment.

Gene Expression

The process by which information from a gene is used to create a functional product, usually a protein.

Commensal Bacteria

Bacteria that live in harmony with the host, providing benefits such as aiding in digestion.

Microbiome

The collective genomes of the microorganisms that reside in a particular environment, such as the gut of humans.

Homologues

Proteins or genes in different organisms that share a common ancestry, often carrying out similar functions.