Introduction to Cytology and Cell Biology

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the introductory lecture on cytology and cell biology, covering history, cell types, molecular components, and cellular structures.

Robert Cook

The seventeenth-century scientist who introduced the term cell and described early principles of what became the cell theory by observing nonliving cork cells.

Cell Theory

The biological principle stating that all living things are composed of cells, which are the smallest building blocks of life, and that all cells come from preexisting cells.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

A Dutch scientist and master of microscope making who was the first to observe living cells.

Rudolf Virchow

A nineteenth-century scientist considered the founder of modern pathology who established the principle that all cells come from preexisting cells.

Schleiden and Schwann

Two nineteenth-century German scientists who improved and introduced additional principles to complete the cell theory as it is known today.

Schwann cells

A specific type of cell located in the peripheral nervous system named after Theodor Schwann.

Heredity

A complex biological process involving a large number of molecules and energy where genetic information and orderly events are transferred from one generation to the next.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

The basic molecule involved in the proper transfer of genetic information from a mother cell to two daughter cells.

Nucleotides

The building blocks of nucleic acids composed of a base, a sugar, and a phosphate.

Complementarity

The principle in DNA where adenine connects only with timin and cytosine connects only with guanine, allowing one strand to serve as a template for the other.

Macromolecules

Complex molecules formed by combinations of single building blocks, including polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Cytology

A field typically involved in the study of cell structures.

Cell Biology

A field that connects cell structures, functions, and the underlying molecules to understand biological processes and clinical medicine.

Prokaryotic cell

A cell type that does not have a distinct nucleus and contains DNA organized into a structure called a nucleoid that is not separated by a membrane.

Eukaryotic cell

A cell type that contains a nucleus, internal membranes, and various organelles, thought to have evolved after prokaryotes.

Meiosis

A special type of cell division occurring in the germ cells of eukaryotes.

Cytoskeleton

A group of protein structures, such as microtubules and actin filaments, involved in maintaining cell shape, motility, and intracellular transport.

Lysosome

A eukaryotic organelle separated by a membrane that allows it to maintain a low pH relative to the cytoplasm ($7.2$ to $7.3$) for specific functions.

Phospholipid bilayer

The basic organizational principle of biological membranes used to separate watery regions within or outside the cell because lipids repel water.

Selectivity

The capability of a cell membrane to regulate regulation by selecting which specific molecules can enter or leave the cell.

Cytosol

The liquid or fluid-like component of the cytoplasm, distinct from the organelles and inclusions.

Inclusions

Minor cytoplasmic structures that serve as deposits for macromolecules like carbohydrates, lipids, or pigments.

Nuclear pores

Special openings in the double bilayer of the nucleus that selectively regulate transport in and out of the structure.

Polar cell

A cell, such as a typical epithelial cell, that has different structures and organelle arrangements at its different ends.

Hepatocyte

A liver cell that is highly metabolically active and contains a high percentage of mitochondria to produce ATP.

Oocyte

A giant cell in the ovary with a body size of approximately $200\,\text{microns}$, approaching the boundary of what can be seen with the naked human eye.

Stellate

A star-shaped cell, like those found building up bone tissue.

Polyhedral

A cell shape with many walls, characteristic of cells like hepatocytes that have complex three-dimensional structures.