Cell Structure, Division, and Transport Practice Flashcards

A set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering the fundamental concepts of cell biology, including cell types, organelles, specialisation, division, microscopy, and transport mechanisms based on the lecture transcript.

Eukaryotic cells

Cells found in animals and plants that contain a cell membrane, cytoplasm, and a nucleus containing DNA.

Prokaryotic cells

Bacterial cells that are much smaller than eukaryotic cells, featuring a cell wall (peptidoglycan), cytoplasm, and genetic material as a single circular strand of DNA and plasmids.

Plasmids

Small rings of DNA found in the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells.

Organelles

Structures within a cell that have different functions.

Order of Magnitude

A way of understanding relative sizes where an object $10$ times bigger is $10^1$ and $1000$ times bigger is $10^3$.

Micro (prefix)

A unit prefix meaning to multiply the unit by $0.000, 001$.

Nano (prefix)

A unit prefix meaning to multiply the unit by $0.000, 000, 001$.

Nucleus

An organelle enclosed in a nuclear membrane that contains DNA coding for a particular protein needed to build new cells.

Cytoplasm

A liquid substance containing organelles and enzymes (biological catalysts) where chemical reactions occur.

Cell membrane

The structure that controls what enters and leaves the cell.

Mitochondria

The site of aerobic respiration reactions, which provide energy for the cell.

Ribosomes

Structures found on the rough endoplasmic reticulum where protein synthesis occurs.

Chloroplasts

Plant cell organelles containing chlorophyll pigment that harvests the light needed for photosynthesis.

Permanent vacuole

A plant cell structure found in the cytoplasm containing cell sap that improves the cell's rigidity.

Cell wall (plant)

A structure made from cellulose that provides strength to plant and algal cells.

Differentiation

A process involving the cell gaining new sub-cellular structures in order for it to be suited to its role.

Stem cells

Undifferentiated cells that can divide to produce more similar cells, with the ability to differentiate into various types of specialised cells.

Acrosome

The top of a sperm cell's head containing digestive enzymes used to break down the outer layers of the egg cell's membrane.

Dendrites

Extensions from the nerve cell body that allow branched connections to form with other nerve cells.

Lignin

A chemical deposited in xylem cells in spirals that causes the cells to die and helps them withstand water pressure.

Sieve plates

Structures formed in phloem cell walls when they break down, allowing the movement of food substances from cell to cell.

Mitosis

The stage in the cell cycle where the cell divides to produce two identical daughter cells.

Gene

A short section of DNA that codes for a protein and controls a characteristic.

Embryonic stem cells

Stem cells formed when an egg and sperm cell fuse to form a zygote, which can differentiate into any type of cell in the body.

Therapeutic cloning

A process where an embryo is produced with the same genes as a patient, providing stem cells that will not be rejected by the individual.

Meristems

Stem cells found in plant root and shoot tips that can differentiate into any type of plant throughout the plant's life.

Diffusion

The spreading out of particles in a solution or gas resulting in a net movement from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

Osmosis

The movement of water from a less concentrated solution (high water potential) to a more concentrated one (low water potential) through a partially permeable membrane.

Active Transport

The movement of particles from an area of lower concentration to an area of higher concentration against their concentration gradient, requiring energy from respiration.

Inhibition zone

The clear area around an antibiotic-soaked paper disc on an agar plate where bacteria have died.

Binary fission

The process by which bacteria multiply by splitting into two, occurring as fast as every $20$ minutes in suitable conditions.

Resolution

The ability to distinguish between two points, also known as resolving power; a lower value indicates more detail being visible.