Introduction to Anatomy - Biology and Cell Basics

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic cell biology, organelle structure and function, macromolecules, and the cell cycle as described in the lecture notes.

Biology

The study of life.

Organism

Any living thing that is made of cells, responds to stimuli, grows, reproduces, uses energy, and contains DNA or RNA.

Metabolism

The sum of all the biochemical processes in the body.

Cells

The most basic structural and functional unit of life and the smallest part of an organism capable of all life's processes.

Organelles

Specialized structures within the cell that work together to help the cell function.

Cytoplasm

A jelly-like fluid inside of cells, mainly made of water, that holds everything in place.

Cell (Plasma) Membrane

A selectively-permeable barrier known as a phospholipid bilayer that controls what goes in and out of the cell.

Phospholipid Bilayer

Two layers of phospholipids with hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails.

Hydrophilic

A property meaning "likes water," characteristic of the polar heads of phospholipids.

Hydrophobic

A property meaning "afraid of water," characteristic of the nonpolar tails of phospholipids.

Homeostasis

A stable internal environment maintained by the cell membrane's regulation of what enters and leaves.

Cytoskeleton

Threadlike fibers made of proteins (microtubules, intermediate filaments, and microfilaments) that support and maintain cell shape.

Centrioles

Organelles made of microtubules that appear during cell division to help pull chromosomes apart during Anaphase.

Centrosome

Two centrioles referred to together.

Cilia

Short, numerous projections that move fluid across the cell's surface.

Flagella

Longer, fewer projections (1-3) that move the entire cell through extracellular fluid.

Nucleus

An organelle that protects the genetic material (DNA) and controls the activities of the cell.

Chromatin

The threadlike form of genetic material that condenses into 46 rodlike chromosomes in body cells.

Genes

Sections of chromosomes that code for proteins which perform most of the work in the cell.

Nucleolus

The center of the nucleus where ribosomes are formed.

Ribosomes

Structures made of proteins and rRNA that make proteins, located either on the Rough ER or floating in the cytoplasm.

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

A network of membranes with ribosomes on the surface that makes and packages proteins for secretion.

Vesicles

Mini-carts that transport proteins around and out of the cell.

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

A network of membranes that makes lipids, modifies molecules, and stores $Ca^{+2}$.

Golgi Apparatus

Folded membrane sacs that process, sort, and ship proteins where they are needed.

Lysosomes

Organelles containing hydrolytic enzymes used to break down dead material and perform apoptosis.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death.

Vacuoles

Storage structures for water, nutrients, and waste.

Mitochondria

The site of cellular respiration where chemical energy in food is converted into usable energy in the form of $ATP$.

Macromolecules

Large biological molecules (polymers) made of smaller molecules (monomers) typically linked by covalent bonds.

Nucleic Acids

Informational molecules like DNA and RNA that store and transmit genetic information.

Lipids

Energy storage and structural molecules, such as fats, oils, steroids, and phospholipids.

Carbohydrates

Energy storage molecules (e.g., glucose, glycogen) also used for structure and signaling.

Proteins

Molecules with diverse functions including enzymes, signaling, receptors, and transport; made of amino acids.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts, mostly proteins, that speed up biochemical reactions by lowering activation energy.

Active Sites

Highly specific regions on enzymes where substrates (reactants) bind.

Interphase

The phase where the cell spends most of its life and DNA is doubled into sister chromatids.

Mitosis

The phase where the cell begins to divide, consisting of Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase.

Cytokinesis

The final stage of the cell cycle where the cytoplasm splits to form two identical daughter cells.

Differentiation

The process of stem cells or undifferentiated cells undergoing specialization to become specific types of cells.