Lecture 13: Introduction to Cell Chemistry and Structure

Flashcards focusing on key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on cell chemistry and structure.

Abiogenesis

The process by which life arises naturally from non-living matter.

Miller-Urey Experiment

An experiment that simulated early Earth conditions to test the chemical origins of life.

Prebiotic Chemistry

The study of the chemical processes that led to the origin of life on Earth.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus or organelles.

Eukaryotes

Organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Endosymbiotic Theory

The theory that eukaryotic cells evolved from a symbiotic relationship between prokaryotic cells.

Cell Theory

States that all living organisms are composed of cells, the cell is the basic unit of life, and all cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Nucleoid

The region in prokaryotic cells where the genetic material is located, not enclosed by a membrane.

Plasmid

A small, circular piece of DNA found in some prokaryotic cells, separate from chromosomal DNA.

Vesicles

Membrane-bound compartments that transport materials within the cell.