Eukaryotic Cells book

Flashcards covering vocabulary from the lecture notes on eukaryotic cells and microorganisms.

Naegleria fowleri

Amoeba that lives in warm freshwater, and if the freshwater is forced up a person’s nose, the amoeba can invade the brain. The resulting infection is nearly 100% fatal.

Last Common Ancestor (LCA)

The concept where bacterial and eukaryotic cells emerged from an earlier, now-extinct, cell type.

Endosymbiosis

The theory that some organelles inside eukaryotic cells originated from more primitive cells becoming trapped within them.

Tissues

Groups of cells in multicellular organisms that have a specific function.

Organs

Structures formed by groups of tissues working together.

Cytoplasmic Membrane

The cell membrane of eukaryotic cells, containing phospholipids and sterols for stability.

Nucleus

A compact sphere separated from the cytoplasm by a nuclear envelope, containing the nucleolus and chromatin.

Chromatin

Network of dark fibers in the nucleoplasm, consisting of DNA and histone proteins.

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

A microscopic series of tunnels used for transport and storage within the cell.

Golgi Apparatus

The site in the cell where proteins are modified and sent to their final destinations.

Lysosome

A vesicle originating from the Golgi apparatus, containing enzymes for digestion and protection against microorganisms.

Vacuoles

Membrane-bound sacs containing fluids or solid particles for digestion, excretion, or storage.

Aerobic Respiration

An oxygen-using process that extracts chemical energy from nutrient molecules and stores it as ATP.

Chloroplasts

Organelles found in algae and plant cells that convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis.

Cytoskeleton

The flexible framework of molecules crisscrossing the cytoplasm, anchoring organelles and permitting movement.

Hyphae

Long, threadlike cells found in the bodies of filamentous fungi or molds.

Pseudohypha

A chain of yeasts formed when buds remain attached in a row.

Heterotrophic

Acquiring nutrients from a wide variety of organic materials.

Saprobes

Obtaining substrates from the remnants of dead plants and animals.

Parasites

Living on the bodies of living animals or plants.

Mycoses

Animal (including human) diseases caused by fungi.

Mycelium

The woven, intertwining mass of hyphae that makes up the body or colony of a mold.

Vegetative Hyphae

Hyphae responsible for the visible mass of growth and penetration of a substrate to digest and absorb nutrients.

Reproductive Hyphae

Hyphae responsible for the production of fungal reproductive bodies called spores.

Asexual Spores

Products of mitotic division of a single parent cell.

Sexual Spores

Formed through the fusing of two parental nuclei followed by meiosis.

Sporangiospores

Formed by successive cleavages within a saclike head called a sporangium.

Conidiospores (Conidia)

Free spores not enclosed by a spore-bearing sac.

CDC

A campaign against five neglected parasitic infections (NPIs) in the United States to address relatively rare infections

Protist

A eukaryotic unicellular or colonial organism that lacks true tissues.

Trypanosoma brucei

Causative agent of “sleeping sickness”.

Trophozoites

Cells when they are in their motile feeding stage

Cyst

A dormant, resting stage when conditions in the environment become unfavorable for growth and feeding

Enterobius vermicularis

A roundworm that causes a very common infestation of the large intestine