DC bio for AC BIO FOR CHUDS 67 and made by Tristan

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering cellular biology, organelles, cell theory history, intracellular junctions, and membrane transport mechanisms.

Cell Theory

A foundational biological concept stating that all living things are composed of cells, all cells come from preexisting cells, and cells are the smallest unit of life.

Robert Hooke

The scientist who discovered and named cells in 1665.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

The scientist who made early observations of microscopic living organisms in 1673.

Theodore Schwann

The scientist who concluded in 1838 that all animals are composed of cells.

Matthias Schleiden

The scientist who concluded in 1839 that all plants are composed of cells.

Rudolph Virchow

The scientist who proposed in 1855 that all cells arise from preexisting cells, refuting spontaneous generation.

Plasma Membrane

A selectively permeable cellular barrier composed mainly of a phospholipid bilayer, proteins, cholesterol, and carbohydrates.

Cytoplasm

The region of the cell between the nucleus and plasma membrane, containing cytosol and organelles.

Cytosol

The watery internal fluid environment of the cell within the cytoplasm.

Ribosomes

Non-membranous cellular factories composed of protein and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) that function in protein synthesis.

Prokaryotic Cell

A cell type lacking compartmentalization and a true nucleus, containing a nucleoid region with a single circular chromosome.

Domain Bacteria

A domain of prokaryotic organisms with cell walls containing peptidoglycan, including common bacteria and cyanobacteria.

Domain Archaea

A domain of prokaryotic organisms with cell walls containing pseudopeptidoglycan, including methanogens, extreme halophiles, and extreme thermophiles.

Eukaryotic Cell

A highly compartmentalized cell type containing a true nucleus and paired chromosomes, found in Domain Eukarya.

Integral Proteins

Proteins that span across the plasma membrane and function as channels.

Peripheral Proteins

Proteins located on one side of the plasma membrane that function as receptors.

Cholesterol (in Plasma Membrane)

A lipid embedded within the plasma membrane that acts as an antifreeze to maintain membrane fluidity.

Microfilaments

Cytoskeletal elements composed of actin that function in cell movement.

Microtubules

Cytoskeletal elements composed of tubulin that provide structural support to the cell.

Intermediate Filaments

Cytoskeletal elements composed of keratin that maintain cell shape.

Cilia

Numerous short projections on a cell surface that facilitate cellular movement.

Flagella

Single or paired long whip-like structures on a cell used for movement.

Nucleus

The eukaryotic organelle surrounded by a nuclear envelope with nuclear pores that houses chromatin and the nucleolus.

Chromatin

The functional form of genetic material consisting of DNA bound to proteins inside the nucleus.

Nucleolus

A prominent structure within the nucleus responsible for ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and ribosome production.

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum

An organelle studded with ribosomes that serves as the primary site of protein storage and modification.

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum

An organelle lacking ribosomes that serves as the site for lipid and carbohydrate synthesis.

Golgi Bodies

Organelles that modify, pack, and deliver organic compounds for secretion or intracellular transport.

Lysosomes

Organelles containing hydrolytic or digestive enzymes used for protection and digesting materials during phagocytosis; often called suicide sacs.

Central Vacuole

A large plant cell organelle that occupies the majority of the cell volume, stores water, and maintains turgor pressure.

Mitochondria

Double-membrane powerhouses of the cell containing single circular mtDNA inherited maternally, serving as the site of cellular respiration and ATP recharge.

Peroxisomes

Organelles found in high concentration in liver cells that detoxify alcohol, aldehydes, and other poisons, converting hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.

Chloroplasts

Photosynthetic organelles containing chlorophyll, stroma, thylakoids, ribosomes, and circular DNA, featuring a triple membrane in plants and a double membrane in algae.

Endosymbiont Theory

The evolutionary theory proposing that chloroplasts and mitochondria originated as independent prokaryotic organisms living symbiotically inside host cells.

Plasmodesmata

Intercellular communication passageways in plant cells that directly connect the chemical environments of adjacent cells.

Tight Junctions

Intercellular junctions in animal cells that form liquid-tight seals between adjacent cells to prevent fluid flow, found in urinary bladder, digestive, and blood vessel cells.

Desmosomes

Anchoring junctions that act like spot welds to strengthen mechanical connections between neighboring animal cells, such as skin and heart muscle cells.

Gap Junctions

Communicating junctions between animal cells, such as smooth and cardiac muscle cells, that provide intercommunicating passageways.

Simple Diffusion

The passive net movement of ions or small lipid-soluble molecules from high to low concentration without expending potential energy.

Facilitated Diffusion

Passive transport of substances (such as glucose or ions like $H^+$ and $Na^+$) across the plasma membrane down their concentration gradient using specific protein carriers or channels.

Osmosis

The passive movement of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration.

Isotonic Solution

A solution with an osmotic concentration equal to that of the cell ($300\,\text{mOSM}$), resulting in equal movement of water in and out.

Hypotonic Solution

A solution with a lower solute concentration than the cell ($0\,\text{mOSM}$), causing net movement of water into the cell, making it swell and lyse.

Hypertonic Solution

A solution with a higher solute concentration than the cell ($3000\,\text{mOSM}$), causing net movement of water out of the cell, leading to cell crenation or plant wilting.

Active Transport

The energy-requiring movement of substances against their concentration gradient from an area of low concentration to high concentration using ATP.

Sodium-Potassium Pump

An active transport carrier mechanism that pumps $3\,Na^+$ out of the cell and $2\,K^+$ into the cell using ATP to create an electrochemical gradient.

Exocytosis

Active bulk movement process that transports substances out of the cell via membrane-bound vesicles.

Endocytosis

Active bulk movement process that engulfs external substances into the cell.

Phagocytosis

A form of endocytosis in which a cell engulfs large particulate matter.

Pinocytosis

A form of endocytosis in which a cell engulfs extracellular fluids and dissolved liquids.