Cell Biology Flashcards

Flashcards covering key concepts about cell organelles and cell types, created from lecture notes.

Cell

The most basic unit of all living things.

Prokaryote

Cells that do not have a nucleus; only bacteria are prokaryotes.

Eukaryote

Cells that do have a nucleus; plants and animals are eukaryotes.

Cytoskeleton

Network of protein fibers that help the cell maintain its shape and provide mechanical support.

Cytoplasm

A jelly-like substance that fills the inside of a cell, including cytosol and cytoskeleton; the site of many chemical reactions.

Chloroplast

Converts solar energy into chemical energy (glucose); site of photosynthesis; found in plants and photosynthetic eukaryotes.

Mitochondria

Converts chemical energy (glucose) into cell energy (ATP); site of cellular respiration; found in both animals and plants.

Lysosome

Filled with enzymes that break down old cell parts and macromolecules; found only in animal cells.

Vacuole

Used for storage; in plant cells, one large vacuole stores water and keeps the plant rigid.

Cell membrane

Cell part that surrounds the cell, protects it, gives it shape, and regulates what goes in and out; made of phospholipids; found in all cells.

Cell wall

Protective outer covering of a plant cell; supports and shapes the cell; made of cellulose; also found in bacteria, fungi, and some protists.

Nucleus

The organelle that programs the cell’s activities; contains the DNA (genetic material); found in all eukaryotic cells.

Nuclear membrane (envelope)

Membrane surrounding the nucleus; a double-layer membrane found in all eukaryotic cells.

Nuclear Pore

Regulates what enters and leaves the nucleus; allows RNA and proteins to go into and out of the nucleus; found in all eukaryotic cells.

Nucleolus

Small region inside the nucleus where assembly of ribosomes begins; areas of DNA overlap; found in all eukaryotic cells.

Ribosome

Site of protein synthesis; joins amino acids together to make proteins; found throughout the cytoplasm or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER); made of RNA and proteins; found in ALL cells.

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (Rough ER)

Makes the proteins that will be released from the cell; studded with ribosomes; found in both plant and animal cells.

Golgi apparatus (aka Golgi complex)

Modifies, sorts, and packages proteins for storage or export from the cell; works with the Rough ER; found in both plant and animal cells.

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (smooth ER)

Makes lipids and detoxifies the cell; no ribosomes; found in both plant and animal cells.

Centrioles

Microtubules that help organize chromosomes during cell division; found in animal cells only.