1/49
Vocabulary flashcards covering key organelles, cellular processes, and experimental methods discussed in Lecture 4 of BIOL 3030 (Organelles and Methods).
Name | Mastery | Learn | Test | Matching | Spaced |
---|
No study sessions yet.
Lysosome
Single-membrane organelle in animal cells containing acid hydrolases that degrade macromolecules at low pH.
Endosome
Membrane compartment in the endocytic pathway (early, late, recycling) that sorts material en route to lysosomes.
Peroxisome
Single-membrane organelle with oxidases and catalase that shortens very-long-chain fatty acids and detoxifies compounds, producing and degrading H₂O₂.
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)
ER region lacking ribosomes; synthesizes fatty acids and phospholipids and detoxifies harmful molecules (abundant in liver cells).
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)
ER studded with transient ribosomes; synthesizes membrane, ER, Golgi, lysosomal, and secreted proteins.
Golgi Complex (Golgi Apparatus)
Series of flattened stacked cisternae (cis, medial, trans) that modify (e.g., glycosylate) and sort proteins from the RER.
Nucleus
Double-membrane organelle housing DNA and nucleolus; site of transcription; envelope continuous with ER.
Mitochondrion
Double-membrane organelle with cristae; carries out aerobic respiration and ATP production.
Chloroplast
Double-membrane organelle in plants/algae containing thylakoids and stroma; performs photosynthesis.
Endosymbiosis
Theory that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from prokaryotes engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells.
Endocytosis
Uptake of soluble molecules by plasma-membrane invagination forming vesicles.
Phagocytosis
Engulfment of large insoluble particles (e.g., bacteria) by the plasma membrane.
Autophagy
Lysosome-mediated degradation of aged organelles and cellular components.
β-Oxidation (Peroxisomal)
Shortening of fatty acids >20 C in peroxisomes to acetyl-CoA without ATP production (releases heat).
Acid Hydrolase
Class of degradative enzymes in lysosomes that are active only at acidic pH.
Oxidase
Peroxisomal enzyme using O₂ to oxidize substrates, generating H₂O₂.
Catalase
Peroxisomal enzyme that converts toxic H₂O₂ into H₂O and O₂.
Cristae
Infoldings of the inner mitochondrial membrane that increase surface area for oxidative phosphorylation.
Thylakoid
Membranous sac inside chloroplasts where light reactions occur; stacks form grana.
Stroma
Aqueous matrix of chloroplasts surrounding thylakoids; site of carbon fixation.
Cytoskeleton
Network of actin filaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments giving cells shape and transport capability.
Tissue Culture
Technique of growing living cells in vitro under controlled laboratory conditions.
Organoid
3-D cell culture that self-organizes into mini-organ structures, useful for studying development and disease.
Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS)
Flow-cytometry method that sorts cells based on fluorescence intensity.
Light Microscopy
Imaging with visible light; conventional resolution limit ≈ 0.2 µm.
Fluorescence Microscopy
Light microscopy using excitation/emission of fluorophores to visualize specific molecules in cells.
Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)
Autofluorescent protein genetically fused to targets for live-cell imaging.
Immunofluorescence
Technique employing fluorophore-conjugated antibodies to locate specific proteins in fixed cells.
Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)
Fluorescence method detecting molecular proximity (<10 nm) to study protein-protein interactions.
Super-Resolution Microscopy
Group of light techniques (e.g., STORM, PALM) surpassing diffraction limit for nanoscale imaging.
Confocal Microscopy
Optical sectioning method using a pinhole to capture single focal planes for sharp images.
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF)
Microscopy exciting fluorophores within ~100 nm of the coverslip to visualize events at the cell surface.
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
Electron microscopy in which electrons pass through thin sections; resolution ~0.1 nm.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
Electron microscopy scanning specimen surfaces to produce 3-D-like images.
Resolution Limit (Light Microscopy)
Smallest resolvable distance by conventional light microscopes: about 0.2 µm.
Resolution Limit (Electron Microscopy)
Smallest resolvable distance by EM: roughly 0.1 nm.
Differential Centrifugation
Sequential centrifugation at increasing forces to separate organelles by size and density.
Equilibrium Density-Gradient Centrifugation
Centrifugation through a sucrose gradient where organelles band at their buoyant density.
CRISPR/Cas9
Genome-editing system that introduces targeted DNA breaks to disrupt or modify genes.
RNA Interference (siRNA)
Technique using small interfering RNAs to degrade specific mRNAs and silence gene expression.
Small Molecule Inhibitor
Low-molecular-weight compound used to block the function of a specific protein in cells.
Secretory Pathway
Route whereby proteins synthesized in the RER travel through Golgi and secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane or extracellular space.
Early Endosome
First endocytic compartment receiving vesicles from the plasma membrane; sorts cargo.
Late Endosome
Mature endosome that receives material from early endosomes and fuses with lysosomes.
Recycling Endosome
Endosomal compartment that returns selected membranes and receptors to the plasma membrane.
Acidic pH (Lysosomal Environment)
Internal lysosome pH (~5) required for optimal acid hydrolase activity.
Numerical Aperture
Lens parameter that determines the resolving power and brightness in light microscopy.
Fluorophore
Molecule that absorbs light at one wavelength and emits at a longer wavelength; basis of fluorescence imaging.
Spectral Overlap
Undesired excitation or emission overlap between fluorophores; minimizing it increases imaging specificity.
Secretory Vesicle
Membrane vesicle carrying processed proteins from the trans-Golgi to the cell surface for exocytosis.