Cell Biology Lecture 4: Organelles and Methods - LEC 4 - Stevens

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Vocabulary flashcards covering key organelles, cellular processes, and experimental methods discussed in Lecture 4 of BIOL 3030 (Organelles and Methods).

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50 Terms

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Lysosome

Single-membrane organelle in animal cells containing acid hydrolases that degrade macromolecules at low pH.

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Endosome

Membrane compartment in the endocytic pathway (early, late, recycling) that sorts material en route to lysosomes.

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Peroxisome

Single-membrane organelle with oxidases and catalase that shortens very-long-chain fatty acids and detoxifies compounds, producing and degrading H₂O₂.

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Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)

ER region lacking ribosomes; synthesizes fatty acids and phospholipids and detoxifies harmful molecules (abundant in liver cells).

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Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)

ER studded with transient ribosomes; synthesizes membrane, ER, Golgi, lysosomal, and secreted proteins.

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Golgi Complex (Golgi Apparatus)

Series of flattened stacked cisternae (cis, medial, trans) that modify (e.g., glycosylate) and sort proteins from the RER.

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Nucleus

Double-membrane organelle housing DNA and nucleolus; site of transcription; envelope continuous with ER.

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Mitochondrion

Double-membrane organelle with cristae; carries out aerobic respiration and ATP production.

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Chloroplast

Double-membrane organelle in plants/algae containing thylakoids and stroma; performs photosynthesis.

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Endosymbiosis

Theory that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated from prokaryotes engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells.

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Endocytosis

Uptake of soluble molecules by plasma-membrane invagination forming vesicles.

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Phagocytosis

Engulfment of large insoluble particles (e.g., bacteria) by the plasma membrane.

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Autophagy

Lysosome-mediated degradation of aged organelles and cellular components.

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β-Oxidation (Peroxisomal)

Shortening of fatty acids >20 C in peroxisomes to acetyl-CoA without ATP production (releases heat).

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Acid Hydrolase

Class of degradative enzymes in lysosomes that are active only at acidic pH.

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Oxidase

Peroxisomal enzyme using O₂ to oxidize substrates, generating H₂O₂.

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Catalase

Peroxisomal enzyme that converts toxic H₂O₂ into H₂O and O₂.

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Cristae

Infoldings of the inner mitochondrial membrane that increase surface area for oxidative phosphorylation.

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Thylakoid

Membranous sac inside chloroplasts where light reactions occur; stacks form grana.

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Stroma

Aqueous matrix of chloroplasts surrounding thylakoids; site of carbon fixation.

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Cytoskeleton

Network of actin filaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments giving cells shape and transport capability.

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Tissue Culture

Technique of growing living cells in vitro under controlled laboratory conditions.

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Organoid

3-D cell culture that self-organizes into mini-organ structures, useful for studying development and disease.

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Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS)

Flow-cytometry method that sorts cells based on fluorescence intensity.

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Light Microscopy

Imaging with visible light; conventional resolution limit ≈ 0.2 µm.

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Fluorescence Microscopy

Light microscopy using excitation/emission of fluorophores to visualize specific molecules in cells.

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Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)

Autofluorescent protein genetically fused to targets for live-cell imaging.

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Immunofluorescence

Technique employing fluorophore-conjugated antibodies to locate specific proteins in fixed cells.

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Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)

Fluorescence method detecting molecular proximity (<10 nm) to study protein-protein interactions.

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Super-Resolution Microscopy

Group of light techniques (e.g., STORM, PALM) surpassing diffraction limit for nanoscale imaging.

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Confocal Microscopy

Optical sectioning method using a pinhole to capture single focal planes for sharp images.

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Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF)

Microscopy exciting fluorophores within ~100 nm of the coverslip to visualize events at the cell surface.

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Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)

Electron microscopy in which electrons pass through thin sections; resolution ~0.1 nm.

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Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

Electron microscopy scanning specimen surfaces to produce 3-D-like images.

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Resolution Limit (Light Microscopy)

Smallest resolvable distance by conventional light microscopes: about 0.2 µm.

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Resolution Limit (Electron Microscopy)

Smallest resolvable distance by EM: roughly 0.1 nm.

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Differential Centrifugation

Sequential centrifugation at increasing forces to separate organelles by size and density.

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Equilibrium Density-Gradient Centrifugation

Centrifugation through a sucrose gradient where organelles band at their buoyant density.

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CRISPR/Cas9

Genome-editing system that introduces targeted DNA breaks to disrupt or modify genes.

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RNA Interference (siRNA)

Technique using small interfering RNAs to degrade specific mRNAs and silence gene expression.

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Small Molecule Inhibitor

Low-molecular-weight compound used to block the function of a specific protein in cells.

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Secretory Pathway

Route whereby proteins synthesized in the RER travel through Golgi and secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane or extracellular space.

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Early Endosome

First endocytic compartment receiving vesicles from the plasma membrane; sorts cargo.

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Late Endosome

Mature endosome that receives material from early endosomes and fuses with lysosomes.

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Recycling Endosome

Endosomal compartment that returns selected membranes and receptors to the plasma membrane.

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Acidic pH (Lysosomal Environment)

Internal lysosome pH (~5) required for optimal acid hydrolase activity.

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Numerical Aperture

Lens parameter that determines the resolving power and brightness in light microscopy.

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Fluorophore

Molecule that absorbs light at one wavelength and emits at a longer wavelength; basis of fluorescence imaging.

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Spectral Overlap

Undesired excitation or emission overlap between fluorophores; minimizing it increases imaging specificity.

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Secretory Vesicle

Membrane vesicle carrying processed proteins from the trans-Golgi to the cell surface for exocytosis.