Cell Biology Exam Review

Flashcards created to help review key terms and concepts from the cell biology lecture notes.

Crawling Cells

Cells that move by extending structures like filopodia and lamellipodia. They adhere to the floor as aposed to swimming

Actin-based Cell Motility

Cell movement powered by the polymerization and rearrangement of actin filaments.

Filopodium

A thin, pointed protrusion of a crawling cell.

Lamellipodium

An extended sheet of cytoplasm at the leading edge of a crawling cell.

Leading Edge

The front part of the cell where it moves forward.

Trailing Edge

The back part of the cell that follows the leading edge during movement.

Cell Cortex

The cytoskeletal network beneath the plasma membrane, made of microfilaments.

Adhesion

The process of cells sticking to surfaces or other cells, necessary for Crawling cells.

Contraction

The process whereby muscle fibers shorten, contributing to cell movement.

Cell Adhesion Proteins

Proteins that enable cells to adhere to each other and the extracellular matrix.

Integrins

Transmembrane proteins that facilitate cell-ECM adhesion.

Selectins

A type of cell adhesion protein important for leukocyte binding.

Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome

A genetic disorder associated with defects in white blood cell motion.

Extravasation

The process where leukocytes exit the circulatory system to enter tissues.

Cancer Metastasis

The spread of cancer cells from the original tumor to other parts of the body.

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)

A biological process allowing epithelial cells to undergo changes to a mesenchymal cell phenotype.

Angiogenesis

The formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels, often involved in tumor growth.