Biology Review: The Microscope, Cells, DNA, Cell Cycle and Cancer

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts from biology, focused on microscope usage, cell structures, DNA, the cell cycle, and cancer.

What is biology?

The study of life and living things.

What are the 7 characteristics of living things?

Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition.

What does MRS GREN stand for?

Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition.

What are the three main statements of the Cell Theory?

1) All living things are made of one or more cells. 2) Cells are the smallest living things (smallest units of life). 3) All cells come from other pre-existing cells.

What is a compound light microscope?

An instrument used to magnify small objects using light and multiple lenses.

How is a robot like a living thing?

Robots require energy.

How are robots unlike living things?

1) Not made of cells. 2) Cannot grow or develop. 3) Cannot reproduce.

What part of the microscope is the ocular lens?

The lens you look through.

What does the coarse adjustment knob do?

Moves the stage up and down to focus an image.

What should you never use with the high power objective lens?

The coarse adjustment knob.

Why must the coarse adjustment knob not be used at high power?

It may crash the lens into the slide.

What is total magnification?

The product of the ocular magnification and the objective magnification.

If the ocular lens is 8x and the objective lens is 20x, what is the total magnification?

160x.

What is a wet mount?

A technique used to prepare a specimen for viewing under a microscope.

What is a mounting medium?

A liquid in which the specimen is placed to help hold it in place and enhance visibility.

What stain is used for cheek cells?

Methylene blue.

What stain is used for onion cells?

Iodine.

Why should a coverslip be held by the edges?

To prevent fingerprints on the coverslip.

Why should the coverslip be lowered at a 45° angle?

To prevent air bubbles from forming under it.

What parts of animal cells can be seen under a light microscope?

Cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus.

What additional structure do plant cells have?

Cell wall and large central vacuole.

What does the nucleus do?

Controls the cell's activities and houses DNA.

What is DNA?

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries genetic information.

What are the functions of ribosomes?

Reads DNA recipes and synthesizes proteins.

What is the role of the endoplasmic reticulum?

Transports materials, including proteins, throughout the cell.

What does the Golgi apparatus do?

Packages proteins into vesicles for transport.

What do mitochondria do?

Generate energy for the cell through cellular respiration.

What is the function of chloroplasts?

Conduct photosynthesis in plant cells.

What does cellular respiration produce?

Energy, carbon dioxide, and water from glucose and oxygen.

What is a gene?

A segment of DNA that contains the instructions for making a specific protein.

What happens during interphase?

The cell grows, carries out normal functions, and replicates its DNA.

What are the two main stages of the cell cycle?

Interphase and mitosis.

What is mitosis?

The process of cell division where one cell divides into two identical daughter cells.

What happens during prophase?

Chromatin condenses into chromosomes, and the nuclear envelope dissolves.

What occurs during metaphase?

Chromosomes align in the middle of the cell.

What happens in anaphase?

Chromosomes are pulled apart to opposite ends of the cell.

What occurs in telophase?

Nuclear membranes reform around each set of chromosomes.

What is cytokinesis?

The division of the cytoplasm between the two daughter cells.

What is a benign tumor?

A tumor that is non-invasive and does not spread to other parts of the body.

What is a malignant tumor?

A tumor that is invasive and can spread to other parts of the body.

What is metastasis?

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

What are carcinogens?

Substances that can cause cancer.

What is the difference between DNA and chromatin?

DNA is coiled into chromosomes during cell division, while chromatin is the loose form of DNA when the cell is not dividing.

What are common types of mutations?

Deletion, insertion, duplication, and inversion.

Do all mutations cause cancer?

No, only specific mutations that promote uncontrolled cell growth can lead to cancer.

What is hyperplasia?

An increase in the number of cells due to rapid division.

What is dysplasia?

Abnormal cell growth that leads to more mutations.

What occurs during a tumor in situ?

Abnormal cells grow but do not invade surrounding tissues.

What happens when cancer metastasizes?

Cancer cells invade surrounding tissues and spread throughout the body.

What are the main differences between normal cells and cancer cells?

Cancer cells grow uncontrollably, have irregular shapes, and crowd together.

What is chemotherapy?

A treatment method using chemicals that target rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells.

What is radiation therapy?

A treatment using high-energy radiation to damage DNA in cancer cells.

What role does insulin play in cells?

Helps glucose move into the cells.

What is the function of vesicles?

To store membranes and proteins for the cell.

What is the main purpose of chlorophyll in plants?

To capture light energy for photosynthesis.

What is the difference between healthy and cancerous cells in terms of growth?

Healthy cells grow and divide in a controlled manner while cancer cells do so uncontrollably.

What is the main function of lysosomes?

To break down waste materials and cellular debris.

What does the term 'excretion' mean in the context of living organisms?

The process of removing waste products from the body.

What happens to chromosomes during prophase?

They condense and become visible as distinct structures.

What is the sequence of events during DNA replication?

Unwinding, unzipping, matching bases, and bonding the phosphate-sugar backbone.

What is a cell plate?

A structure that forms during cytokinesis in plant cells to separate the daughter cells.

What is the effect of ultraviolet radiation on DNA?

It can cause mutations that might lead to cancer.

How might a benign tumor turn into a malignant one?

If it acquires more mutations that promote uncontrolled growth.

Why is it important to compare plant and animal cells?

To understand their differences in structure and function.

What are centrioles responsible for during cell division?

Forming spindle fibers to pull apart chromosomes.

What distinguishes the endoplasmic reticulum from the Golgi apparatus?

Endoplasmic reticulum transports materials, while Golgi apparatus packages them.

What is the function of the cytoplasm?

Supports cell components and is the site of metabolic processes.

How do cells communicate with each other?

Through signaling molecules and receptors.

What defines the lifespan of a cell?

The period during which a cell performs its functions before dying.

Why is nutrient diffusion vital for cells?

Nutrients provide energy and materials necessary for cellular functions.

What can happen to a cell that becomes too large?

It may die due to insufficient nutrient uptake or waste removal.