AP Bio 2.9 Cell Compartmentalization

cell compartmentalization

• membranes separate cells’ internal environments from their external environments, but also separate compartments within a cell

  • plasma membrane is the outer membrane that separates the internal environment from the external environment

  • membranes can also separate internal compartments

• prokaryotic cells do not have internal membranes that separate processes out

  • not compartmentalized, but still have internal regions with specialized structures

  • most living things on Earth are prokaryotes

    • ex. bacteria, archaea

  • are single-celled organisms

• eukaryotic cells have internal membranes that keep cellular processes separate

  • compartmentalized; each specialized structure is separated by a membrane

  • ‘eu’karyotic cells make up you

• internal membranes make cellular processes more efficient

  • decrease competing interactions

    • reactants and products of one set of reactions might otherwise interfere with those another one, causing inefficiency

  • increase surface area for interactions to occur

    • having more membranes increases the internal surface area of structures on which reactants can occur