Cells and Macromolecules Flashcards
Differentiate between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Prokaryotes - “cells with no defined
nucleus”; no organelles
Eukaryotes - “cells with a true
nucleus”; membrane-bound organelles
Identify which is the prokaryotic cell and which is the eukaryotic cell.
Left is prokaryotic; right is eukaryotic
List some prokaryotic structures.
- Plasma membrane
- cell wall
- cytoplasm
- nucleoid
- ribosomes
- internal membranes
- inclusion bodies
- flagella
List the four macromolecules of life
- Sugars
- Fatty Acids
- Amino Acids
- Nucleotides
Identify the polymers created by the four basic monomers of life.
Sugars –> polysaccharides
Fatty acids –> fats, lipids, membranes
Amino acids –> proteins
Nucleotides –> nucleic acids
How are monomers linked together to form polymers?
Covalent bonds
What is a function of protein that all cells utilizes?
Enzymes
How are structure and function linked in proteins?
Structure indicates a protein’s function.
Lipids polymerize differently than the other monomers of macromolecules? Identify this.
Instead of being covalently bound, lipids are held together by hydrophobic forces.
Explain how hydrophobic forces hold lipids together.
The head of the phospholipid is hydrophilic while the fatty acid tails are hydrophobic. Thus, when confronted with water, phospholipids will orient themselves such that the heads are aligned with the water and the heads are shielded from it.
Provide and example of hydrophobic forces and lipids in the body.
The phospholipid bilayer of cell membranes.
Explain how scientists used Streptococcus pneumoniae to determine that DNA carries the heritable information of a cell.
- ‘Smooth (S)’ strain causes pneumonia
- ‘Rough (R)’ strain does not cause pneumonia
- Extract and purify different macromolecules from the S strain and transfer it to the R strain
- The R strain which received DNA of S strain gets converted to an S train
- R strains which received other molecules of the S strain does not get converted
What are the three steps of the central dogma?
- Storage and inheritance of genetic information
- Processing genetic information to build proteins
- Proteins built according to genetic information
Provide examples of cellular activity performed by proteins.
- Catalyzing metabolic reactions
- Build cellular structures
- Send receive signals
What is the issue of the central dogma in eukaryotes?
Cellular functions are compartmentalized in eukaryotes. DNA is stored in the nucleus while ribosomes, which translate mRNA into protein, is located in the cytoplasm. Thus, mRNA needs to be transferred out of the nucleus in order to be translated into proteins.
