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BIO 1008 > cells and homeostasis > Flashcards

cells and homeostasis Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the three principles of cell theory?

A
  1. All organisms are made of cells. 2. Cells are the basic functional unit of life. 3. All cells come from pre-existing cells.
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2
Q

What is a prokaryotic cell?

A

A single-celled organism (like bacteria) without a nucleus or cytoskeleton, containing a single circular DNA molecule.

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3
Q

What is a eukaryotic cell?

A

A cell found in all multicellular organisms, containing a nucleus and multiple linear DNA molecules.

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4
Q

What is the cytoskeleton?

A

An internal structure that provides support and shape to the cell.

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5
Q

How are tissues and organs related to cells?

A

Cells form tissues → tissues form organs → organs form systems.

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6
Q

What are the four main types of tissue?

A

Epithelial, Connective, Muscle, and Nervous tissue.

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7
Q

What is adipose tissue?

A

A type of connective tissue that stores fat.

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8
Q

What percentage of our cells are red blood cells?

A

Approximately 70%.

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9
Q

What is intracellular fluid?

A

The fluid inside most of your cells.

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10
Q

What is interstitial fluid?

A

Fluid located between cells.

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11
Q

Why must fluid content in the body be tightly regulated?

A

To prevent diseases like diabetes (glucose), renal disease (albumin), CV disease (electrolytes), or death (high K+).

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12
Q

Why is balancing pH important in humans?

A

To maintain homeostasis via respiratory, metabolic, and renal buffers.

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13
Q

Why do humans need large internal surface areas?

A

To allow efficient fluid exchange, like oxygen in lungs or absorption in the gut.

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14
Q

What increases the surface area of organs like the gut and kidney?

A

Villi.

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15
Q

What is the plasma membrane?

A

The protective outer barrier of the cell.

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16
Q

What is the cytoplasm?

A

The fluid inside the cell.

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17
Q

What is the nucleus?

A

Contains DNA and the nucleolus, which is involved in RNA transcription and ribosome production.

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18
Q

What is the rough endoplasmic reticulum?

A

A network with ribosomes, involved in protein synthesis and folding.

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19
Q

What is the smooth endoplasmic reticulum?

A

Involved in lipid and steroid hormone production.

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20
Q

What is the Golgi complex?

A

The sorting and dispatch center of the cell, responsible for directing proteins to where they are needed.

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21
Q

What is the mitochondrion?

A

The powerhouse of the cell; it produces ATP and has its own DNA.

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22
Q

What are lysosomes?

A

Organelles that degrade damaged proteins and lipids; they have their own membrane.

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23
Q

What is the function of the cytoskeleton?

A

Provides structure, support, and intracellular transport via filaments and tubules.

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24
Q

What are organelles?

A

Cell components that perform specific functions within the cell.

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25
What is the genome?
All the DNA in our cells; it holds instructions for replication, growth, and differentiation.
26
What is the transcriptome?
All RNA synthesized from DNA, including mRNA used for protein production.
27
What is the proteome?
All proteins expressed by a cell, enabling its specific functions.
28
What is the metabolome?
All metabolic products present in a cell.
29
What happens if a cell lacks ribosomes?
It cannot synthesize proteins.
30
What happens if mitochondria are dysfunctional?
ATP production is impaired.
31
What happens if lysosomes are missing?
The cell cannot degrade damaged or oxidized materials.
32
Where are proteins processed and sorted?
In the Golgi complex.
33
What is the plasma membrane?
A phospholipid bilayer that encases the cell and separates the inside from the outside.
34
What does the phospholipid bilayer consist of?
Polar head groups and hydrophobic lipid tails arranged in two opposing layers (leaflets).
35
Why are phospholipid bilayers impermeable to most molecules?
Because the hydrophobic tails block the passage of charged and large molecules.
36
What is diffusion?
The random movement of molecules to eliminate concentration gradients.
37
What is osmosis?
The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane to equalize solute concentrations.
38
What is tonicity?
The gradient of water between two compartments affecting cell shape and water movement.
39
What happens to a cell in a hypertonic solution?
It shrinks as water moves out to balance solute concentrations.
40
What happens to a cell in a hypotonic solution?
It swells as water moves into the cell.
41
What are transmembrane proteins?
Proteins embedded in the membrane that facilitate movement of specific molecules or ions.
42
What is a channel protein?
A membrane protein that allows facilitated diffusion of molecules until equilibrium is reached.
43
What is a transporter protein?
A membrane protein involved in facilitated diffusion or active transport of molecules.
44
What is active transport?
The movement of molecules against their concentration gradient using energy from ATP.
45
What are aquaporins?
Membrane proteins that allow diffusion of water, especially in the kidney and gut.
46
What is saturation in facilitated diffusion?
The slowing of diffusion as proteins become fully occupied with molecules.
47
How do ion channels affect cells?
They conduct charge, creating an electrical potential difference across membranes.
48
What is the sodium-potassium pump?
An active transporter that expels 3 sodium ions and brings in 2 potassium ions using ATP.
49
What is the electrochemical driving force?
It depends on ion concentration gradients and membrane permeability.
50
What is an action potential?
A signal in neurons triggered by voltage-dependent sodium channels opening at -55mV.
51
What follows sodium influx during action potential?
Voltage-gated potassium channels open, repolarizing the cell.
52
What is endocytosis?
The process of molecules entering a cell via vesicles formed from the membrane.
53
What is exocytosis?
The release of molecules from cells as vesicles fuse with the membrane.
54
What is phagocytosis?
The process by which cells engulf and consume large particles.
55
What is homeostasis?
The maintenance of internal consistency in the body.
56
What is negative feedback?
A mechanism that counteracts changes in the system to bring the body back to a set point.
57
What is positive feedback?
A feedback loop that amplifies the initial stimulus to generate a response.
58
What is the role of the nervous system in homeostasis?
It sends fast electrical messages to maintain control of body functions.
59
What is the role of the endocrine system?
It uses slower-acting chemical messengers (hormones) to maintain homeostasis.
60
What is an endocrine gland?
A ductless gland that secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream.
61
What is an exocrine gland?
A gland that releases secretions via ducts to an epithelial surface (e.g., sweat glands).
62
What are the main functions of hormones?
Reproduction, growth, maintenance of internal environment, energy production and storage.
63
What is a ligand?
A molecule that binds to a receptor with high affinity and specificity.
64
What is cellular signalling?
The process by which cells make decisions in response to external stimuli.
65
What are water-soluble hormones?
Peptide hormones that cannot cross the membrane and bind to external receptors.
66
What are tyrosine kinase domains?
Enzymes that phosphorylate proteins, altering their activity.
67
What is phosphorylation?
The addition of a phosphate group to a protein, changing its shape and activity.
68
What is signal amplification?
Kinases transfer phosphates to activate many target proteins from a single signal.
69
What are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs)?
Receptors that generate second messengers to amplify signals inside the cell.
70
What are second messengers?
Small molecules like cAMP and calcium that amplify and transmit signals within the cell.
71
What is GPCR signalling?
G protein binds GTP, activates effector (AC), produces cAMP, and initiates a cascade.
72
Why is calcium important as a second messenger?
It dramatically increases upon activation and changes protein activity and cellular actions.
73
What does calcium trigger in neurons?
Exocytosis of synaptic vesicles and neurotransmitter release.
74
What is the function of oestradiol?
It acts on target organs to stimulate growth, menstruation, and protein production.
75
What does oxytocin do?
Stimulates uterine contractions and breast milk ejection.
76
What triggers ADH (vasopressin) release?
Increased blood osmolarity, decreased blood pressure, or decreased blood volume.
77
What is the main function of ADH?
To reduce water loss through the kidneys.
78
What is cell compartmentalization?
The division of a cell into different compartments to control biochemical reactions efficiently.

BIO 1008 (9 decks)

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