Ch. 6-8 Flashcards
Cells, membranes, and enzymes (197 cards)
cell
is the simplest unit necessary for all the activities of life
Robert Hooke
used the first microscope and coined the term “cell”
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
the father of microbiology
magnification
the process of making an object appear larger when viewed through a microscope or other optical devices
resolution
a measure of image clarity
contrast
the difference in light intensity between a sample and its background (ex: staining samples)
plasma membrane
the membrane at the boundary of every cell that acts as a selective barrier, regulating the cell’s chemical composition
cytoplasm
the contents of the cell bounded by the plasma membrane, in eukaryotes, the portion exclusive of the nucleus
chromosomes
organizing units of DNA
ribosomes
complexes made of ribosomal RNA and protein; sites of protein synthesis
bacteria cell walls
composed of peptidoglycan; typically a singular circular DNA based chromosome
nucleoid
a region in a prokaryotic cell that contains most or all of the cell’s genetic material
capsule
a protective, gelatinous layer that surrounds the cell wall of certain bacteria and some fungi, typically composed of polysaccharides, which acts as a barrier against harmful substances and helps the cell adhere to surfaces
flagella
microscopic hair-like structures involved in the locomotion of a cell
fimbriae
thin, hair-like protein appendages found on the surface of bacterial cells, which function to help the bacteria adhere to surfaces by acting as attachment points to specific receptors on host cells
Why are most cells microscopic?
-oxygen and nutrients need to diffuse across the plasma membrane into the cell and wastes need to diffuse out of the cell
-cells must maintain a high surface area to volume ratio
-more surface area provides cells with more contact points with the environment
prokaryotes
single cell organisms that do not have a nucleus or other organelles
eukaryotes
have a nucleus and other internal membrane bound organelles
nucleus
a membrane-bound organelle that contains the cell’s genetic material (DNA) organized into chromosomes
chromosomes
cellular structures carrying genetic material found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells; consists of a very long DNA molecule and associated proteins
chromatin
the complex of DNA and proteins that make up eukaryotic chromosomes
nucleolus
a specialized region within a nucleus that contains the genes from multiple chromosomes that code for rRNA; primarily responsible for producing and assembling the cell’s ribosomes, which are imported from the cytoplasm
nuclear envelope
double membrane that surrounds the nucleus; a complex structure that separates the nucleus from the cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells
nuclear pore complex
mediates transport of all macromolecules between the nucleus and the cytoplasm