Ch.6 A Tour of the Cell Flashcards
(131 cards)
Light Microscope
An optical instrument with lenses that refract (bend) visible light to magnify images of specimens
Organelles
Any of several membranes-enclosed structures with specialized functions, suspended in the cytosol of eukaryotic cells
Electron Microscope
A microscope that uses magnets to focus an electron beam on/through a specimen, resulting in a practical resolution that is 100x greater than a light microscope
Transmission Electron Microscope
A microscope that passes an electron beam through very thin sections stained w/metal atoms and is primarily used to study the internal structure of cells
Cell Fractionation
The disruption of a cell and separation of its parts by centrifugation at successively higher speeds
Cells
The basic structural and functional units of every organism
Cytosol
Semifluid portion of the cytoplasm in which subcellular components are suspended
Nucleoid
A non-membrane enclosed region in a prokaryotic cell where its chromosome is located
Eukaryotic Cell
A type of cell with a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles
Prokaryote Cell
A type of cell lacking a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles
Fimbriae
Attachment structures on the surface of some prokaryotes
Cell Wall
Rigid structure outside the plasma membrane
Glycocalyx
Outer coating of many prokaryotes consisting of a capsule or a slime layer
Flagella
Locomotion organelles of some prokaryotes
Cytoplasm
The contents of the cell bounded by the plasma membrane; in eukaryotes, the portion exclusive of the nucleus
Plasma Membrane
The membrane at the boundary of every cell that acts as a selective barrier, regulating the cell’s chemical composition
Microvilli
Long, thin projections from cells surface which increase surface area without an appreciable increase in volume
Nucleus
Organelle of a eukaryotic cell that contains the genetic material in the form of chromosomes, made up of chromatin
Nuclear Envelope
The double membrane that surrounds the nucleus, perforated with pores that regulate traffic with the cytoplasm. The outer membrane is continuous with the ER
Pore Complex
A protein structure that lines each pore and plays an important role in regulating the entry and exit of proteins and RNAs, as well as large complexes of macromolecules
Nuclear Lamina
A netlike array of protein filaments that lines the inner surface of the nuclear envelope and helps maintain the shape of the nucleus
Nuclear Matrix
A framework of protein fibers extending throughout the nuclear interior
Chromosomes
Structures that carry the genetic information. Each contains one long DNA molecule associated with many proteins.
Nucleolus
A specialized structure in the nucleus, consisting of chromosomal regions containing ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes along w/ribosomal proteins imported from the cytoplasm; site of rRNA synthesis and ribosomal subunit assembly