Chapter 3: Cells Flashcards
(129 cards)
Cell Theory
- The cell is the smallest unit of life
- All organisms are made of one or cells
- Cells only arise from other cells (mitosis) with the exception of sperm and ovum cells which arise by meiosis
The principle of Complementarity of structure and function
The activities of cells are dictated by their shapes, and by the types and relative numbers of the subcellular structures they contain.
-A cells shape reflects its function
3 main parts to a human cell
- Plasma Membrane
- Cytoplasm
- The nucleus
Plasma membrane
- A main part to a human cell (1/3)
- The outer boundary of the cell, which acts as a selectively permeable barrier
Cytoplasm
- A main part to a human cell (2/3)
- The intracellular fluid packed with organelles
The Nucleus
- A main part to a human cell (3/3)
- An organelle that controls cellular activities
Extracellular Materials
Are substances contributing to body mass found outside the cells.
- This includes:
- Extracellular Fluid (ECF)–interstitial fluid; blood plasma; and cerebrospinal fluid
- Cellular Secretions
- Extracellular Matrix
Extracellular Fluid (ECF)
- ECF dissolves and transports substances in the body.
- Includes interstitial fluid and cerebrospinal fluid
Interstitial Fluid
- Is the fluid in tissues that bathes all of our cells, has endless major roles to play
- think about it like a nutritious soup, containing ingredients like: amino acids, sugars, fatty acids, regulatory substances, and wastes
Cellular Secretions
- Extracellular Materials
- These secretions include substances that aid in digestion (intestinal and gastric fluids) and some that act as lubricants (saliva, mucus, and serous fluids)
Extracellular Matrix
- The most abundant extracellular material
- Composed of proteins and polysaccharides (jelly-like substances)
- Secreted by the cells
- These molecules self assemble into an organized mesh in the extracellular space, where they serve as a universal “CELL GLUE” that helps bind body cells together
- Particularly abundant in connective tissues
Plasma Membrane
- Separates 2 of the body’s major fluid compartments:
- intracellular fluid within cells
- extracellular fluid outside cells
The Fluid Mosaic Model
- Depicts the PLASMA MEMBRANE as a very thin structure composed of a bilayer (double layer) of lipid molecules with protein molecules “plugged into” or dispersed in it.
- The proteins, many of which float in the fluid lipid bilayer, form a constantly changing mosaic pattern
Membrane Lipids
Constructed largely of phospholipids and smaller amounts of cholesterol
Phospholipids
- Membrane lipid
- the polar hydrophilic heads (includes phosphate group) of phospholipids are attracted to water. they lie on the inner and outer surfaces of the membrane
-the nonpolar hydrophobic tails (fatty acids) of phospholipids avoid water and line up in the center of the membrane
Cholesterol
- Membrane lipid
- Makes up 20% of membrane lipid
- Has a polar region (hydroxyl group) and a nonpolar region (its fused ring system)
- Wedges its platelike hydrocarbon rings between the phospholipid tails, which stiffens the membrane
- Increases membrane stability and fluidity
Membrane Proteins
-Proteins make up half of the plasma membrane by mass and are responsible for most of the specialized membrane functions Membrane proteins perform many tasks: -Transport -Receptors for signal transduction -enzymatic activity -cell-cell recognition -attachment to the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM) -Cell to cell joining slide 12 in ppw
Lipid Rafts
- 20% of the outer membrane surface
- Contain phospholipids, sphingolipids, and cholesterol
- May function as stable platforms for cell-signaling molecules or receptors
Membrane Proteins- TRANSPORT
- A protein that spans the membrane may provide a hydrophilic channel across the membrane that is selective for a particular solute
- Some transport proteins hydrolyze ATP as an energy source to actively pump substances across the membrane
Membrane Proteins-Receptors for signal transduction
- A membrane protein exposed to the outside of the cell may have a binding site that fits the shape of a specific chemical messenger, such as a hormone
- when bound, the chemical messenger may cause a change in shape in the protein that initiates a chain of chemical reactions in the cell
Membrane Proteins-enzymatic activity
A membrane protein may be an enzyme with its active site exposed to substances in the adjacent solution
Membrane Proteins-cell-cell recognition
some glycoproteins (proteins bonded to short chains of sugars which help to make up the glycocalyx) serve as ID tags that are specifically recognized by other cells
Membrane Proteins-attachment to the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM)
elements of the cytoskeleton (cell’s internal framework) and the extracellular matrix (fibers and other substances outside the cell) may anchor to membrane proteins
-helps maintain cell shape, fixes the location of certain membrane proteins, and plays a role in cell movement
Membrane Proteins-Cell to cell joining
membrane proteins of adjacent cells may be hooked tg in various kinds of intercellular junctions
-some membrane proteins (cell adhesion molecules or CAMS) of this group provide temporary binding sites that guide cell migration and other cell-to-cell interactions