Exam 1 Flashcards
(314 cards)
What are the two components of phospholipids?
Hydrophilic head (charged and polar) Hydrophobic tail (nonpolar) that is made up of fatty acids and impermeable to water soluble molecules.
Describe the function of phospholipids.
Barrier with selective permeability. Makes up the phospholipid bilayer.
What are the three components of the nucleus?
Chromatin, nuclear envelope and the nucleolus.
What are the two kinds of chromatin and how do they structurally differ?
Euchromatin and heterochromatin. Euchromatin is a less coiled chromatin and heterochromatin is condensed.
What is the functional difference between euchromatin and heterochromatin?
Euchromatin is transcriptionally active, whereas heterochromatin is transcriptionally inactive.
Describe the components of the nuclear envelope and the structure of each.
There is an outer and inner membrane. The outer membrane is continuous with the membrane from the ER and thus, has ribosomes attached. The inner membrane is associated with lamin (intermediate filaments) which stabilize the envelope.
What stabilizes the nuclear envelope?
Lamins (intermediate filaments)
What chromatin is associated with RNA synthesis?
Euchromatin
Describe the function of the nucleolus.
It is the site of rRNA synthesis and assembles ribosomal subunits.
Describe how ribosomal subunits are imported to the nucleolus.
The ribosomal subunits are imported from the cytoplasm through the nuclear pore complex.
What is the function of the nuclear pore complex.
To create bidirectional communication between the inner and outer membranes of the nuclear envelope.
Describe how the nucleolus looks under an EM.
Nucleolus is very dark (basophilic) due to its concentrated rRNA.
When would the nucleolus be visible while looking under an EM.
When cells are active in protein synthesis.
Why is the nucleolus very dark when stained.
Is the nucleolus basophilic or acidophilic, and why?
It is basophilic because there are acidic components in the cell. The nucleolus is dense with concentrated ribonucleic acid that are active in protein synthesis, and have affinity towards basic stains (basophilic).
What are the phases in mitosis?
Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase and Telephase.
Describe prophase.
Chromosomes condense and become visible.
Nuclear envelope disappears.
Describe metaphase.
Mitotic spindle becomes organized around the centrioles and chromosomes align along the equatorial/metaphase plate.
In what phase do chromosomes align to the equatorial plate?
Metaphase.
In what phase do centromeres split?
Anaphase
In what phase is cytokinesis visible?
Telephase
Describe anaphase.
Centromeres split and chromatids are separated due to the pull of kinetochore microtubules.
The pull comes from the mitotic spindle (microtubules) shortening.
Where is glycogen most abundant?
Skeletal muscle and liver cells
Where are lipids most abundant?
Adipocytes, adrenal cortex and liver cells
Where is melanin (pigment) most abundant?
The skin, hair and pigmented layer of the retina.