Life at a Cellular level

Question 1

What are cells?

Answer 1

Basic unit for living organisms

Question 2

Why are cells small?

Answer 2

So they have larger ratios, can allow gases to be exchanged easily and can diffuse

Question 3

What is a prokaryotic cell?

Answer 3

Bacteria

Question 4

What is a eukaryotic cell?

Answer 4

Human cell

Question 5

What do prokaryotic cells not contain?

Answer 5

Nuclei, mitochondria and membrane-bound structures

Question 6

What do eukaryotic cells contain?

Answer 6

Nuclei and membrane-bound structures

Question 7

What are stem cells?

Answer 7

Unspecialised cells that can differentiate into other cell types

Question 8

What are cancer cells?

Answer 8

Cells that fail to respond to cell-cycle regulations and divide uncontrollably throughout the body

Question 9

What is the 1st law of thermodynamics?

Answer 9

Energy can’t be created or destroyed

Question 10

What is the 2nd law of thermodynamics?

Answer 10

Energy transformations increase entropy as heat is produced

Question 11

What is a dynamic steady state?

Answer 11

Equilibrium can not be reached as the products in one pathway can be used in another. It is a Continuation state due to food supplying and waste removing. Entropy can be used to increase the order of other compounds.

Question 12

What is metabolism?

Answer 12

The chemical process by living organisms that allows food to be broken down for tissue growth. It is a mix of anabolic and catabolic reactions.

Question 13

What is an anabolic reaction?

Answer 13

Energy is required. Non-spotaneous. Delta G= +ve

Question 14

What is a catabolic reaction?

Answer 14

Energy is released. Spontaneous. Delta G= -ve.

Question 15

What happens to the energy released by catabolic reactions?

Answer 15

It is used up by anabolic reactions in oder to produce more ordered compounds

Question 16

What is the function of free-energy carriers?

Answer 16

They couple anabolic and catabolic reactions using phosphate group transfers

Question 17

What are examples of free-energy carriers?

Answer 17

ATP and ADP

Question 18

Where are electron carriers used?

Answer 18

In redox reactions

Question 19

What are examples of electron-carriers?

Answer 19

NAD, NADP and FAD

Question 20

What is substrate level phosphorylation?

Answer 20

ATP is produced by the phosphate group of a phosphorylated compound being transferred to ADP

Question 21

What is oxidative phosphorylation?

Answer 21

The process by which enzymes oxidise cells to release energy which is used to create ATP

Question 22

What are the major elements?

Answer 22

O,H,C,N,Na,Cl,K,Ca,S,P

Question 23

What do functional groups affect?

Answer 23

The way molecules interact with each other

Question 24

What is configuration?

Answer 24

The fixed arrangement of arms in a molecule (Cis or Trans)

Question 25

What is conformation?

Answer 25

The precise arrangement of atoms in a molecule (free rotation)

Question 26

What are the chemical reactions that occur in living organisms?

Answer 26

Redox, hydrolysis/condensation, internal rearrangements, making/breaking C-C and group transfers

Question 27

What is a protein?

Answer 27

Polymers of amino acid monomers joined together by peptide bonds

Question 28

What is a nucleic acid?

Answer 28

Polymers of nucleotide monomers linked by phosphodiester bonds

Question 29

What are polysaccharides?

Answer 29

Polymers of monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bonds

Question 30

What are cell membranes made up of?

Answer 30

Phospholipids, which creates a phospholipid bilayer

Question 31

What is a cytoskeleton?

Answer 31

Structure made up of microfilaments and microtubules

Question 32

What is the function of a cytoskeleton?

Answer 32

Provides strength and allows for cell motility

Question 33

What are H-bonds?

Answer 33

Bonds between the electronegative atom and an electropositive H atom

Question 34

What type of molecules are water-soluble?

Answer 34

Molecules with H bonds

Question 35

What type of H-bond is most favourable in water?

Answer 35

Water-solute

Question 36

What does amphiphatic molecule?

Answer 36

A molecule that contains both hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts

Question 37

What is an example of an amphiphatic molecule?

Answer 37

Phospholipid

Question 38

What is pH?

Answer 38

A measure of proton concentration

Question 39

What is a buffer?

Answer 39

Solutions of weak acids. Acids dissociate to acid-base pairs in solution.

Question 40

How is pH kept constant?

Answer 40

Equilibriums maintaining Ka and Kw

Question 41

What does a nucleus contain?

Answer 41

DNA, nucleoprotein and some RNA

Question 42

What is a nucleolus?

Answer 42

Site for ribosomal RNA synthesis

Question 43

What is the Endoplasmic Reticulum?

Answer 43

Interconnecting network of membranous tubules, vesicles and faltered sacs

Question 44

What are the 2 types of Endoplasmic Reticulum?

Answer 44

Rough and Smooth

Question 45

Why is the endoplasmic reticulum rough?

Answer 45

Ribosomes

Question 46

What is the function of the rough endoplasmic reticulum?

Answer 46

Synthesis of packaged proteins

Question 47

What is the function of smooth endoplasmic reticulum?

Answer 47

Membrane synthesis and repair

Question 48

What is a ribosome?

Answer 48

Small organelle of 2 subunits that is used to create protein in cells

Question 49

What is a Golgi apparatus?

Answer 49

Stack of flattened vesicles that are used to process secretary proteins and to synthesise polysaccharides

Question 50

What is a lysosome?

Answer 50

Membrane bound organelles that act as cellular stomachs ad contain granular materials

Question 51

What is a peroxisome?

Answer 51

Small membrane bound organelles that contain enzymes (oxidase and catalase)

Question 52

What is a mitochondrion?

Answer 52

Mobile organelle that contains a permeable membrane made of porin and an inner folded membrane containing amorphous matrix

Question 53

What is a flagellum?

Answer 53

Long organelle made up of microtubules that moves like a snake

Question 54

What is a cilium?

Answer 54

Small organelle that is made up of microtubules that moves stiffly