UNIT 2 - B 2.2 - Organelles and Compartmentalization Flashcards
(97 cards)
What is cell compartmentalization?
The isolation of reactions so they don’t interfere with one another
What is the result of cell compartmentalization?
cells work much more efficiently
What is reductionism?
Studying cells by breaking them down into individual components
What does fractionation refer to in biochemical fractionation?
the separation and isolation of spedivid chemicals/structures so detailed research can be carried out
What is another word for cell fractionation?
Centrifugation
What does centrifugation allow?
the extraction of organelles from the cell
What is the process of cell fractionation?
cells are mixed in a tube with substances that break down the cell membranes, the sample is spun in an ultracentrifuge to isolate the different components, larger/heavier components go to the bottom of the tube and seperate at lower speeds
What technique is effective in isolating pure substances such as amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and plant pigmants?
chromatography
What is the process of chromatography?
A mixture of molecules is placed in a separating medium, and the molecules seperate depending on size and speed they travel through the medium
How does gel electrophoresis separate molecules?
by passing them through a gel using an electric charge
What are molecules separated based on with gel electrophoresis?
size and charge
Why are barriers around organelles important?
It allows the chemical reactions in an organelle to not be interfered with from the rest of the cell
What components of cells are not organelles?
cell wall, cytoskeleton, and cytoplasm
What components of cells are considered organelles?
nucleus, vesicles, ribosomes, plasma membrane, cilia/flagella, golgi apparatus, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and lysosomes
What are the processes responsible for the production of proteins called?
transcription and translation
What is involved in transcription?
a DNA strand acts as a template for the formation of mRNA
What is involved in translation?
Ribosomes use the code from the mRNA to produce polypeptide chains
Where does transcription occur?
the nucleus of eukaryotic cells
Where does translation occur?
in the cytoplasm
What does the seperation of transcription and translation allow?
post-transcriptional modifications of mRNA to occur in the nucleus before translation occurs in the cytoplasm
How does the transcription/translation process differ in prokayotic cells?
The two processes are not isolated so mRNA can come into contact with ribosomes and start translation immediately without any modifications
What does the number and size of organelles depend on?
the overall function of the cell in which they occur
What do acinar cells specialize in?
The secretion of digestive enzymes
Which organelles are greatly enlarged in acinar cells?
the ER, golgi apparatus and granule storage compartments