All Flashcards
Define Ribosomes.
Sites of protein synthesis, reading mRNA and assembling amino acids into polypeptides. Composed of rRNA and proteins.
Define Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER).
A network involved in mechanical support, intracellular transport, and compartmentalization. Types include Rough ER and Smooth ER.
Define Golgi Complex.
Organelle responsible for protein modification (folding, glycosylation), sorting, and packaging for transport.
Define Mitochondria.
Organelle responsible for ATP production through cellular respiration; has a double membrane and its own DNA.
Define Lysosomes.
Organelles containing hydrolytic enzymes for breaking down cellular waste and worn-out parts; involved in apoptosis.
Define Vacuoles.
Organelles for the storage of macromolecules, waste, and water; large central vacuole in plant cells maintains turgor pressure.
Define Chloroplasts.
Organelles responsible for photosynthesis, capturing solar energy and making sugars; contain thylakoids and grana.
Define Osmosis.
The movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane from an area of high water potential (low solute concentration) to low water potential (high solute concentration).
Define Water Potential.
The tendency of water to move from one area to another, influenced by pressure potential and solute potential; water moves from high to low water potential.
Define Endosymbiotic Theory.
The theory that organelles like mitochondria and chloroplasts were once free-living prokaryotic cells that were engulfed by a host cell.
What are the key differences between Rough ER and Smooth ER?
Rough ER: Studded with ribosomes, involved in protein synthesis and modification. | Smooth ER: Detoxification, lipid synthesis, and maintaining cellular homeostasis.
What are the key differences between active and passive transport?
Passive Transport: High to low concentration, no energy required. | Active Transport: Low to high concentration, requires energy (ATP).
Differentiate between diffusion and osmosis.
Diffusion: Movement of any molecule from high to low concentration. | Osmosis: Specifically the movement of water from high water potential to low water potential.
What are the differences between endocytosis and exocytosis?
Endocytosis: Bulk material into the cell. | Exocytosis: Bulk material out of the cell.
Compare and contrast mitochondria and chloroplasts.
Mitochondria: ATP production via cellular respiration, double membrane, own DNA. | Chloroplasts: Photosynthesis, double membrane, own DNA.
What are the key steps of cellular respiration in the mitochondria?
- Glycolysis (in cytoplasm), 2. Citric Acid/Krebs Cycle (in mitochondrial matrix), 3. Oxidative Phosphorylation (in the inner membrane).
What are the two main stages of photosynthesis in chloroplasts?
- Light-dependent reactions (in the grana), 2. Light-independent reactions (Calvin Cycle) (in the stroma).
Describe the process of protein synthesis.
- Transcription of DNA into mRNA, 2. mRNA travels to ribosome, 3. Translation: ribosome reads mRNA and assembles amino acids into a polypeptide chain.
Describe the steps of exocytosis.
- Vesicle containing material moves to the cell membrane, 2. Vesicle membrane fuses with the cell membrane, 3. Material is released outside the cell.
Describe the steps of endocytosis.
- Cell membrane surrounds the material to be ingested, 2. Membrane folds inward, forming a vesicle, 3. Vesicle pinches off and enters the cell.