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66 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is Actin filament?
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Part of the cytoskeleton. Actin filaments contract or lengthen to give cells the flexibility to move and change shape. Together with myosin, actin filaments are responsible for muscle contraction.
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What are Adult stem cells?
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Cells that can renew themselves and differentiate into a limited number of specialized cell types. They replace and renew damaged issues.
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What is Amino Acid?
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A chemical building block of proteins. There are 20 standard amino acids. A protein consists of a specific sequence of amino acids.
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What is Antibody?
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A protein produced by the immune system in response to a foreign substance such as a virus or bacterium.
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What is ATP, adenosine triphosphate?
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The major source of energy for bio-chemical reactions in all organisms.
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What is a Carbohydrate?
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A molecule made up of one or more sugars. In the body, carbohydrates can exist independently or be attached to proteins or lipids.
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What is a Cell?
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The basic subunit of any living organism; the simplest unit capable of independent life. Although there are some single-celled organisms, such as bacteria, most organizsms consist of many cells that are specialized for particular functions.
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What is a Channel Protein?
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A hollow or pore-containing protein that spans a cell membrane and acts as a conduit for small molecules, such as charged particles (ions).
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What is Chemotaxis?
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The movement of a cell towards or away from the source of a chemical.
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What is Cholesterol?
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A waxy lipid produced by animal cells that is a major component of cell membranes. Cholesterol is also used as a building block for some hormones.
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What is a chromosome?
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A cellular structure containing genes. Excluding sperm and egg cells, humans have 46 chromosomes (23 pairs) in each cell.
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What is Cilium?
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A hairlike projection from a cell surface. The rhythmic beating of cilia can move fluid or mucus over a cell or can propel single-celled organisms. Cilia are shorter than flagella.
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What is computational biology?
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The field of science that uses computers to study complex biological processes that involve many molecular interactions.
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What is Cytoplasm?
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The material found between the cell membrane and the nuclear envelope. It includes the cytosol and all organelles except the nucleus.
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What is Cytoskeleton?
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A collection of fibers that gives a cell shape and support and allows movement within the cell and, in some cases, by the cell as a whole. The three main types of cytoskeletal fibers are microtubules, actin filaments, and intermediate filaments.
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What is Cytosol?
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The semi-fluid portion of the cytoplasm, exculding the organelles. The cytosol is a concentrated solution of proteins, salts, and other molecules.
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What is Differentiation?
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The series of biochemical and structural changes by which an unspecialized cell becomes a specialized cell with a specific function. During development, embryonic stem cells differentiate into the many cell types that make up the human body.
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What is DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid?
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The substance of heredity. A long, helical, double-stranded molecule that carries the cell's genetic information.
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What is Electron microscope?
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A powerful microscope that uses beams of fast-moving electrons instead of light to magnify samples. Powerful magnets focus the electrons into an image.
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What is an Embryonic stem cell?
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A cell found in early embryos that can renew itself and differentiate into the many cell types that are found in the human body.
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What is Endocytosis?
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A process cells use to engulf particles or liquid from their surroundings. It occurs when the cell surface membrane puckers inward, encircling the material, then pinches off, producing a vesicle inside the cell.
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What is Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)?
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An organelle made up of interconnected tubes and flattened sacs. There are two kinds of ER: rough (because it is dotted with ribosomes) ER, which processes newly made proteins, and smooth ER, which helps make lipid and neutralizes toxins.
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What is an enzyme?
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A protein that speeds up a specific chemical reaction without being permanently altered or consumed.
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What is a Eukaryotic Cell?
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A cell that has a nucleus and other organelles not found in prokaryotes, includes all animal and most plant cells.
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What is Endocytosis?
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A process cells use to engulf particles or liquid from their surroundings. It occurs when the cell surface membrane puckers inward, encircling the material, then pinches off, producing a vesicle inside the cell.
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What is an extracellular matrix?
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The material that surrounds and supports cells? It includes structural proteins such as collagen and elastin.
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What is Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)?
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An organelle made up of interconnected tubes and flattened sacs. There are two kinds of ER: rough (because it is dotted with ribosomes) ER, which processes newly made proteins, and smooth ER, which helps make lipid and neutralizes toxins.
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What is Flagellum?
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A long, taillike structure extending from a cell. Sperm and many microorganisms move using flagella.
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What is an enzyme?
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A protein that speeds up a specific chemical reaction without being permanently altered or consumed.
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What is G protein?
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A protein located on the inside of the cell membrane that helps transmit molecular signals into cells.
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What is a Eukaryotic Cell?
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A cell that has a nucleus and other organelles not found in prokaryotes, includes all animal and most plant cells.
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What is a Gene?
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A unit of heredity; a segment of DNA that contains the code for making a specific protein or RNA molecule.
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What is an extracellular matrix?
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The material that surrounds and supports cells? It includes structural proteins such as collagen and elastin.
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What is a Genome?
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All of an orgaism's genetic material?
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What is Flagellum?
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A long, taillike structure extending from a cell. Sperm and many microorganisms move using flagella.
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What is a Glial cell?
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A kind of cell in the nervous system that provides nutrituion and support to a nerve cell.
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What is G protein?
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A protein located on the inside of the cell membrane that helps transmit molecular signals into cells.
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What is a Gene?
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A unit of heredity; a segment of DNA that contains the code for making a specific protein or RNA molecule.
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What is a Genome?
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All of an orgaism's genetic material?
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What is a Glial cell?
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A kind of cell in the nervous system that provides nutrituion and support to a nerve cell.
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What is glycosylation?
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The process of adding specialized chains of sugar molecules to proteins or lipids; occurs in the ER and Golfi.
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What is Golgi?
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Also called the Golgi apparatus or Golgi complex; an organelle composed of membranous sacs in which many newly made proteins mature and become functional.
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What is a hormone?
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A molecule that stimulates specific cellular activity; made in one part of the body and transported via the bloodstream to tissues and organs. Examples include insulin, estrogen, and testosterone.
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What is intermediate filament?
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Part of the cytoskeleton that provides strength. Some intermediate filaments from nails, hair, and the outer layer of skin. Others are found in nerves or other organs.
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What is Lipid?
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A fatty, waxy, or oily compound that will not dissolve in water. Lipids are a major part of biological membranes.
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What is a membrane?
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A semi-fluid layer of lipids and proteins. Biological membranes enclose cells and organelles and control the passage of materials into and out of them.
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What is microtubule?
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Part of the cytoskeleton; a strong, hollow fiber that acts as a structural support for the cell. During cell division, microtubules form the spindle that directs chromosomes to the daughter cells. Microtubules also serve as tracks for transporting vesicles and give structure to flagella and cilia.
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What is a mitochondrion?
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The cell's power plant; the organelle that converts energy from food into ATP, fueling the cell. Mitochondria contain their own small genomes and appear to have descended from free-living bacteria.
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What is Model System/Model Organism?
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A cell type or simple organism - such as a bacterium, yeast, plant, fruit fly, or mouse - used to answer basic questions about biology
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What is myelin?
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A fatty covering that forms a protective sheath around nerve fibers and dramatically speeds the transmission of nerve signals
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What is a neurotransmitter?
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a chemical messenger that passes signals between nerve cells or between a nerve cell and another type of cell
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What is nuclear envelope?
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A barrier that encloses the nucleus and is made up of two membranes perforated by nuclear pores
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What is nuclear pores?
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an opening in the nuclear envelope that allows the passage of small molecules such as salts, small proteins, and RNA molecules
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What is nucleus?
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The organelle in eukaryotic cells that contains genetic material
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What is oocyte?
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The developing female reproductive cell; an immature egg
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What is organ?
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A group of tissues that perform a particular job. Aimals have more than a dozen organs including the heart, brain, eye, liver, and lung
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What is an organelle?
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A specialized membrane-bounded structure that has a specific function in a cell. (Nucleus, mitochondria, golgi, er, and lysosomes)
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What is a protein?
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A molecule composed of amino acids lined up in a precise order determined by a gene then folded into a specific three-dimensional shape. Proteins are responsible for countless biological functions and come in a wide range of shapes and sizes.
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What is a ribosome?
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A molecular complex in which proteins are made. IN eukaryotic cells, ribosomes either are free in the cytoplasm or are attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum.
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What is RNA, ribonucleic acid?
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A molecule very similar to DNA that plays a key role in making proteins. There are three main types: messenger RNA (mRNA) is the RNA version of a gene and serves as a template for making a protein, ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is a major component of ribosomes, and transfer RNA (tRNA) transports amino acids to the ribosome and helps position them properly during protein production.
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What is RNA polymerase?
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An enzyme that makes RNA using DNA as a template in a process called transcription.
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What is Transcription?
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The process of coping information from genes (made of DNA) into messenger RNA.
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What is Translation?
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The process of making proteins based on gentic information encoded in messenger RNA. Translation occurs in ribosomes.
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What is Vesicle?
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A small, membrane-bounded sac that transports substances between organelles as well as to and from the cell membrane.
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What is a Virus?
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An infectious agent composed of proteins and gentic material (either DNA or RNA) that requires a host cell, such as a plant, animal, or bacterium, in which to reproduce. A virus is neither a cell nor a living organism because it can not reproduce independently.
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What is a zygote?
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A cell resulting from the fusion of an egg and a sperm.
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