Cell Structure Basics

Plasma membrane: a thin, permeable membrane that surrounds the cell, regulating what enters and leaves
Cytoplasm: a jelly-like substance inside the cell membrane where metabolic processes occur
Nucleus: controls cell growth and reproduction, contains most of the cell's genetic material
Mitochondria: generates energy for the cell through cellular respiration
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER): involved in protein synthesis, transport, and storage
Ribosomes: site of protein synthesis
Lysosomes: contains digestive enzymes, breaks down and recycles cellular waste and foreign substances
Golgi apparatus: involved in protein modification, sorting, and transport

Metabolism: the process of converting energy and nutrients into the components that make up living organisms
Growth and Development: cell division and differentiation lead to growth and development of organisms
Response to Stimuli: cells respond to changes in their environment through signaling pathways
Cell Signaling: communication between cells through signals, hormones, and other molecules
Cell Division: the process of cell growth, DNA replication, and cell splitting (mitosis)

Prokaryotic cells: lack a true nucleus, found in bacteria and archaea
Eukaryotic cells: have a true nucleus, found in plants, animals, fungi, and protists
Stem cells: undifferentiated cells that can differentiate into specialized cell types
Epithelial cells: form the lining of organs, glands, and other body surfaces
Connective tissue cells: provide support, structure, and connectivity to the body

Interphase: the period of cell growth, DNA replication, and preparation for cell division
Mitosis: the process of cell division, resulting in two daughter cells
Cytokinesis: the physical separation of daughter cells
Meiosis: the process of gamete formation in reproductive cells

Plasma membrane is a thin, permeable membrane that regulates what enters and leaves the cell, allowing certain substances to pass through while keeping others out.
Cytoplasm is a jelly-like substance inside the cell membrane where metabolic processes occur, such as glycolysis and protein synthesis.
Nucleus controls cell growth and reproduction and contains most of the cell's genetic material, including DNA.
Mitochondria generates energy for the cell through cellular respiration, producing ATP from glucose and oxygen.
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is involved in protein synthesis, transport, and storage, with rough ER having ribosomes attached and smooth ER lacking ribosomes.
Ribosomes are the site of protein synthesis, where mRNA is translated into a polypeptide chain.
Lysosomes contain digestive enzymes, breaking down and recycling cellular waste and foreign substances.
Golgi apparatus is involved in protein modification, sorting, and transport, adding carbohydrates and lipids to proteins and packaging them for secretion.

Metabolism is the process of converting energy and nutrients into the components that make up living organisms, including energy production and storage.
Growth and Development occur through cell division and differentiation, leading to the growth and development of organisms.
Response to Stimuli involves cells responding to changes in their environment through signaling pathways, which trigger a response to the stimulus.
Cell Signaling is the communication between cells through signals, hormones, and other molecules, allowing cells to coordinate their activities.
Cell Division is the process of cell growth, DNA replication, and cell splitting (mitosis), resulting in two daughter cells.

Prokaryotic cells lack a true nucleus, are typically small and simple, and are found in bacteria and archaea.
Eukaryotic cells have a true nucleus, are typically larger and more complex, and are found in plants, animals, fungi, and protists.
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can differentiate into specialized cell types, with the ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types.
Epithelial cells form the lining of organs, glands, and other body surfaces, providing a barrier against the environment.
Connective tissue cells provide support, structure, and connectivity to the body, including bone, cartilage, and blood cells.

Interphase is the period of cell growth, DNA replication, and preparation for cell division, during which the cell grows and prepares for cell division.
Mitosis is the process of cell division, resulting in two daughter cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell.
Cytokinesis is the physical separation of daughter cells, which occurs after mitosis in some cells.
Meiosis is the process of gamete formation in reproductive cells, resulting in four non-identical daughter cells with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.