Questions and Answers
What is the primary function of the mitochondria in a cell?
What is the term for the movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration?
Which organelle is responsible for protein synthesis?
What is the process by which plants and some other organisms convert light energy into chemical energy?
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What is the term for the communication between cells, involving signal transduction pathways that transmit information from one cell to another?
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What is the term for the division of sex cells, resulting in four non-identical daughter cells with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell?
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What is the term for the movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration through a selectively permeable membrane?
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What is the term for the process by which a cell divides into two daughter cells?
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What is the study of heredity, genes, and genetic variation?
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What is the term for a variant of a gene that occupies a specific location on a chromosome?
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What is the law that states each pair of alleles separates from each other during gamete formation?
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What is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy from DNA?
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What is the term for the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to proteins?
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What is the result of random changes in allele frequencies in a population over time?
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What occurs when one allele does not completely mask the effect of the other allele?
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What is the term for changes in DNA sequence that can result in changes to the phenotype?
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Study Notes
Cell Structure
- Plasma Membrane: Semi-permeable membrane that surrounds the cell, regulating what enters and leaves.
- Cytoplasm: Jelly-like substance inside the cell where metabolic processes occur.
- Nucleus: Control center of the cell, contains most of the cell's genetic material (DNA).
- Mitochondria: Organelles responsible for generating energy for the cell through cellular respiration.
- Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER): Network of membranous tubules and cisternae involved in protein synthesis, transport, and storage.
- Ribosomes: Small organelles found throughout the cytoplasm, responsible for protein synthesis.
- Lysosomes: Membrane-bound sacs containing digestive enzymes, responsible for breaking down and recycling cellular waste and foreign substances.
Cellular Processes
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Cell Division: Process by which a cell divides into two daughter cells.
- Mitosis: Division of somatic cells, resulting in two identical daughter cells.
- Meiosis: Division of sex cells (gametes), resulting in four non-identical daughter cells with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
- Cell Signaling: Communication between cells, involving signal transduction pathways that transmit information from one cell to another.
- Cell Transport: Movement of molecules across the cell membrane, including passive transport (diffusion, osmosis) and active transport (carrier proteins, pumps).
- Photosynthesis: Process by which plants and some other organisms convert light energy into chemical energy.
Cellular Transport Mechanisms
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Passive Transport:
- Diffusion: Movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
- Osmosis: Movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration through a selectively permeable membrane.
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Active Transport:
- Carrier Proteins: Proteins that bind to molecules and use energy to transport them across the cell membrane.
- Pumps: Proteins that use energy to transport molecules across the cell membrane against their concentration gradient.
Cellular Organelles and Their Functions
- Golgi Apparatus: Flattened sacs and tubules involved in protein modification, sorting, and packaging.
- Peroxisomes: Organelles involved in the breakdown of fatty acids and amino acids.
- Centrioles: Small, cylindrical organelles involved in the formation of cilia, flagella, and spindle fibers during cell division.
- Cytoskeleton: Network of protein filaments that provides structural support, shape, and movement to the cell.
Cell Structure
- Plasma membrane is a semi-permeable membrane that surrounds the cell, regulating what enters and leaves.
- Cytoplasm is a jelly-like substance inside the cell where metabolic processes occur.
- Nucleus is the control center of the cell, containing most of the cell's genetic material (DNA).
- Mitochondria are organelles responsible for generating energy for the cell through cellular respiration.
- Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) is a network of membranous tubules and cisternae involved in protein synthesis, transport, and storage.
- Ribosomes are small organelles found throughout the cytoplasm, responsible for protein synthesis.
- Lysosomes are membrane-bound sacs containing digestive enzymes, responsible for breaking down and recycling cellular waste and foreign substances.
Cellular Processes
- Cell division is the process by which a cell divides into two daughter cells.
- Mitosis is the division of somatic cells, resulting in two identical daughter cells.
- Meiosis is the division of sex cells (gametes), resulting in four non-identical daughter cells with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
- Cell signaling is the communication between cells, involving signal transduction pathways that transmit information from one cell to another.
- Cell transport is the movement of molecules across the cell membrane, including passive transport and active transport.
- Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and some other organisms convert light energy into chemical energy.
Cellular Transport Mechanisms
- Passive transport is the movement of molecules across the cell membrane without using energy.
- Diffusion is the movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration.
- Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration through a selectively permeable membrane.
- Active transport is the movement of molecules across the cell membrane using energy.
- Carrier proteins are proteins that bind to molecules and use energy to transport them across the cell membrane.
- Pumps are proteins that use energy to transport molecules across the cell membrane against their concentration gradient.
Cellular Organelles and Their Functions
- Golgi apparatus is a complex of flattened sacs and tubules involved in protein modification, sorting, and packaging.
- Peroxisomes are organelles involved in the breakdown of fatty acids and amino acids.
- Centrioles are small, cylindrical organelles involved in the formation of cilia, flagella, and spindle fibers during cell division.
- Cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments that provides structural support, shape, and movement to the cell.
Genetics
Key Concepts
- Genetics is the study of heredity, genes, and genetic variation, involving the analysis of genes, genetic traits, and genetic variation in organisms.
- The genome is the complete set of genetic information in an organism, containing all of its genetic material.
- A gene is a segment of DNA that codes for a specific trait or function, and it's the basic unit of heredity.
- An allele is a variant of a gene that occupies a specific location on a chromosome, and it can influence the expression of a particular trait.
- Chromosomes are thread-like structures made up of DNA and proteins that carry genetic information from one generation to the next.
Mendelian Genetics
- The Law of Segregation states that each pair of alleles separates from each other during gamete formation, resulting in each gamete receiving only one allele.
- The Law of Independent Assortment states that alleles for different genes are sorted independently during gamete formation, resulting in a random combination of alleles.
- Punnett Squares are diagrams used to predict the probability of different genotypes and phenotypes in offspring, helping to visualize the possible outcomes of crosses.
- Dominant alleles mask the effect of recessive alleles, resulting in the dominant trait being expressed.
- Incomplete dominance occurs when one allele does not completely mask the effect of the other allele, resulting in a blend of both traits.
- Co-dominance occurs when both alleles have an equal effect on the phenotype, resulting in both traits being expressed equally.
Molecular Genetics
- The double helix model of DNA consists of a sugar-phosphate backbone and nitrogenous bases (A, C, G, and T) that are paired in a specific manner.
- Replication is the process of creating an exact copy of DNA, involving the unwinding of the double helix and the synthesis of new DNA strands.
- Transcription is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy from DNA, involving the synthesis of RNA from a DNA template.
- Translation is the process of building a protein from an RNA sequence, involving the assembly of amino acids in the correct order.
- The Central Dogma describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to proteins, highlighting the one-way direction of information transfer.
Genetic Variation
- Mutations are changes in DNA sequence that can result in changes to the phenotype, and they can occur spontaneously or as a result of environmental factors.
- Genetic drift is the random change in allele frequencies in a population over time, resulting in the loss of genetic variation.
- Gene flow is the movement of genes from one population to another, resulting in the exchange of genetic information.
- Natural selection is the process by which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, leading to the evolution of populations over time.
- Genetic variation can occur through point mutations, frameshift mutations, insertions, deletions, and chromosomal mutations, all of which can affect the expression of traits.
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Description
Learn about the components of a cell, including the plasma membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum.
