Key words

• Centrioles


  Structures found in the cytoplasm made of microtubules that produce the spindle fibres during mitosis
• Chloroplasts


  Organelles found in plants and algae that are the site of photosynthesis
• Cilia


  Small hair-like structures that project from the surface of cells
• Confocal microscopy


  A type of microscopy that uses lasers to scan a specimen point by point to produce an image
• Cytoskeleton


  A mesh of protein fibres found in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells used for structural support and intracellular transport
• Differential staining


  Using multiple different stains to distinguish different parts of a specimen
• Eukaryotic cell


  A type of cell that contains a nucleus along with membrane bound organelles
• Flagella


  A whip-like structure found on bacterial cells that is used for cell movement
• Golgi apparatus


  An organelle found in eukaryotic cells that is involved in the modification and packaging of proteins
• Light microscope


  A type of microscope that uses a series of lenses to magnify the visible light reflecting off a specimen
• Lysosomes


  Membrane-bound vesicles found in the cytoplasm that contain a hydrolytic enzyme called lysozyme
• Magnification


  How much bigger an image appears compared to the original object calculated using the following formula:

  
• Mitochondrion


  An organelle found in eukaryotic cells that is the site of aerobic respiration
• Nuclear envelope


  A double membrane that surrounds the nucleus
• Nucleolus


  A structure found inside the nucleus that contains proteins and RNA and is involved in synthesizing new ribosomes
• Nucleus


  An organelle found in eukaryotic cells that stores the genetic information of the cell as chromosomes and is surrounded by a membrane called the nuclear envelope
• Plasma membrane


  A semipermeable lipid bilayer studded with proteins that surrounds the cell and many organelles
• Prokaryotic cell


  A type of cell that does not contain any membrane bound organelles or a nucleus
• Resolution


  The ability to distinguish two different points in a specimen
• Ribosomes


  Organelles found either free in the cytoplasm or membrane bound that are involved in the synthesis of proteins
• Rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER)


  A membrane-bound organelle that is involved in the synthesis and packaging of proteins
• Scanning electron microscope (SEM)

  A type of microscope that passes a beam of electrons over the surface of a specimen to produce an image
• Smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER)

  A membrane-bound organelle involved in lipid synthesis
• Transmission electron microscope (TEM)


  A type of microscope that passes a beam of electrons through a sample to produce an image
• Adhesion


  A property of water molecules that creates an attraction between them and surfaces that they are in contact with
• Amino acid


  The monomers containing an amino group (NH2), a carboxyl group (COOH) and a variable R group that make up proteins
• Amylopectin


  A branched polysaccharide made up of alpha glucose monomers joined by α-1,6 glycosidic bonds that makes up starch along with amylose
• Amylose


  An unbranched polysaccharide made up of alpha glucose monomers joined by α-1,4 glycosidic bonds that makes up starch along with amylopectin
• Anions


  An ion with a negative charge
• Benedict's test


  A biochemical test used to detect the presence of a reducing sugar in a solution and distinguish between solutions of different reducing sugar concentrations
• Biuret test


  A biochemical test that produces a purple colour when it is added to a solution containing protein
• Cations


  An ion with a positive charge
• Cellulose


  A linear polysaccharide that is the main component of the cell wall in plants and is made up of many beta glucose molecules joined by β-1,4 glycosidic bonds
• Chromatography


  A technique used to separate different molecules in a solution by their different properties
• Cohesion


  A property of water molecules that creates an attraction between them which causes them to stick together
• Collagen


  A type of fibrous protein that provides strength to many different cell types and makes up connective tissues
• Condensation reaction


  A type of reaction that joins two molecules together with the formation of a chemical bond involving the elimination of a molecule of water
• Conjugated protein


  A protein with a prosthetic group bound to it
• Elastin


  A type of fibrous protein that allows tissues and structures like blood vessels to stretch and return to their original shape
• Fibrous protein


  A class of long chain proteins that are generally insoluble in water and typically have structural roles