Cell types

• What is the golgi complex, and what are its functions in eukaryotic cells?

  The golgi apparatus is an assembly of folded membranes responsible for sorting, modifying, and exporting materials from the cell within vesicles via exocytosis.
• What is a genophore in prokaryotic cells?

  The genophore is the single DNA strand found in prokaryotic cells.
• What are the specific characteristics of an animal cell?

  Animal cells lack a cell wall and chloroplasts, and they have smaller vacuoles compared to plant cells.
• What are vesicles, and what are the specific functions of peroxisomes, lysosomes, and vacuoles?

  Vesicles are membranous containers involved in the transport and storage of materials. Peroxisomes are involved in lipid oxidation and digestion of toxic metabolites, lysosomes break down cellular wastes and debris, and vacuoles store excess fluid and regulate pH.
• How can different cell types be categorized based on their distinguishing characteristics?

  Cell types can be categorized as prokaryotic or eukaryotic, different types of prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea), and different types of eukaryotes (animal, plant, fungal cells).
• What is the role of the nucleus in eukaryotic cells, and what is the nucleolus?

  The nucleus in eukaryotic cells stores genetic material and has a specific region called the nucleolus responsible for ribosome assembly.
• What is the function of the cell wall in prokaryotic cells, and what is the glycocalyx?

  All prokaryotic cells possess a cell wall, and some may have an additional outer covering called a glycocalyx, which is a slime capsule.
• What is the nucleoid in a prokaryotic cell?

  The nucleoid is the region in the cytosol where the genetic material is located in prokaryotic cells.
• What are the specific characteristics of a plant cell?

  Plant cells have a cell wall (made of cellulose), chloroplasts for photosynthesis, and a large central vacuole.
• What are flagella in prokaryotic cells, and what is their role?

  Flagella are whip-like projections in prokaryotic cells that facilitate movement in many organisms.
• Whar are Centrosomes in animal cells?

  Centrosomes in animal cells are microtubule-organizing centers composed of paired centrioles, contributing to cell division.
• What are pili in prokaryotic cells, and what are their functions?

  Pili are hair-like extensions in prokaryotic cells that aid in adhesion (attachment pili) and plasmid exchange (sex pili).
• Which cellular components are not considered organelles, and what are their roles?

  Cell walls are not organelles; they are extracellular components. The cytoskeleton and cytosol are categorized as structural elements rather than distinctive organelles.
• What is the role of ribosomes in prokaryotic cells, and what is their characteristic size?

  Ribosomes in prokaryotic cells are responsible for protein synthesis and are characteristically small in size (70S).
• How are prokaryotes classified into different domains, and what are the main differences between these domains?

  Prokaryotes are classified into Bacteria and Archaea. Bacteria encompass a wide range of organisms, including many pathogens, while Archaea include extremophiles and organisms found in normal habitats.
• What are the main differences between the key kingdoms of eukaryotes: Animal, Plant, Fungi, and Protist?

  Animals have no cell wall and are heterotrophic, plants have a cellulose cell wall and are autotrophic, fungi have a chitin cell wall and are heterotrophic, and protists are eukaryotic organisms not belonging to the other kingdoms.
• What are mitochondria, and what is their function in eukaryotic cells?

  Mitochondria are organelles responsible for ATP production via aerobic cell respiration, and they have highly folded inner membranes (cristae) to increase surface area.
• What is the role of chloroplasts in plant cells, and how do they function?

  Chloroplasts are organelles in plant cells responsible for photosynthesis, using the pigment chlorophyll to convert light energy into chemical energy.
• What are the key shared cellular components of all prokaryotic cells?

  All prokaryotic cells share genetic material, plasmids, ribosomes, cell wall with glycocalyx, pili, and flagella.
• What are plasmids in prokaryotic cells, and how can they be transferred?

  Plasmids are additional DNA molecules in prokaryotic cells, and they can be exchanged via bacterial conjugation, which is a form of horizontal gene transfer.
• What are the defining characteristics of eukaryotic cell structure?

  Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus, membrane-bound organelles, and greater structural complexity, believed to have evolved from prokaryotic cells via endosymbiosis.
• What are the functions of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and what are the differences between smooth and rough ER?

  The ER is a membranous network that synthesizes and transports materials via vesicles. The smooth ER synthesizes lipids, and the rough ER synthesizes proteins using ribosomes.
• What are the key cellular components of eukaryotic cells, and how do they differ from prokaryotic cells?

  Eukaryotic cells have genetic material within a nucleus, larger 80S ribosomes, membrane-bound organelles like mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, and in plants, chloroplasts and a large central vacuole.