Animal Cell

• Animal cells - eukaryotic cells, or cells with a membrane-bound nucleus
• Organelles - different parts of a cell
• Cell membrane - composed of phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins and carbohydrates
• Semipermeable Membrane - allows oxygen and CO2 to enter
• Microvilli - finger-like folds cell membrane that boost the cell's absorption function and increases the cell's surface area
• Cytoplasm - fluid containing cytosol that fills the cell. this is where the molecules first pass through
• Cytosol - fluid that contains electrolytes. this is the site of cytosolic activities like signal transduction, DNA transcription and replication, glycolysis, enzyme activities, etc.
• Electrolytes - substance that produces electrically conducting, solutions, metabolites, and other substances produced during metabolism
• Glycolysis - conversion of glucose into another form
• Cytoskeleton - provides structure or shape of the cell
• 3 major filaments of cytoskeleton - microfilament, microtubule, and intermediate filament
• Microfilament - composed of actin (contractile protein) and is about 7 nanometer
• Microtubule - composed of tubulin (globular proteins) and is about 25 nanometer
• Intermediate filament - provides tensile strength in the cell and is about 10 nanometer
• Centrioles - come in pairs and are at right angles with each other. they help in the separation and transfer if chromosomes
• Centrosome - where microtubules get organized
• Spindle Fibers - essential to separating chromosomes during cell division
• Nucleus - the control center of the cell
• Nuclear Envelope - the outer boundary of the nucleus
• Nucleoplasm - the substance inside the nuclear envelope
• Chromatin - the substance within the nucleoplasm. it is the combination of DNA and proteins
• DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid
• Nuclear Pore - entry and exit point of cell substances
• Nucleolus - membrane-free organelle inside the nucleus that is important in creating the ribosomes