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Senanu's Bio class

Chapter 7.1 - 7.3 – Cells

OBJECTIVE: Understand what the differences are between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

  1. Where is DNA located in prokaryotes? in eukaryotes?
  2. Describe the difference in size between a typical prokaryote and eukaryote?
  3. What is the difference between cytosol and cytoplasm?
  4. Imagine a cell the shape of a cube and whose length along each side is 2 units. Calculate it’s surface area and volume:
    • Surface area:
    • Volume:
  5. Now imagine a smaller cell of the same shape, but with length along each side of 1 unit. Calculate it’s surface area and volume:
    • Surface area:
    • Volume:
  6. Which of the 2 cells above has a larger ratio of surface area : volume?
  7. Considering that all materials need to pass through the membranes of a cell, Why do you think the surface area : volume ratio is important for cells? What does a large surface-to-volume ratio allow a cell to do?
  8. Complete the following table by filling in how each cellular component is used within cells. Put an ‘X’ in any box in which the structure does not exist.
Structure or characteristic Function in prokaryotes Function in Eukaryotes
Plasma membrane
Nucleoid
Nucleus
Ribosomes
Cell wall Which eukaryotes have cell walls?
Membrane-bound organelles Are these common?
Internal membrane complexes
Large size
Cytosol
Cytoplasm

OBJECTIVE: Understand the basic functioning of the various cellular components, with emphasis on the nucleus, endomembrane system, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and the cytoskeleton.

  1. What is the primary function and contents of the nucleus?
  2. What is the primary function of the nucleolus? Where is it located?
  3. What do ribosomes do?
  4. Freeman states that the ER membrane is continuous with the nuclear envelope, and therefore the space between the two membranes of the envelope is continuous with the lumen of the ER. Look carefully at Fig 7.5a to describe what this means.
  5. The smooth ER is smooth because it lacks ______________________. It is primarily involved in the synthesis of ________________. The rough ER appears rough due to the presence of _______________, which are responsible for the production of __________________________.
  6. What is the primary role of the golgi apparatus?

  7. Describe the cisternal maturation model of the golgi apparatus. What are the cis and trans faces?

    OBJECTIVE: Recognize organelles responsible for energy processing

  8. What multicellular eukaryotes contain chloroplasts.
  9. What is the primary function of mitochondria?
  10. Describe the membrane structure of mitochondria. What advantages does the cell have of having so many cristae?
  11. What is the primary function of chloroplasts?
  12. Given what you may know about pigments in plants, would you guess that the capturing of light is done in the thylakoids or the stroma?
  13. In terms of surface area, how is the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast similar to the inner membrane of mitochondria?
  14. Explain the endosymbiont theory of the origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts. Give 2 pieces of evidence that support this theory (briefly glance at chapter 27.3).
  15. What type of reactions are carried out in the peroxisomes? Why is it important that peroxisomes are separated from other cellular components by a membrane?