Cell Biology Fundamentals Study Guide
This guide covers the essential concepts of cell biology, including cell theory, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structures, the composition and function of cell membranes, and the mechanisms of transport across membranes. It also touches upon intracellular organization and the maintenance of a stable internal environment (homeostasis).
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Photosynthesis, Cellular Respiration, and Energy Conversion
Photosynthesis and Carbohydrate Production
Using sunlight to build carbohydrates through the two main stages of photosynthesis and the Calvin cycle.
- Photosystems I and II
- Chloroplast structure
- Thylakoids
- Chlorophyll
- Accessory pigments
- Photosynthetic electron transport chain
- Linear electron flow
- ATP and NADPH formation
- Carbon fixation
- Light absorption
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Photosynthesis and Energy Conversion
- Photosynthesis
- Autotrophs
- Phototrophs
- Photoautotrophs
- Electromagnetic radiation
- Wavelength
- Photons
- Light reactions
- Chloroplast
Linear Electron Flow and Photophosphorylation
This content explains linear electron flow during the light dependent reactions of photosynthesis to produce ATP and NADPH through photophosphorylation.
- Linear electron flow
- Photosystem I
- Photosystem II
- NADP+
- ATP synthesis
- Photophosphorylation
- Electron transport chain
- Water-splitting enzymes
- Proton accumulation
- Thylakoid membrane
- Chemiosmosis
- Chloroplasts
The Calvin Cycle and Photosynthesis
The Calvin cycle uses ATP and NADPH from light reactions to perform carbon fixation, reduction, and regeneration of RuBP to produce sugars.
- Carboxylation
- Reduction
- Regeneration of RuBP
- Carbon fixation
- RuBP
- ATP
- Triose phosphate
- Starch granules
- Chloroplast stroma
Cellular Respiration and Redox Reactions
An explanation of oxidation and reduction reactions, electron transfer, and the oxidation of glucose during cellular respiration.
- oxidation
- reduction
- redox reactions
- cellular respiration
- electron carriers
- substrate level phosphorylation
- oxidative phosphorylation
- chemiosmosis
- glucose oxidation
- metal efflux transporter
- copper homeostasis
Stages and Mechanisms of Cellular Respiration
Cellular respiration involves the oxidation of glucose to produce ATP, carbon dioxide, and water through glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.
- cellular respiration
- glycolysis
- pyruvate oxidation
- citric acid cycle
- oxidative phosphorylation
- ATP synthesis
- electron carriers
- NAD+
- FAD
- FADH2
- oxidation
- reduction
- substrate-level phosphorylation
- mitochondria
- cytoplasm
Stages of Cellular Respiration
This content covers glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, and the citric acid cycle during cellular respiration.
- Glycolysis
- Pyruvate oxidation
- Citric acid cycle
- Substrate-level phosphorylation
- FADH2
- Mitochondrial matrix
- Acetyl-CoA
- Oxidation
- ATP production
Electron Transport and Oxidative Phosphorylation
- Electron transport chain
- Oxidative phosphorylation
- ATP synthase
- Proton gradient
- Chemiosmosis
- Redox reactions
- Terminal electron acceptor
- Active transport
- Mitochondrial matrix
- Intermembrane space
Cellular Respiration and Fermentation Processes
Processes including glycolysis, lactic acid fermentation, and ethanol fermentation regenerate NAD+ to synthesize ATP in the absence of oxygen.
- Cellular respiration
- Electron transport chain
- ATP synthesis
- Exergonic and endergonic pathways
- Fermentation
- Lactic acid fermentation
- Ethanol fermentation
- Glycolysis
- Pyruvate reduction
- NAD+ regeneration
- Glucose oxidation
Glucose Storage and Cellular Respiration
Glucose molecules enter glycolysis or are stored as glycogen and starch to produce ATP through cellular respiration.
- Glycogen storage
- Glycolysis
- ATP production
- Cellular respiration
- Triacylglycerols
- Fatty acids
- Glycerol
- Acetyl CoA
- Citric Acid Cycle
- Electron transport chain
- Fermentation
- Pyruvate
Chemical Foundations and Biological Macromolecules
Biological Energy and Metabolic Processes
This content explores how cells utilize potential and kinetic energy, ATP, and metabolic classifications like anabolism and catabolism to perform cellular work.
- Anabolism
- Catabolism
- Potential energy
- Kinetic energy
- Metabolic classification
- Entropy
- Gibbs free energy
- Chemical energy
- Enzymes
- Catalysts
Gibbs Free Energy and Chemical Reactions
Reversible chemical reactions involve endergonic and exergonic processes characterized by changes in Gibbs free energy.
- Reversible chemical reactions
- Gibbs Free Energy (G)
- Endergonic reactions
- Exergonic reactions
- Spontaneous reactions
- Nonspontaneous reactions
- Entropy (S)
- Enthalpy (H)
Thermodynamics of Anabolic and Catabolic Reactions
This content explores ΔG in anabolic and catabolic reactions, ATP hydrolysis, and energetic coupling examples involving exergonic and endergonic reactions.
- Anabolic and catabolic reactions
- Gibbs free energy (ΔG)
- ATP hydrolysis
- Entropy (ΔS)
- Enthalpy (ΔH)
- Energetic coupling
- Exergonic reaction
- Endergonic reaction
- Glucose 6-phosphate formation
- Phosphoenolpyruvate and pyruvate
Enzyme Catalysis and Activation Energy
- Activation energy
- Enzyme catalysis
- Transition state
- Active site
- Substrate
- Enzyme-substrate complex
- Enzyme-product complex
- Protein folding
- Catabolic reaction
- Anabolic reaction
- Reaction rate
Enzyme Active Site and Catalysis
Amino acids in the active site of an enzyme contribute to catalysis and substrate binding interactions.
- amino acids
- catalysis
- active site
- primary sequence
- protein
- substrate binding
- hydrophilic
- hydrophobic
- histidine
Factors Affecting Enzyme Activity and Regulation
Enzyme activity is affected by environmental factors like temperature and pH, inhibitors, activators, negative feedback, and regulation of reaction components such as enzyme or substrate concentrations.
- Enzyme activity regulation
- Inhibitors
- Activators
- Negative Feedback
- Temperature
- pH
- Enzyme denaturation
- Optimal environments
- Gene expression
- Enzyme concentration
- Substrate concentration
- Enzyme saturation
Atomic Structure and Chemical Bonding
Subatomic particles, electron distribution, and the formation of covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonds determine the chemical properties of atoms and molecules.
- Atomic number
- Atomic mass
- Protons
- Electrons
- Atomic nucleus
- Electron shells
- Covalent bonds
- Ionic bonds
- Nonpolar covalent bonds
- Polar covalent bonds
- Electronegativity
- Hydrogen bonds
- Water molecular structure
Emergent Properties and Chemistry of Water
Water exhibits emergent properties including cohesion, adhesion, moderation of temperature, expansion as a solid, and acting as a versatile solvent.
- cohesion
- adhesion
- surface tension
- moderation of temperature
- high specific heat
- evaporative cooling
- density of ice
- versatile solvent
- hydrophilic
- hydrophobic
- pH scale
- hydrogen ion concentration
- acids
- bases
- self ionization of water
Molecules of Life and Protein Structure
Organic molecules containing carbon form the biological backbone of life through various functional groups and large macromolecules.
- carbon-based life
- covalent bonds
- functional groups
- macromolecules
- monomers
- polymers
- dehydration synthesis
- hydrolysis
- amino acids
- primary structure
- secondary structure
- tertiary structure
- quaternary structure
- hydrophobic amino acids
- hydrophilic amino acids
Structure and Composition of Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids are polymers called polynucleotides made of nucleotide monomers consisting of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group.
- nucleotides
- polynucleotides
- nitrogenous bases
- pyrimidines
- purines
- ribose
- deoxyribose
- nucleoside
- phosphodiester linkage
- sugar-phosphate backbone
- complementary base pairing
- hydrogen bonds
- antiparallel
Molecules of Life: Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates serve as an immediate energy source and include monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides such as starch, glycogen, cellulose, and chitin.
- Carbohydrates
- Monosaccharides
- Disaccharides
- Polysaccharides
- Isomers
- Glycosidic bonds
- Starch
- Glycogen
- Cellulose
- Glucose
- Galactose
- Fructose
Structure and Function of Lipids
Lipids are hydrophobic organic molecules including fatty acids, triacylglycerols, phospholipids, and steroids.
- hydrophobic hydrocarbons
- dehydration reactions
- fatty acids
- triacylglycerols
- adipose cells
- saturated versus unsaturated fatty acids
- phospholipids
- cholesterol
- steroids
- hormones
Scientific Inquiry, Hypothesis Testing, and Molecular Foundations
Understanding Scientific Inquiry and Method
This content explores the scientific method, scientific inquiry, and the process of formulating and testing hypotheses through investigation, exploration, and communication.
- scientific method
- scientific inquiry
- formulating and testing hypotheses
- controlled experiments
- independent and dependent variables
- repeatable observations
- testable hypotheses
- placebo
- control group
- exploration
- investigation
- communication
- gathering and interpreting data
- establishing a theory
- natural world
Forming and Testing Scientific Hypotheses
This content explains how to form and test hypotheses, make predictions, and gather qualitative or quantitative data through controlled experiments.
- hypothesis
- experiment
- prediction
- independent variable
- dependent variable
- qualitative data
- quantitative data
- controlled experiment
- experimental group
- control group
- controlled variables
- testable
- falsifiable
Ethics, Bias, and Scientific Theory
This content examines medical racism, systemic racial disparities in research funding, and the distinction between scientific theories and laws.
- medical racism
- Tuskegee syphilis study
- unethical prisoner experiments
- forced sterilization
- systemic racial disparities in funding
- peer review
- scientific method
- scientific theory
- scientific law
- theory of evolution by natural selection
- cell theory
- anthropogenic climate change theory
- germ theory
- gene theory
Scientific Inquiry and Hypothesis Testing
A case study investigates how coat coloration in mouse populations serves as an adaptation for camouflage against predators through scientific inquiry.
- scientific inquiry
- hypothesis
- prediction
- natural selection
- adaptation
- camouflage
- predation
- independent variable
- experimental models
Scientific Method and Experimental Design
An analysis of experimental results involving caffeine consumption, treatment groups, control groups, and double-blind experiments.
- double-blind experiment
- treatment groups
- control group
- dependent variable
- descriptive observational study
- cause and effect
The Molecules of Life
An exploration of atoms, subatomic particles, ions, and chemical bonds.
- atoms
- subatomic particles
- covalent bonds
- ionic bonds
- hydrogen bonds
- elements
- protons
- electrons
Cell Structure, Membranes, and Transport Mechanisms
Cells, Membranes, and Homeostasis
This content compares prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, identifies major intracellular structures, and describes biological membrane functions including osmosis and diffusion.
- Prokaryotic cells
- Eukaryotic cells
- Cell theory
- Cell membrane
- Cytoplasm
- Cytosol
- Cytoskeleton
- Ribosomes
- Chromosomes
- Organelles
- Nucleus
- Endomembrane system
- Mitochondria
- Chloroplasts
- Osmosis
- Diffusion
- Simple diffusion
- Facilitated diffusion
- Active transport
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Phospholipid Bilayers and Membrane Structure
Phospholipids are amphipathic molecules that spontaneously form lipid bilayers and liposomes to create cell membranes.
- phospholipids
- liposome
- cholesterol
- membrane fluidity
- fluid mosaic model
- saturated fatty acids
- unsaturated fatty acids
- integral membrane proteins
- peripheral proteins
- transmembrane proteins
- glycolipids
- glycoproteins
Cell Water Balance and Tonicity
Tonicity is the ability of a surrounding solution to cause a cell to gain or lose water through osmosis.
- Tonicity
- Isotonic solution
- Hypertonic solution
- Hypotonic solution
- Osmosis
- Lysis
- Active transport
- Contractile vacuole
- Cell wall
- Turgor pressure
Cell Membrane Permeability and Transport Mechanisms
- Permeability of phospholipid bilayers
- Facilitated diffusion
- Channel proteins
- Carrier proteins
- Active transport
- Primary active transport
- Secondary active transport
- Sodium-potassium pump
- ATP hydrolysis
- Concentration gradient
- Uniporter
- Symporter
- Antiporter
Cell Organelles and the Endomembrane System
This content compares prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and identifies major intracellular structures including the endomembrane system, mitochondria, and chloroplasts.
- Prokaryotic cells
- Eukaryotic cells
- Endomembrane system
- Nuclear envelope
- Endoplasmic reticulum
- Rough endoplasmic reticulum
- Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
- Golgi apparatus
- Lysosomes
- Vesicles
- Exocytosis
- Endocytosis
- Mitochondria
- Chloroplasts
- Ribosomes
- Cell membrane
- Cell wall
Structure and Function of the Cytoskeleton
The cytoskeleton is formed from long chains of protein subunits that provide internal structural support and enable movement of substances within the cell.
- cytoskeleton
- microtubules
- microfilaments
- intermediate filaments
- tubulin dimers
- actin monomers
- centrosome
- flagella
- cell division
- muscle contraction
- cytokinesis
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