Cellular Structures
Chromosome Vocab
Misc
100
What is the nucleus? What surrounds the nucleus?
Nucleus: Where hereditary information (DNA) is held within a cell - the brain of the cell
Nuclear envelope: membrane that surrounds the nucleus
100
What is a chromosome?
Tightly condensed/packed DNA
100
What is the name of the structure that surrounds the cell and is responsible for allowing certain things to come in and out, amongst other functions?
Cell membrane
200
What are microtubules? What is their role in cell division?
Polymers made of tubulin - these form the mitotic spindle that are responsible for moving and pulling the chromatids in cell division
200
What is a sister chromatid? How is it different from a homologous chromosomes?
Sister chromatid: An identical copy / duplicate of a chromosome that is attached at the middle through the centromere
Homologous chromosomes: pair of chromosomes that are the same size, shape, and hold the same genes, but they hold different alleles (so they're not exactly the same)
200
What is the metaphase plate?
An imaginary plate/plane in the middle of the cell where the chromatids align
300
What are centrioles?
Pair of cylindrical structures which is where the microtubules come out of during cell division
300
What is a centromere? What is it made up of?
Centromere: protein complex found in the center of a chromosome and is made up of cohesion proteins that keeps the sister chromatids together
300
List the four phases of the cell cycle and briefly describe what occurs in each phase.
400
What are kinetochores?
Protein complexes found on the centromere of each sister chromatid (1 on each end) and allows for the spindle to attach to the chromosomes
400
What is the difference between a gene and an allele?
A gene is a region of DNA that encodes for a product, usually protein.
An allele is a version of a gene.
(ex. brown eyes and blue eyes are alleles for the eye color gene)
400
What are aster microtubules?
Star shaped array coming from the centrioles
500
What is the spindle apparatus?
AKA the mitotic spindle, which is made of the microtubules that pulls chromosomes apart during cell division
500
What is the difference between haploid and diploid cells?
Diploid: (2N) Have two sets of chromosomes - somatic cells are diploid
Haploid: (N) Have only one set of chromosomes - gametes are haploid
500
What is cleavage?
Cleavage: when the contractile ring forms around a cell undergoing cytokinesis, causing the cell to split into two (looks like there's a deep cut btwn cells)
