This page contains the AQA GCSE Biology B1 Cell Structure and Transport questions and Kerboodle Answers for revision and understanding Cell Structure and Transport .This page also contains the link to the notes and video for the revision of this topic.
Answer b) Advantage of electron microscope
is The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) can produce three-dimensional images. This means that great detail of many tissue or cellular arrangements can be shown, unlike on a light microscope.
3
1. | Living cells & tissues | Can watch living processes take place e.g. microscopic pond life in action, and even cell division. | Not possible to view any living material due to vacuum inside EM |
2. | Thickness of specimen | Specimen must be thin but can adjust focus to different positions (heights) within thin specimen on glass slide | Very thin sections only in TEM Images surfaces (only) in SEM |
3. | Depth: 2D or 3D ? | Image plane approx “flat” (2D) but, as above, can adjust focus through specimen | 2D only in TEM ; SEM images surfaces – hence shows depth info that seems like 3D |
4. | Specimen preparation / artefacts | Simpler preparation (staining still required) | Harsher preparation procedures incl. use of corrosive chemicals that may cause “artefacts” in the resulting micrographs |
5. | Magnification | Lower Magnification | Higher Magnification – so several micrographs may be needed per specimen |
6. | Resolution | Lower Resolution | Higher Resolution – good for measuring sizes of smaller features |
Cytoplasm
Within cells, the cytoplasm is made up of a jelly-like fluid (called the cytosol) and other structures that surround the nucleus.
Cytoskeleton
The cytoskeleton is a network of long fibers that make up the cell’s structural framework. The cytoskeleton has several critical functions, including determining cell shape, participating in cell division, and allowing cells to move. It also provides a track-like system that directs the movement of organelles and other substances within cells.
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
This organelle helps process molecules created by the cell. The endoplasmic reticulum also transports these molecules to their specific destinations either inside or outside the cell.
Golgi apparatus
The Golgi apparatus packages molecules processed by the endoplasmic reticulum to be transported out of the cell.
Lysosomes and peroxisomes
These organelles are the recycling center of the cell. They digest foreign bacteria that invade the cell, rid the cell of toxic substances, and recycle worn-out cell components.
Mitochondria
Mitochondria are complex organelles that convert energy from food into a form that the cell can use. They have their own genetic material, separate from the DNA in the nucleus, and can make copies of themselves.
Nucleus
The nucleus serves as the cell’s command center, sending directions to the cell to grow, mature, divide, or die. It also houses DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the cell’s hereditary material. The nucleus is surrounded by a membrane called the nuclear envelope, which protects the DNA and separates the nucleus from the rest of the cell.
Plasma membrane
The plasma membrane is the outer lining of the cell. It separates the cell from its environment and allows materials to enter and leave the cell.
Ribosomes
Ribosomes are organelles that process the cell’s genetic instructions to create proteins. These organelles can float freely in the cytoplasm or be connected to the endoplasmic reticulum.
In plant cells is the presence of a rigid cell wall surrounding the cell membrane.
Plant cells chloroplasts is present
Vacuoles are large, liquid-filled organelles found only in plant cells.
Chloroplasts
In animal cells, the mitochondria produce the majority of the cells energy from food. It does not have the same function in plant cells. Plant cells use sunlight as their energy source; the sunlight must be converted into energy inside the cell in a process called photosynthesis. Chloroplasts are the structures that perform this function. They are rather large, double membrane-bound structures (about 5 micrometers across) that contain the substance chlorophyll,
which absorbs sunlight. Additional membranes within the chloroplast contain the structures that actually carry out photosynthesis.
Chloroplasts carry out energy conversion through a complex set of reactions similar to those performed by mitochondria in animals. The double membrane structure of chloroplasts is also reminiscent of mitochondria. The inner membrane encloses an area called the stoma, which is analogous to the matrix in mitochondria and houses DNA, RNA, ribosomes, and different enzymes. Chloroplasts, however, contain a third membrane and are generally larger than mitochondria.
The Cell Wall
Another structural difference between in plant cells is the presence of a rigid cell wall surrounding the cell membrane. This wall can range from 0.1 to 10 micrometers thick and is composed of fats and sugars. The tough wall gives added stability and protection to the plant cell.
Vacuoles
Vacuoles are large, liquid-filled organelles found only in plant cells. Vacuoles can occupy up to 90% of a cell’s volume and have a single membrane. Their main function is as a space-filler in the cell, but they can also fill digestive functions similar to lysosomes (which are also
present in plant cells). Vacuoles contain a number of enzymes that perform diverse functions, and their interiors can be used as storage for nutrients or, as mentioned, provide a place to degrade unwanted substances.
The chief function of mitochondria is the production of energy during the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) via the TCA Cycle (which is also as the Krebs Cycle and the Citric Acid Cycle). That process is an significant metabolic pathway.
Mitochondria are critical to cell endurance in a variety of ways. For instance, they store calcium ions, serving cells maintain the right concentration of these electrically charged particles involved in blood clotting, muscle contraction and other important tasks. Mitochondria create the iron compound that allows red blood cells to ferry oxygen to the body’s tissues.
The primary role of the flagellum is locomotion, but it also often has function as a sensory organelle, being sensitive to chemicals and temperatures outside the cell.
(ii) The primary role of the flagellum is locomotion, but it also often has function as a sensory organelle, being sensitive to chemicals and temperatures outside the cell.
Both have this lipid bilayer which is an arrangement of phospholipids and proteins that acts as a selective barrier between the internal and external environment of the cell. Due to this, it is necessary for the selective import and export of compounds.
Genetic material Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells both have deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as the basis for their genes. This genetic material needed to regulate cell function and encodes the information which is passed onto progeny.
Ribosomes
Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells have ribosomes to produce protein for the cells.
Cytoplasm
In eukaryotic cells (which are nucleated), the cytoplasm is everything between the plasma membrane and the nuclear envelope. In prokaryotes cytoplasm encompasses everything within the plasma membrane.
The cytosol is one major component of the cytoplasm in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes – this solution contains numerous ions, molecules and organelles. Therefore, it is also the site of many metabolic reactions, such as protein synthesis.
Differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells
Cell size
Eukaryotic cells are ordinarily larger (10 – 100um) than prokaryotic cells (1 – 10um).
Cell arrangement
Eukaryotes are often multicellular whereas prokaryotes are unicellular. There are however some exceptions –unicellular eukaryotes include amoebas, paramecium, yeast.
True membrane-bound nucleus
Eukaryotic cells have a true nucleus bound by a double membrane. It contains the DNA-related functions of the large cell in a smaller enclosure to ensure close proximity of materials and increased efficiency for cellular communication and functions.
In contrast, the smaller prokaryotic cells have no nucleus. The materials are already fairly close to each other and there is only a “nucleoid” which is the central open region of the cell where the DNA is located.
DNA structure
Eukaryotic DNA is linear and complexed with packaging proteins called “histones,” before organization into a number of chromosomes
Prokaryotic DNA is circular and is neither associated with histones nor organized into chromosomes. A prokaryotic cell is simpler and requires far fewer genes to function than the eukaryotic cell.
Therefore, it contains only one circular DNA molecule and various smaller DNA circlets (plasmids).
Ribosome size
Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells contain many ribosomes; however the ribosomes of the eukaryotic cells are larger than prokaryotic ribosomes i.e. 80S compared to 70S.
Eukaryotic ribosomes also show more complexity than prokaryotic – they are constructed of five kinds of ribosomal RNA and about eighty kinds of proteins. In contrast, prokaryotic ribosomes are composed of only three kinds of rRNA and about fifty kinds of protein.CytoskeletonThis is a multicomponent system in eukaryotes composed of microtubules, actin filaments and intermediate filaments. It is required for maintaining cell shape, providing internal organization and mechanical support. It is also paramount in movement and cell division.
B1.4 Specialisation inAnimal cells AQA GCSE Biology B1 Cell Strucutre And Transport:Page No. 11
1.A
the adaptations of a nerve cell are
Nerve cells have very long axons being they can deliver messages for a longer time before passing it on to the next cell, which makes this process significantly faster.
Nerve cell Has many nerves that allow you to sense your surroundings, and allows you to hold and absorb many important nutrients.
Muscle Cell Adaptation
These cells have adapted to their function by being able to increase their size based on the work they do on a regular function
Penetrates the female egg cell and passes on biological information in order to create a new organism
Sperm Cell Adaptation
Has a head and a tail and overall structure of the cell makes it perfectly designed to carry out its function.
Root Hair Cell Function
Has a large surface area to speed up osmosis, constantly replaced, acts like a sponge and absorbs nutrients
Root Hair Cell Adaptation
For osmosis, the water is absorbed and transported through the roots to the rest of the plant to use for different purposes
the adaptations companion cells have many mitochondria, which provide the energy needed for the companion cells to load sugars from the mesophyll cells into the sieve tubes by active transport
holes in the sieve plates allow rapid flow of manufactured food substances through the sieve tubes
Adaptation of photosynthetic cell: Packed with chloroplasts. Regular shaped, closely packed cells form a continuous layer for efficient absorption of sunlight.
Answer d Absorbs light energy for photosynthesis.
Adaptation of photosynthetic cell: Packed with chloroplasts. Regular shaped, closely packed cells form a continuous layer for efficient absorption of sunlight.
1.A Diffusion is the movement of particles (atoms, ions or molecules) from a region in which they are in higher concentration to regions of lower concentration. A good example of diffusion is food colouring.
It is the diffusion of a substance through a semipermeable membrane from a more dilute solution to a more concentrated solution. This process is also passive since no external energy is needed. Example: Absorption of water by plant roots.
B Plant cells have a strong rigid cell wall on the outside of the cell membrane. This stops the cell bursting when it absorbs water by osmosis. The increase in pressure makes the cell rigid. This is useful as plants do not have a skeleton. Instead the leaves and shoots can be supported by the pressure of water in their cells. If plant cells lose too much water by osmosis they become less rigid and eventually the cell membrane shrinks away from the cell wall.
The tendency of molecules of a solvent to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, equalizing the concentrations on each side of the membrane
2.a.i. Isotonic: a solution in which the solute and solvent are equally distributed–a cell normally wants to remain in an isotonic solution, where the concentration of the liquid inside of it equals the concentration of the liquid outside of it
(ii) Hypotonic: a solution which contains more solvent than solute (example: purified water–there’s almost no solute dissolved in the solvent (water) )
(iii) hypertonic: a solution which contains more solute than solvent (example: a lot of salt (solute) dissolved in water (solvent)
2 When you put the beetroot into a beaker of solution, water will move into or out of the tissue cells by osmosis. If the solution in the beaker is stronger than the solution in the cytoplasm, then the water will move out of the cells. This will make them shrink slightly and so overall the beetroot sample will shrink slightly. There is decrease in the size of beet root.
If the solution in the beaker is weaker than the solution in the beetroot cells then the water will move from the solution and into the cells. This will make them swell slightly and the sample get bigger. There is gain in the size of beetroot.
If the solution in the beaker is isotonic than there is no change in the size of the beet root.
As the concentration of water increased, the mass lost by the beetroot slowly decreased until it was actually gaining mass. This was because it had less water molecule than solution it was in. this was able to happen because the low level of water in the strong solution meant
that the net movement of water molecule was from the beetroot, through partially permeable membrane of the beetroot and into the solution.
The stronger the solution was, the more water had to move from the beetroot to the solution. As the strength of the solution decreased, less water had to move through the membrane from the beetroot. Eventually, the solution was so weak that there was higher water con concentration in the solution than in the beetroot. This meant that the net movement of the water molecules was from the solution to the beetroot. This caused an increase in mass as I predicted.
Osmosis ensures that all cells and structures within a plant have correct water pressure and volume.
Osmosis is a specific form of diffusion, the movement of molecules from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.
Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules through semipermeable membranes. A cell membrane surrounds plant cells, just like animal cells. Plant cells also have an additional outer layer, the cell wall, that is much more rigid than the cell membrane. As water enters a plant cell it collects in fluid-containing organelles, or vacuoles.
Pressure inside the cell increases as vacuoles fill with water, lending rigidity to the cell wall and the entire plant. Plants that do not receive enough water wilt because there is not enough pressure in their cells to support the structure of the plant. Conversely, cells that fill with too much water begin to burst, causing brown spots on plant leaves.
Osmosis is the control by which cells maintain just the right amount of water. If the concentration of water molecules is higher outside of the cells, water flows into the plant’s cells. But, if the concentration is higher inside the cells, excess water flows out. Plants absorb water from the soil through osmosis in their root cells.
When water concentrations around a plant’s roots are higher than inside the plant, water flows into the roots and then, through continuing osmosis, up the stem into the rest of the plant. During photosynthesis osmotic pressure in the cells of plant leaves causes openings, or stomata, in the leaves to open.
Once open the stomata begin to absorb the carbon dioxide that is vital for photosynthesis to occur.
1.Active transport is the process by which dissolved molecules move across a cell membrane from a lower to a higher concentration. In active transport, particles move against the concentration gradient – and therefore require an input of energy from the cell.
Sometimes dissolved molecules are at a higher concentration inside the cell than outside, but, because the organism needs these molecules, they still have to be absorbed.
There are two types of active transport:
1) Primary Active Transport – Primary active transport, also called direct active transport, directly uses energy to transport molecules across a membrane. Most of the enzymes that perform this type of transport are transmembrane ATPases. A primary ATPase universal to all life is the sodium-potassium pump, which helps to maintain the cell potential. Other sources of energy for Primary active transport are redox energy and photon energy (light).
An example of primary active transport using Redox energy is the mitochondrial electron transport chain that uses the reduction energy of NADH to move protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane against their concentration gradient.
An example of primary active transport using light energy are the proteins involved in photosynthesis that use the energy of photons to create a proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane and also to create reduction power in the form of NADPH.
2) Secondary Active Transport – In secondary active transport or co-transport, energy is used to transport molecules across a membrane; however, in contrast to primary active transport, there is no direct coupling of ATP; instead, the electrochemical potential difference created by pumping ions out of the cell is used. The two main forms of this are antiport and symport.
Diffusion is the movement of dissolved solutes or gases from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration (down a concentration gradient). This is a passive process and so requires no energy in order to take place.
Osmosis is the movement of water down a concentration gradient) across a partially permeable membrane. Once again, this is a passive process and no energy is required.
Active transport is the movement of dissolved solutes across a membrane against a concentration gradient (moving from low to high concentration). This process requires a carrier protein, and energy in the form of ATP is required.
These marine creatures take in too much salt from the sea water that they drink and the kidneys can’t get rid of it.
Special salt glands are found near the eyes and nostrils, and sodium ions are moved here. These ions have to be moved against a very big concentration gradient, meaning active tranport is vital for the birds’ survival.
Plants require mineral salts such as nitrates for growth. The concentration of nitrates is higher on plant root cell than it is in the soil solution surrounding it. The plant cannot rely on diffusion as the nitrates would diffuse out of root cell into the soil
Having a large surface area over which exchange can take place
Having a thin membrane or being thin to provide a short diffusion path
But fish need to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide between their blood and the water in which they swim. This happens across the gills, which are made up of stack of thin filament, each with a rich blood supply. Fish need a constant flow of water over their gills to maintain the concentration gradient needed for gas exchange. They get this by pumping water over the gills using a flap that covers the gills called operculum.
Light microscopes
show cellular structure of living organisms and some subcellular structures (e.g., nucleus and chloroplasts) allow observation of living cells and staining of cells to show different features
Electron microscopes
enable examination of cells in great detail help determine what goes on within individual body cells can only be used for dead specimens in a vacuum
B: cytoplasm
C: cell membrane
D: cell wall E: plasmids F: flagella
size range 10–100 μm
cell walls
cell membrane
cytoplasm
differences
bacteria cells much smaller than plant cells
chloroplasts present in some plant cells
permanent vacuoles present in plant cells
slime capsules present in some bacteria cells
flagella present in some bacteria cells
genetic material contained in chromosomes in a nucleus in plant
cell, single DNA loop found free in the cytoplasm with additional
small loops of DNA known as plasmids in bacterial cell
Any one from:
random movement of particles
takes place down concentration gradient
Difference
only water moves in osmosis
both are mechanisms for moving substances in and out of cells
Differences
only specific substances are moved by active transport
active transport takes place against concentration gradient
Water will move into bag B faster than into bag A due to higher temperature.
Increased temperature gives increased rate of random particle movement.
Increasing the rate at which water particles would pass through the partially permeable membrane and speeding up osmosis.
(ii) shows what happens inside the cell but does not model effect of cell wall (very important in osmotic events in plant cells)
Amoeba is single-celled organism with large surface area to volume ratio.
It is able to get sufficient oxygen through diffusion across the cell membrane.
Stickleback is larger, more complex multi-cellular organism with lower surface area to volume ratio.
Diffusion cannot provide sufficient oxygen for each cell, so a more effective exchange system (gills) is required.
Pushing water across gills increases rate of oxygen absorption by maintaining steep concentration gradient between water and blood.
Circulating blood delivers oxygen to cells.
Removes metabolic waste.
Maintaining steep concentration gradient at exchange surfaces in gills to increase diffusion further.
5.a) large surface area
thin membrane/being thin
efficient blood supply
Thin membrane/being thin provides short diffusion path/increased efficiency
Efficient blood supply maintains steep concentration gradient Being ventilated maintains steep concentration gradient
1.1. cell membrane
1.2. cytoplasm
1.3. (animal cell does not have)
2.1. 9 micrometres
2.2. 3.84 (mm)
2.3. (prokaryotic cells) are smaller do not have a nucleus
3.1. Osmosis
water moves from a dilute solution to a more concentrated solution through a partially / semi / selectively permeable membrane
3.2. cut potato cylinders to same mass / size
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References:
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