Cell Biology: Cellular Reactions

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Glossary

active site Specialised region of an enzyme into which substrate molecules fit; pocket or groove formed by
folding of the polypeptide chains of the enzyme (quaternary structure).

anabolism Metabolic reactions involving the building or synthesis of molecules.

boundary layer A barrier to diffusion that is established in the later of fluid next to a surface across which a
diffusion gradient exists.

catabolism Metabolic reactions involving the breakdown of molecules.

catalysis Process by which the activation energy of a reaction is lowered; affects only the rate of the
reaction.

cofactor An additional chemical component, such as a metal ion or organic molecule, required by certain
enzymes in order to function.

condensation reactions Reactions involving removal of water molecules in the assembly of complex molecules from
simpler ones.

conformation Three dimensional shape of a protein molecule.

contractile vacuole An organelle of cells that excretes fluid by a pulsating action, first filling the vacuole with fluid
then ejecting the fluid from the cell.

cytoplasm The cytosol and organelles of eukaryotic cells, excluding the nucleus.

cytosol An aqueous solution of molecules with a gel-like consistency within the cytoplasm of eukaryotic
cells.

diffusion Net passive movement of molecules from a region where they are in high concentration to one
where they are in low concentration due to random thermal motion of molecules; passive
movement of molecules along their electrochemical gradient.

endergonic Reaction in which the change in free energy is positive; energy is needed for the reaction to
proceed.

energy Capacity to do work; exists in a number of forms, including chemical, heat, sound, electricity and
light.

entropy Measure of disorder (randomness) in a system; energy becomes lost as heat in every energy
conversion, resulting in increased entropy.

enzyme Biological catalyst, usually a protein, which increases the rate of a reaction.

equilibrium (of a chemical When a chemical reaction is in this state, there is no net change in either the concentration of
reaction) reactants or products.

erythrocyte Mature, anucleate red blood cell; contains haemoglobin.

eukaryotic cell Cell with a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

exergonic Term used to describe a reaction when the change in free energy is negative; energy is release in
the reaction.

fluid mosaic Describes cell membranes; fluidity referring to the lateral movement of lipid molecules, and
mosaic referring to the irregular arrangement of proteins.

free energy (G) Useable energy in a chemical system.

hyperosmotic solution Solution with a higher osmotic concentration than another.

hypersaline solution Salt solutions that have a higher salt concentration than sea water.

intracellular environment Physical and chemical environment that exists within cells; important aspects of the intracellular
environment are ion concentrations, organic solute concentrations and total osmotic
concentration.

ion An atom that loses or gains electrons, becoming positively or negatively charged.

ion channels Fastest enzymes known; permit passive transport through cellular membranes; highly selective
for a particular ion; opened by a change in voltage across a membrane, or by binding with
specific signal molecules.

lipid Biological compound that functions in membranes, energy storage and transport, and insulation;
insoluble in water as result of the non-polar (hydrophobic) nature of their numerous C-H bonds;
composed principally of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen together with phosphorus and nitrogen.

lipid bilayer Double layer of lipid molecules that forms the basic structure of cell membranes.

micelle Spherical structures formed when phospholipids are added to water; forms because fatty acid
tails of phospholipids are hydrophobic.

molecule Stable association of two or more atoms due to sharing of electrons in their outer orbitals.

nucleus The principal membrane-bound compartment of the eukaryotic cell; control centre of the cell;
contains chromosomal DNA.

organelle Specialised part of a cell, such a nucleus or ribosome.

osmoconcentration Physiological process whereby water is reabsorbed from the urine by excretory tubules making
the urine more osmotically concentrated than body fluids.

osmoregulate To maintain an osmotic concentration of the body fluids different from that of the external.

osmosis The net movement of water from a region of low osmotic concentration (high water
concentration, high water potential) to one of high osmotic concentration (low water
concentration, low water potential), as a result of the random thermal motion of water molecules
through a selectively permeable membrane.

osmotic adjustment Osmotic adjustment: A plant response to drought, involving an increase in amount of vacuolar
solutes; leads to decrease osmotic potential and reduced cell water potential without adversely
affecting cell turgor, allowing growth and photosynthesis to continue in drier conditions.

osmotic concentration The total concentration of all solutes dissolved in solution, expressed as moles of solutes per litre
of solution, or osmols per litre.

permeability The ease by which a molecule can pass through a cellular membrane. It is dependant especially
on the lipid solubility of the molecule.

permeability coefficient An estimate of the ease by which a molecule can pass through a cellular membrane; dependent
especially on the lipid solubility of the molecule.
plasma membrane The boundary of living cells separating a cell from its environment; formed from a phospholipid
bilayer.

plasmolysis Shrinkage of cytoplasm due to loss of water by osmosis, drawing the plasma membrane, away
from the wall.

potential energy Stored energy, such as chemical energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules.

ribosome Cytoplasmic organelle where protein synthesis occurs; formed from two rRNA subunits in
association with an mRNA molecule.

selective permeability The ability of membranes to allow passage of some molecules and not others.

solute concentration The quantity of a solute dissolved in a given quantity of solvent, usually measured in mole/litre.
An increase in solute concentration will reduce the water potential.

turgid A term describing a plant cell that is fully swollen with water.

vacuole Large membrane-bound organelle, prominent in plant cells.

water potential Energy level of water, measured in megapascals. An increase in solute concentration will reduce
the water potential.

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