Lecturio 99- Day USMLE Study

1) Day 1 of 99- Cell Biology (Main Points)

a) Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic cells:
i) Size: 10x larger than Prokaryotic cells.
ii) Ribosomes
iii) Cell wall (Peptidoglycans) vs cytoskeleton made of polypeptides
iv) More organelles (more complex functions.)
b) Homeostasis:
i) Stimulus  Sensor  Integrating center  Effector  Response loop
(1) Negative or Positive feedback.
(2) Very few examples of positive feedback:
(a) Blood clotting (Later)
(b) Parturition: Oxytocin secretion increases, detected by inferior
uterus, causes more stretching. System stops when the baby is
expelled.
ii) Temperature:
(1) High: Vasodilation, sweat.
(2) Low: Vasoconstriction, shivering, hair lifts up.
iii) Chemistry: SPONCH are the main 6 elements required in Biology.
(1) Sulfur, Phosphorus, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Hydrogen
(2) Ions such as Sodium, Potassium, Chloride.
c) Macromolecules of life:
i) Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats,
Nucleic acids
(1) Lipids are non-Polymer
macromolecules, different to
the others.
 d) Cellular structure:
i) Nucleus:
(1) Structure: Spherical, Double
membrane with pores (very
selective)
(2) DNA for translation.
(3) Nuclear pores: Protein
channel, nuclear basket (specificity)
ii) Endoplasmic Reticulum:
(1) RER: Ribosomes, assembles protein to-go (e.g.: Insulin),
(2) SER: Synthesizes Phospholipids for membrane. Detoxification.
(a) Alcohol liver: Extra SER, fatty liver due to detoxification.
iii) Golgi Apparatus:
(1) Cis (Near RER), Trans face (Cell membrane). Packaging proteins for
exocytosis.
iv) Lysosome:
(1) Enzymes within the vesicles for breakdown of old organelles or
foreign bodies. Also, for breakdown of food.
(2) Tay-Sachs Disease: Where Lysosome does not work.
v) Mitochondria:
(1) Double membrane, with matrix in the center.
(a) Ribosomes can be found in the matrix, and DNA, can reproduce
itself.
(2) Endosymbiotic theory:

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 e) Membranes:
i) Fluid mosaic model: A fluid lipid bilayer with embedded components
(1) Phospholipids, Proteins, Cholesterol
ii) Cholesterol:
(1) Maintains integrity (Fluidity) by stopping the kinky tails of the cell
membrane from swinging back and forth.
(2) More cholesterol, more stability.
iii) How proteins anchor themselves in the membrane:
(1) Anchoring through phospholipids (Modified lipids)
(2) Through alpha helices for trans-membrane proteins
(3) Through beta helices for membrane pores
iv) Cytoskeleton: Connected by Integrins. (trans-membrane protein)
(1) Actin filaments:
(a) Muscle contraction, and cellular movement.
(b) The smallest at 7nm.
(2) Intermediate filaments:
(a) Structural integrity.
(b) 10-15nm.
(c) Example is Keratin.
(3) Microtubules:
(a) Highways, responsible
for the movement of
materials.
(b) Attaching to chromosomes during cell division.
(c) 25nm.
(4) Transport motor:
(a) Kinesin: Anterograde transport
(b) Dynein: Retrograde transport.
v) Cell identification:
(1) Glycoproteins, glycolipids, MHC (I, II)
(2) Usually used in ABO blood typing and in immune response.
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 vi) 3 types of cell interactions:
(1) Tight junctions:
(a) GI tract.
(b) This is how gluten intolerance develops in people with Celiac
disease.
(i) Gluten slips in-between the tight junctions of cells.
(2) Adhesive junctions:
(a) Desmosomes & Hemidesmosomes. These are finger-like structures
which act like rivets holding 2 cells together. It is an example of
cadherin-based linkage.
(3) Gap junctions:
(a) Allows substances to move between 2 cells (even fluids).
vii) Transport across cell membranes:
(1) Passive: Movement of material from high to low across a
concentration gradient.
(a)