Chapter 3 Vocabulary

1. Nucleus- innermost and is surrounded by a thin nuclear envelope

2. Cytoplasm- surrounds the nucleus and is itself encircled by an even thinner cell
membrane (also called the plasma membrane)
3. Cell membrane- more than a simple boundary surrounding the cellular contents; it is an
actively functioning part of the living material, and many important metabolic reactions
take place on its surfaces
4. Selectively permeable- a membrane controls which substances exit and enter
5. Cytoplasm- contents of a cell, excluding the nucleus and cell membranes
6. Endoplasmic reticulum- organelle composed of a system of connected membranous
tubules and vesicles along which protein is synthesized
7. Ribosome- organelle composed of RNA and protein that is a structural support for protein
synthesis
8. Golgi apparatus- an organelle that prepares cellular products for secretion
9. Mitochondrion- organelle housing enzymes that catalyze reactions of aerobic respiration
10. Lysosomes- organelle that contains digestive enzymes
11. Centrosome- cellular organelle consisting of two Centrioles
12. Cilia / Flagella- microscopic, hair-like processes on exposed surfaces of certain epithelial
cells
13. Vesicles- membranous cytoplasmic sac formed by infolding of cell membrane
14. Microfilament- tiny rod of actin protein in cytoplasm that provides structural support and
movement
15. Microtubule- minute, hollow rod of the protein tubulin
16. Nuclear envelope- protein lined channels called nuclear pores that allow various
substances to move between the nucleus and the cytoplasm
17. Nucleolus- small structure within cell nucleus that contains RNA and proteins
18. Chromatin-DNA and complex protein that condenses to form chromosomes during
mitosis
19. Diffusion- random movement of molecules from region of higher concentration toward
one of lower concentration
20. Equilibrium- state of balance between two opposing forces
21. Facilitated diffusion- diffusion in which carrier molecules transport substances across
membranes from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration
22. Osmosis- diffusion of water through selectively permeable membrane in response to
concentration gradient
23. Isotonic- describes a solution with the same concentration of dissolved particles as the
solution with which it is compared
24. Hypertonic- describes a solution containing a greater concentration of dissolved particles
than the solution with which it is compared
25. Hypotonic- describes a solution containing a lesser concentration of dissolved particles
than the solution to which it is compared
26. Filtration- movement of material across a membrane as a result of hydrostatic pressure
27. Active transport- process that uses metabolic energy to move a substance across a cell
membrane, usually against the concentration gradient
28. Endocytosis- process by which a cell membrane envelops a substance and draws it into
the cell in a vesicle
29. Exocytosis- transport of substances out of a cell in vesicles
30. Pinocytosis- process by which a cell engulfs droplets from its surroundings
31. Phagocytosis- process by which a cell engulfs and digests solid substances
32. Interphase- period between two cell divisions when a cell is carrying on its normal
functions and prepares for division
33. Mitosis- division of a somatic cell to form two genetically identical cells
34. Prophase- stage of mitosis when chromosomes become visible
35. Chromosomes- rod like structure that condenses from chromatin in a cell’s nucleus
during mitosis
36. Metaphase- stage in mitosis when chromosomes align in the middle of the cell
37. Anaphase- stage in mitosis when duplicate chromosomes move to opposite poles of cell
38. Telophase- stage in mitosis when newly formed cells separate
39. Differentiation- cell specialization due to differential gene expression