General Cytology Study Guide
This set of questions is not all-inclusive of the material from the unit, but students who can
answer all of the following completely are likely to do well on the test.
Chapter 4 – Cell Structure and Function
Light Microscopes
 What are the parts?
 How do you operate one?
 How can you figure out the magnifying power?
Electron Microscopes
 How do they work?
 What are the types, and how are they different?
 What are the advantages and disadvantages of electron microscopes?
Cell Size
 What cell parts are represented by the surface area and volume of cells?
 What happens to SA and V as cells grow larger?
 What problems are faced by cells as they get larger?
 Why do cells tend to be so small?
Cell Types
 How are prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells different?
 What are examples of organisms that consist of pro- or eu- cells?
 What differences exist between animal cells and plant cells?
Nucleus
 How is the nuclear envelope similar to and different from the cell membrane?
 What does a nucleolus do?
 What is the difference between DNA as it exists in chromatin and chromosome forms?
Be prepared to identify and describe the structure and function of each of the following
organelles:
 Ribosome
 Endoplasmic reticulum
 Golgi apparatus
 Lysosome
 Mitochondrion
 Cytoskeleton
o Microtubules (cilia, flagella, cell shape, cell division)
o Microfilaments (muscle contraction, microvilli)
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Cell Wall
o What is the function?
o What form does it typically take in plants, fungi, bacteria?
Chloroplast
Central Vacuole (in plants)
Chapter 5 - Transport across Membranes
Cell Membrane Structure and Function
 Describe the general makeup of the cell membrane.
 What does it mean to say that biological membranes are selectively permeable?
 What materials can get through the bilayer easily?
 What functions might membrane proteins serve?
Passive Transport
 What two things are always true of passive transport?
 What is the relationship between diffusion and a concentration gradient?
 What do we mean when we describe a net movement?
 What happens to the net movement as conditions approach equilibrium?
 How can a cell reach equilibrium with its environment when the solute particles are
unable to pass the cell membrane?
 What happens to walled and wall-less cells placed in hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic
environments?
 Why is there a difference between these two cell types?
 Why is it disadvantageous for us to consume some liquids with high solute
concentrations?
 Contrast the functions of carrier proteins and channel proteins in passive transport.
Active Transport
 How is active transport different from passive transport?
 How are the carrier proteins of pumps and facilitated diffusion similar?
 What provides the energy for active transport?
 Describe the steps of endocytosis.
 How do cells use exocytosis?