Flourophore

a molecule that absorbs light energy at one wavelength and re-emits it as light at a longer, lower-energy wavelength.

GFP (green flourescent protein)

a bioluminescent protein from the jellyfish Aequorea Victoria that glows green when exposed to UV or blue light.

DAPI

a blue fluorescent stain that binds strongly to A-T rich regions of double-stranded DNA.

Immunofluorescence

A technique for determining the location of an antigen or antibody in tissues by reaction with a labeled or tagged antibody or antigen.

Antibody

a blood protein that binds to a specific antigen to eliminate or counteract against it.

Antigen

a toxin or other foreign substance which induces an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies.

Proton

a stable subatomic particle with a positive charge located in the nuclei.

Monomer

a basic building block.

Polymerization

monomers join together to form very large, complex polymers.

Amino Acid

the monomer of proteins containing an amino, carbonyl, and R group.

Monosaccharide

the basic building blocks of carbohydrates.

Nucleotide

a building block of DNA and RNA, composed of a sugar, a phosphate group, and nitrogenous base.

Condensation

reactions that create bonds between monomers, releasing H2O.

Hydrolysis

a reaction where a molecule is broken down (split) by adding H2O.

Glycosylation

adding sugar to a molecule.

R group

an unknown alkyl group.

Peptide

two or more amino acids linked in a chain.

Polypeptide

a large number of amino-acid residues bonded together in a chain.

Alpha-helix

coiled structure in protein secondary structure.

Beta-sheet

a protein secondary structure where polypeptide chains arranged to appear as multiple bending sheets.

Phosphorylation

adding a phosphoryl group to a substrate.

Methylation

adding a methyl group to a substrate.

Phospholipid

essential fat molecules forming cell membranes, characterized by hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails.

Lipid bilayer

the cell membrane that has many functions for the cell.

Micelle

a tiny, ball-like cluster of molecules that form spontaneously in water.

Hydrophobic effect

the tendency of nonpolar substances to clump together in water.

Amphipathic

both polar and nonpolar.

Homeoviscous adaptation

different ways to regulate the fluidity of the cell membranes to compensate for changing temperatures.

Desaturase

an enzyme that converts saturated fats into unsaturated fats.

Integral Membrane Protein

Proteins that are physically embedded in the bilayer since they contain hydrophobic sections.

Lipid-Anchored Membrane Protein

Hydrophilic proteins that reside on the membranes surface but are covalently bonded to lipid molecules embedded in the bilayer.

Peripheral Membrane Protein

Hydrophilic molecules associated with membranes through non-covalent bonds that they form with integral proteins.

Single Pass Protein

Proteins that cross the lipid bilayer once.

Multi Pass Proetin

Proteins that cross the lipid bilayer more than once.

FRAP technique

Imaging technique that bleaches GFP-tagged molecules and watches to see if the bleached patch fills in (fluid) or if it doesn't (not fluid).

Channel Protein

Move certain solutes across the membrane depending on the size and charge. They form hydrophilic pores for certain substances.

Transporter Protein

An integral protein that changes shape to allow certain solutes to bind, changing the protein conformation, and pass.

Electrochemical Gradient

A gradient composed of the concentration gradient (density comparison.) and the membrane potential (charge comparison).

Symporter

A type of channel protein that allows the solutes to move in the same direction across the membrane. Gradient-driven pumps performing active transport.

Antiporter

A type of channel protein that moves solutes in opposite directions across the membrane. Gradient-driven pumps performing active transport.

Uniporter

They are move only one solute across the membrane down its concentration gradient. Not a pump.

Epithelial Cell

Cells lining the gut that have a specialized transport protein to take up glucose from is surrounding environment.

FLIP MAG VW

Phe, Ala, Met, Ile, Leu, Tyr, Val, Trp

Pinocytosis

Cellular drinking of fluids and dissolved solutes into the cell.

Phagocytosis

Cellular eating of large molecules or even whole cells.

Endocytosis

An energy-requiring process that brings molecules across the selectively permeable membranes in bulk through the invagination and pinching off of a localized region of the membrane.

SEM

A form of cellular imaging that provides great depth of field and highlights the shadows due to electro-scattering. Has two laser beams that gives a 3D appearance. Can only view surface.

TEM

A form of cellular imaging that provides great resolution images through the embedding of a sample in resin and creating small slides by slicing the resin.

Clathrin

A molecule that coats the membrane, causing the membrane to bend and vaginate.

Dynamin

A protein that is required to detach the coated vesicles from the plasma membrane by pinching off the "neck."

Adaptin

A molecule that binds to the tale of the LDL receptor and protrudes into the cytosol.

Snare Protein (vSNARE/tSNARE)

The Snare help with docking and disassembling the vesicle. On is attached to the vesicle and the other is attached to the target molecule's membrane.

Rab

A class of protein that helps in directing the vesicle to its target molecule or membrane-bound organelles.

Caveolin

A protein that coats the vesicles originating from the plasma membrane.

Ligand

An ion or molecule that binds to another, usually larger, molecule.

LDL

Low-density Lipoprotein

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)

An inherited genetic disease, autosomal dominant, that is correlated with the high density of LDL in pockets under the skin, in the blood, and along the walls of arteries.