Ribosomes are very small organelles that lack membranes and can only be viewed using an electron microscope, which has a much higher resolving power than a light microscope due to using a beam of electrons rather than light. An experiment was conducted to view ribosomes in animal cells, and an electron microscope rather than a light microscope should be used because the ribosomes are too small to be resolved using a light microscope.
Ribosomes are very small organelles that lack membranes and can only be viewed using an electron microscope, which has a much higher resolving power than a light microscope due to using a beam of electrons rather than light. An experiment was conducted to view ribosomes in animal cells, and an electron microscope rather than a light microscope should be used because the ribosomes are too small to be resolved using a light microscope.
Ribosomes are very small organelles that lack membranes and can only be viewed using an electron microscope, which has a much higher resolving power than a light microscope due to using a beam of electrons rather than light. An experiment was conducted to view ribosomes in animal cells, and an electron microscope rather than a light microscope should be used because the ribosomes are too small to be resolved using a light microscope.
Ribosomes are very small organelles that lack membranes and can only be viewed using an electron microscope, which has a much higher resolving power than a light microscope due to using a beam of electrons rather than light. An experiment was conducted to view ribosomes in animal cells, and an electron microscope rather than a light microscope should be used because the ribosomes are too small to be resolved using a light microscope.
Types of microscopes Light microscope = beam of light
Electron microscope = beam of electrons and a magnetic field
Why to use microscopes?
• Improve magnification: how much an image is compared to its actual size under a microscope
M = observed size (image) / actual size
The higher magnitude of magnification = the larger is the image.
Magnification by 10x is larger than by 5x
• Improve resolution: the minimum distance between any two points that are seen as different
The smaller the magnitude of resolution (numerical measure) the higher is the resolving power
Example: 5 micrometer resolution is better than 10 micrometer resolution
• When using a microscope, you need to stain the specimens
à to highlight the details and structures of a cell
Example: using acetic orcein stain to highlight chromosomes during mitosis
à to add a contrast
• Electron microscope uses a beam of electrons à shorter wavelength à
higher resolving power
• Light microscope uses a beam of light à longer wavelength à lower
resolving power
Question: An experiment was conducted to view ribosomes in animal cells.
Explain why an electron microscope and not a light microscope should be used in this experiment. (2)
• Ribosomes are very small
• Light microscopes have limited magnifying and resolving powers Organelle Structure Function Drawing 1. Nucleus • Double Stores DNA that membrane codes for making • Nuclear pores proteins • Nucleolus inside
2. Nucleolus • No membrane Making ribosomes
Shown within the diagram of a nucleus • Dark dense part 3. Rough • Flattened sacs Protein synthesis endoplasmic • Has ribosomes (translation on reticulum (80S) ribosome), folding (rER) • Single and packaging inside membrane vesicles
4. Smooth • Tubular sacs Lipid synthesis and
endoplasmic • Single packaging reticulum membrane (sER) • (No ribosomes)
5. Golgi • Cisternae are Protein modification
apparatus not connected to each other • Usually of decreasing size • Vesicles around • Single membrane 6. Mitochondria • Double Aerobic respiration membrane to release ATP • Inner membrane folded into cristae • Matrix containing enzymes • 70S ribosomes • Loop of DNA 7. Centrioles • Hollow Produce spindle cylinders at during cell division right angles to each other • No membrane 8. Lysosomes Membrane sacs Cell apoptosis with digestive (programmed cell enzymes death)
Electron micrographs
Nucleus Mitochondria
Lysosome Rough endoplasmic reticulum
Golgi apparatus Centrioles
Centriole Centrioles
Organelles found only in Animal cells vs found only in plant cells:
Describe the role of the nucleus, the rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus in the synthesis of glycoproteins (carbohydrate group + protein) (5)
Nucleus has the genetic code that gives the code for synthesis of proteins Proteins are synthesized on the surface of the ribosomes on the rough endoplasmic reticulum Proteins are folded inside the cavity of the rER Proteins are packaged in vesicles from rER to Golgi apparatus Vesicles fuse with Golgi apparatus where a carbohydrate group is added to the protein to make glycoproteins
Lipoprotein Nucleus has the genetic code that gives the code for synthesis of proteins Proteins are synthesized on the surface of the ribosomes on the rough endoplasmic reticulum Proteins are folded inside the cavity of the rER Proteins are packaged in vesicles from rER to Golgi apparatus Vesicles fuse with Golgi apparatus where a lipid group is added to the protein to make lipoprotein Pulse-chase experiments
Radioactive amino acids were supplied to pancreatic cells. Straight after, a large dose of non- radioactive amino acids was supplied. The quantity of radioactive amino acid in different parts of the cell was monitored over time. The results are shown below.
Pancreatic cells + radioactive amino acids = radioactive proteins that can be tracked
• Amino acids will be joined together to form a polypeptide chain during translation = high radioactivity in rER
• Radioactive proteins will leave in a vesicle to fuse with the Golgi apparatus
• Vesicles fuse with Golgi apparatus (radioactivity in GA to increase)
• As vesicles leave the GA, the radioactivity drops in GA and increases in secretory vesicles
Why does radioactivity drop in Golgi apparatus to 50% from 100% in rER. • Not all of the radioactive proteins go the Golgi apparatus • Background losses in radioactivity • This experiment did not measure the radioactivity in vesicles in transit between rER and Golgi apparatus Question One way to investigate protein trafficking is to use radioactive amino acids. A tissue was soaked in a solution of radioactive amino acids for a short period of time and then transferred to a solution with non-radioactive amino acids. The table below shows the amount of radioactivity as a percentage of the total radioactivity of the total radioactivity in the cells of this tissue, found in three organelles, at three different times being transferred to the non-radioactive solution.
Percentage of total radioactivity in cells after tissue
Organelle transferred to non-radioactive solution 5 min 10 min 45 min Vesicles 0 5 60 rER 80 10 5 Golgi apparatus 10 80 30 Total radioactivity 90 95 95
(a) The vesicles containing radioactivity can either come from rER or the Golgi apparatus. Using evidence from the table, suggest whether these vesicles come from rER or the Golgi apparatus.
• Vesicles come from Golgi apparatus
• Radioactivity increases in rER and then decreases but does not increase in vesicles • While, when radioactivity decreased in Golgi apparatus and increased at 45 minutes in vesicles, so this vesicle was pinched off the Golgi apparatus
(b) Suggest an explanation for the difference in the total radioactivity between 5 minutes and 10 minutes.
It is possible due to the large time intervals, some radioactive proteins are inside vesicles in transit between rER and GA but were not measured at 5 minutes. The total % of radioactivity does not reach 100% because of several reasons: background losses in radioactivity, or some vesicles are lost in between rER and GA.
(c) Comment on the reliability of the data collected.
