General Biology
Midterm Reviewer
❖ Cellular Trasnports and
Mechanisms
Osmosis
- A special type of diffusion
- Is the movement of water through a
selectively permeable membrane
like the cell membrane
- Water moves across the membrane
from an area of high concentration to
an area of low concentration
Osmosis Concentration
● Hypertonic: the water or solution
OUTSIDE of the cell is saltier than
the INSIDE of the cell.
● Hyper= ”more” or “above”
Hypertonic Solutions: a high
concentration of solute relative to another
solution. When the water is placed in a
hypertonic solution, the water diffuses out
of the cell, causing the shell to shrivel.
Hypotonic Solutions: contain a low
concentration of solute relative to another
solution. When a cell is placed in a
hypotonic solution, the water diffuses into
the cell, causing the cell to swell and
possibly explode.
Isotonic Solutions: contain in the same
concentration of solute as another
solution. When a cell is paced in an isotonic
solution, the water diffuses into and out of
the cell at the same rate. The fluid that
surrounds the body cell is isotonic
Diffusion
- Occurs when particles move from an
area of high concentration to an area
of low concentration.
● Examples of diffusion: spraying of
aerosols, and perfumes.
● High concentration (inside the can)--
the molecules are packed tighty
together…
● To a LOW concentration – when
sprayed, the molecules are released
to a more free environment.
● The particles spread out.
Passive Transport
- A process that does not require
energy to move molecules from a
high to a low concentration
Phospholipid Molecule
- Having both hydrophobic and
hydrophilic heads from the plasma
membrane.
Lipid Molecule
- Are amphiphatic, that is, they
possess both polar hydrophilic
(water loving) and nonpolar
hydrophobic (water repelling)ends.
Integral Proteins
- Are like tunnels or channels for the
passage of water and/ or other
substances
● Uniporter- transports substances in
a unidirectional manner depending
on the concentration gradient.
● Symporter- transports different
types of molecule in the cell
membrane at the same time.
● Antiporter- involved in secondary
active transport of two or more
different molecules or ions across a
phospholipid membrane.
Indig. C. E.1
Peripheral proteins
- Act as receptors for hormones,
recognition centers, and antigens.
Facilitated diffusion
- Is a types of passive transport which
relies on carrier proteins in order for
the substance to mov down their
concentration gradient.
Active transport
- a process that involves the
movement of molecules from a
region of lower concentration to a
region of higher concentration
against a gradient or an obstacle
with the use of external energy.”
❖ The Cell Membrane and
Homeostasis
Homeostasis
- Is a stable substance
- a self-regulating process by which a
living organism can maintain internal
stability while adjusting to changing
external conditions.
Cell membrane
- Is responsible for maintaining
homeostasis (home- E-O-Stay-sis)
within the cell through balancing the
pH, temperature, glucose, water
balance.
pH and Homeostasis
● The pH of a solution tells how acidic
or basic it is.
● pH range form scale 0-14
● Solutions with a pH from 0-6 are
acidic
● Solutions with a pH of 8-14 are basic
● Solutions with a pH of 7 are neutral
● If a solution’s pH is unbalanced, it is
corrected with a BUFFER.
Function of the Cell Membrane
● Separates the components of a cell
from its environment–surrounds the
cell
● “Gatekeeper” of the cell–regulates
the flow of materials into and out of
the cell–selectively permeable
● Helps cell maintain homeostasis–
stable (internal) balance
❖ Endocytosis and Exocytosis
- Transport larger molecules such as
proteins and polysaccharides, and
even very large particles.
Endocytosis
- the process of capturing a substance
or particle from outside the cell by
engulfing it with the cell membrane,
and bringing it into the cell.
Types of Endocytosis
● Phagocytosis
● Pinocytosis
● Receptor- Mediated
Phagcytosis
- A process in which the plasma
membrane inaginates or fold inward,
to form a vesicle that brings solid
substance into the cell.
Pinocytosis
- the uptake of extracellular fluids and
dissolved solutes
Indig. C.E. 2
 - The term pinocytosis is derived from
the Greek word “pino,” meaning “to
drink,” and “cyto,” meaning “cell.”
Receptor- Mediated
- Occur wherein the molecule can
bind to the surface of the membrane.
Clathrin
- a protein that plays a major role in
the formation of coated vesicles.
❖ Introduction to Genetics
Genetics
- The science of studying heredity
information
Heredity
- refers to the passing of traits from
the parents to their offspring.
Heredity Characteristics
- Characteristics that can be inherited
from the parents (e.g. eye color,
hair, etc,)
Gregor Johann Mendel
- Father of genetics
- First studied the science of modern
genetics
- Used Pea plant (Pisum Sativum) in
his investigation.
Allele
- Different forms of a gene, which
produce variations in a genetically
inherited trait.
Monohybrid Cross
- Shows crossbreeding involving a
single trait or character factor.
Parental Generation
- Refers to the first two individuals that
are crossed in a breeding
experiment.
Phenotype
- Outwardly expressed trait or
characteristics.
Genotypes
- Internal heredity information that
contain genetic code
- Located inside the nucleus of the
cells of the plants that are
responsible for the observed traits.
Genes
- Are parts of DNA and carry heredity
information passed from parents to
children.
Recessive
- Shows its specific trait when both
parents pass the gene to the child
- Represented by small letter
Dominant
- Shows its specific trait even if only
on parent passed the gene to the
child
- Represented by capital letters
Homozygous
- Two of the same form of a gene–one
from each parent
Heterozygous
- Two different forms of a gene– one
from mom and the other from dad
are different.
❖ Mendelian Pronciples
Law of Heredity
Indig. C.E. 3
 - The studies of Mendel regarding
genetics
- the inheritance of one pair of factors
( genes ) is independent of the
inheritance of the other pair.

Law of Segregation
- States that a gene pair carries two
separate characteristics.

Law of Independent Assortment

- States that during the gamete
formation, the gene paor assorts
independently.

Non-Mendelian Patterns of Inheritance

- involves the pattern of inheritance
that does not follow Mendel's laws

Incomplete Dominance
- States that the pattern of
inheritance, where an intermediate
phenotype other than the two
parental phenotypes, is observed.

Condominance
- Is a condition wherein both alleles
are expressed resulting in the
formation of the phenotype or
characteristics.

Multiple Allele
- A gene existing in more than two
allelic forms.

Indig. C.E. 4