Cells and Reproduction

 Learning objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

• Describe the synthesis of biological macromolecules
• Describe the structure and role of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids
• Describe the basic structure of cell membranes, and how this influences membrane physiology, and membrane potential
• Explain the different types of transport mechanisms that cells use (passive vs active)
• Define the terms osmolarity, and tonicity
• Identify the structure and role of cellular organelles
• Discuss cell growth and division
• Discuss how the generalised cells of a developing embryo or the stem cells of an adult organism become differentiated into specialised cells