What Are Cells?

The smallest biological unit that can perform all life

processes
Allows living things to obtain and use energy, respond to
environment, and to reproduce.
Your Turn
Draw and describe what
you think a typical cell
looks like.
Scientists and cells
Robert Hooke (1665)
looked at a slice of cork (dead plant cells) under the
microscope.
He saw little boxes which he named cells.
His microscope only magnified 30x
Scientists and cells
Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1675)
Discovered living single-celled organisms in pond water
Observed bacteria
His microscope magnified 270x
Scientists and cells
Matthias Schleiden (1838)
Concluded that cells make up every
part of a plant
Scientists and cells
Theodor Schwann (1839)
Discovered that animals are also made up of cells
Scientists and cells
Rudolph Virchow (1858)
Proposed that cells come only
from the division of existing
cells
Your Turn
How can you remember
what each scientist
discovered?
The Cell Theory
There are three parts to the cell theory:
1. All living things are composed of one or more cells.
2. Cells are the basic units of structure and function in
an organism.
3. Cells come only from the reproduction of existing
cells.
Cell Diversity
Not all cells are alikein our own body we have over
200 different cell types.

They differ by
1. size
2. shape
3. internal organization

Size:
Cell size is limited by a cells surface area-to-volume
ratio
All substances that enter or leave a cell must pass
through the surface of the cell

Your Turn
Why do you think cells
are so small?
Why do you think cells
have different shapes?
Shape:
A cells shape reflects its function
Larger cells often have shapes that increase the
surface area
These differences (size and shape) enable
different cells to perform highly specific
functions in the body
Examples:
1. Skin cells are broad and flat to cover the body.
2. Nerve cells have long extensions (can be 10,000x
longer than they are thick) that allow it send and
receive nerve impulses.
Shape:
Internal Organization
Cell Structures That All Cells Have In Common
Cell Membrane
Cells outer boundary that acts as a barrier between the
outside environment and inside of the cell
Cytoplasm
Includes the fluid (cytosol) and almost all of the
structures that are suspended in it inside the cell
Internal Organization
Cell Structures That All Cells Have In Common
Ribosome
Structure on which proteins are made

DNA
The genetic material containing instructions for making
proteins, regulates cellular activities, and enables cells to
reproduce
Your Turn
List the 4 things that all
cells have in common
Types of Cells : Prokaryotes
Organism that is a single prokaryotic
cell
UNICELLULAR
Genetic material is a single loop of
DNA
Ribosomes, enzymes, & DNA are free
floating in the cytoplasm
No nucleus or other membrane bound
organelles
Surrounded by a cell wall (outside of
cell membrane) that provides
structure and support
1
st
appeared about 3.5 billion years ago
Very simple and small
Example = bacteria
Types of Cells: Eukaryotes
Organism that is made up of one or
more eukaryotic cells
Some are single cells, others are
multicellular
Able to carry out more specialized
functions than prokaryotic cells
DNA is stored in a nucleus
Have a membrane, cytoplasm,
ribosome, a nucleus, AND
membrane-bound organelles
1
st
appeared 1.5 billion years ago
More complex and relatively large
Example = plant and animal cells
Your Turn
Compare and contrast
prokaryotic and
eukaryotic cells