Cell: The Unit of Life

● Cell is a structural and functional unit of life as no living organism can have life
without being cellular. All life begins as a single cell.
● Cell is the smallest unit which is capable of independent existence and
performing essential functions of life.
● Living organisms are of two types:
○ (i) Unicellular organisms: Single cell is capable of independent existence.
Single cell is able to perform all essential functions of life.
○ (ii) Multicellular organisms: Division of labour, cells become specialised to
perform different functions.
● Cells are totipotent, i.e., single cell has the ability to form the whole organism.

CELL THEORY

PROKARYOTIC CELL

EUKARYOTIC CELL

COMPONENTS OF EUKARYOTIC CELL

Cell Wall
● It is the outer rigid protective, supportive and semi-transparent covering of plant
cells, fungi and some protists.
● It is non-living extracellular secretion or matrix of the cell, which is closely
appressed to it.
● It is metabolically active and capable of growth.
Structure of cell wall
A cell wall can have three parts: middle lamella, primary wall and secondary wall.
Middle lamella
Thin, amorphous and cementing layer between two adjacent cells. It is made up of
calcium and magnesium pectates. It is the first layer deposited at the time of
cytokinesis.
Primary wall
It is thin and capable of extension. It grows by intussusception or addition of materials
within existing wall. It consists of number of microfibrils embedded in the matrix or
ground substance.
Secondary wall
It is produced in mature cells, when latter have stopped growth. It is laid inner to the
primary wall by accretion or deposition of materials over the surface of existing
structure. It is thick and made up of atleast three layers: S 1, S2, S3.
Cell Membrane or Biomembrane
● The term was used by Nageli and Crammer, for the membranous covering of the
protoplast. It was named plasmalemma by Plowe.
● Various cell organelles are surrounded by cell membrane.
● Biomembranes are selectively permeable for solutes but semipermeable for
water.
● Structure of biomembrane is explained by several types of models. Fluid mosaic
model is the most accepted model.
Fluid mosaic model
• It was proposed by Singer and Nicolson in 1972.
• Membrane does not have uniform deposition of lipids and proteins, but is instead
a mosaic of the two.
• Membrane is quasifluid, have properties of quick repair, ability to fuse, grow
during cell growth and division, endocytosis, etc.
• The mosaic arrangement implies that macromolecules have characteristic
asymmetry and are oriented to carry information
across the bilayer.
• They also have considerable freedom of movement within the layer (fluidity).
The fluidity of lipids depends on temperature
and degree of saturation.