The Cell

Francis Ian Salaver, RMT, MD

Christian John Capirig, MD
Michael Dann Superio, MSc
CONTENTS
The Beginning of Life
The Properties of Life
Why are cells small?
Classification of Organisms
based on Metabolic Activities
Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

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 The
Beginning
of Life

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 The
Properties
of Life

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 Properties of Life

Has Has
Can defined history of
respond to functions evolution
High stimulus Can of its parts Can replicate
degree of extract and and maintain
chemical transform itself
complexity energy

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 Why are
cells small?

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 The size of the The rate of
molecules that diffusion of
compose it is molecules must
relatively small. be fast.
Cells always have the minimum Surface-to-volume ratio must be
number of biomolecules required optimal to avoid long time
to function. diffusion.

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 Classification
of Cells based
on Metabolic
Activity

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 Prokaryotes
and
Eukaryotes

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The Biggest
Biological All cells contain DNA. The total DNA of
a cell is called a genome. Individual
Distinction units of heredity controlling individual
traits coding for a specific protein or
RNA is called a gene.

• The earliest cells must have been

simple, having only the minimum
apparatus needed to sustain life
functions.
• Living things that resemble these earliest
cells are known as prokaryotes.
• Include bacteria and cyanobacteria.
• Single-celled, but can form colonies with
some simple differentiation.
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The Biggest
Biological All cells contains DNA. The total DNA of
a cell is called a genome. Individual
Distinction units of heredity controlling individual
traits coding for a specific protein or
RNA is called a gene.

• As these simple organisms evolved,

they became more advanced and the
apparatus they need became more
specific and complex.
• Living things that have membrane-bound
organelles are known as eukaryotes.
• Complex organisms that can be single-
celled or multicellular.

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Organisms can be classified
according to their source of
energy (sunlight or oxidizable
chemical compounds) and
their source of carbon for the
synthesis of cellular material.
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Prokaryote
Metabolic • Prokaryotes have a diverse way of
taking energy from the
Processes environment: a different way from
how humans do.
• While animals feed on other living
organisms to get energy, and
plants rely on the sun, prokaryotes
rely on multiple ways to metabolize
food.

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Prokaryote
Metabolic • Prokaryotes utilize the following
processes to sustain life processes:
Processes • Aerobic and anaerobic respiration
• Obligate aerobes need oxygen to live;
obligate anaerobes need the absence of
oxygen to live.
• Facultative aerobes can live with oxygen
but can resort to anaerobic respiration if
it is absent.
• Sulfur metabolism
• bacteria that rely on this are the
“producers” in deep-sea ecosystems.
• Nitrogen metabolism
• rely on nitrogen-based compounds such
as ammonia and nitrite; important in
agriculture.

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Eukaryote
Metabolic • Eukaryotes utilize the following
processes to sustain life processes:
Processes • Aerobic and anaerobic respiration
• Almost all eukaryotes are reliant on
oxygen, while there are certain eukaryotes
that are considered facultative anaerobes.

• Photosynthesis
• Plants and protozoa that contain
chlorophyll rely on the energy from the
sun to generate energy.

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SUMMARY
References
Campbell, M. K. & Farrell, S. O. (2009). Biochemistry and
the organization of cells. In Biochemistry 6th Ed. p 2-31.
Thomson Brooks/Cole, Belmont CA.
Nelson, D. L., Lehninger, A. L., & Cox, M. M.
(2008). Lehninger principles of biochemistry. Macmillan.