LESSON 1

THE CELLS

FACTS:

 The average human being is composed of around 100 trillion individual cells.
 It would take as many as 50 cells to cover the area of a dot on the letter “i”

BIOSPHERE – the part of earth that contains all ecosystems

ECOSYSTEM – community and its nonliving surroundings

COMMUNITY – populations that live together in a defined areas

POPULATION – group of organisms of one type that live in the same area

ORGANISM – individual living thing

GROUPS OF CELLS – tissues, organs and organ systems

CELLS – smallest functional unit of life

MOLECULES – group of atoms; smallest unit of most chemical compounds

AUTOTROPHIC or also called as producers – an organism that can produce its own food
using water, light or other chemicals.

HETEROTROPHIC – an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients

Hetero – other

Trophe – nourishment

BIOSYNTHESIS – the production of a chemical compound by a living organism

RIBOSOME – a cellular particle made of RNA and protein that serves as the site for protein
synthesis in the cell.

ROBERT HOOKE – English father of Microscopy

GARTH NICOLSON – a biochemist who made the scientific model for cell membrane known
as Fluid Mosaic Model
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CELL THEORY: ITS DEVELOPMENT

Year of Discovery Scientist Contribution

1590 Hans & Zacharias Dutch; developed the first
Janssen compound
microscope by combining 2 lenses
in a tube
1665 Robert Hooke English; discovered small, hollow
compartments in a cork of an oak
tree --- cells
1675 Anton van Dutch; observed tiny living
Leeuwenhoek organisms
from rainwater, saliva, blood ---
animalcules
1838 Matthias Schleiden German; suggested that plants
were made up of cells
1839 Theodor Schwann German; suggested that animals
are made up of cells
1840 Jan Evangelista Purkinje Czech; named the cellular content
‘protoplasm’
1855 Rudolf Virchow German; suggested that all cells
come from cells
CELL THEORY: ITS PRINCIPLES

 All living things are composed of one or more cells.

(Schleiden & Schwann)(1838-39)
 The cell is the basic units of structure and function of all organisms.
(Schleiden & Schwann)(1838-39)
 All cells arise only from pre-existing cells.
(Virchow)(1858)

CELL is described:

 as the basic structural and functional unit of life

 simplest entity capable of carrying out life’s processes
 can exist alone (unicellular) or as a complex organism (multicellular)
 to be composed primarily of C, H, O, N
 minor elements --- Ca, P, K, S, Na, Cl, Mg, I, Fe
 trace elements --- Cr, Co, Cu, F, Mn, Mo, Se, Si, Sn, V, Zn
 to contain over 60 percent water --- homeostasis (buffering effect)
 to have carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids as the major
biomolecules
 to vary in size --- ranges from 0.2μm to 2mm
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 to vary in shape --- fixed or variable

TABLE 1. VARIOUS CELL SHAPES AND THEIR EXAMPLES.

CELL SHAPE Example

Amoeba, Leucocytes, Myxomycytes

 Variable cells
 Fixed cells
 Spherical cells Egg of many animals

 Flattened cells Squamous epithelium, endotheliums and

upper layer of epidermis

 Cuboidal cells Thyroid gland follicles

 Columnar cells The cells lining the intestine

 Discoidal cells Erythrocytes

 Spindle shaped cells Smooth muscle fibers
 Elongated cells Nerve cells
 Branched cells Pigment cells of skin

PROKARYOTIC & EUKARYOTIC CELL: Similarities and Differences

PROKARYOTIC

 Greek pro (before) + karyon

(nucleus)
 ○without true nucleus
 no organelles
 has a NUCLEOID region

EUKARYOTIC

 Greek eu (true) + karyon

(nucleus)
 with true NUCLEUS
 with ORGANELLES
 smaller
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PROKARYOTIC EUKARYOTIC

with NUCLEOID COMMON with NUCLEUS

NO nucleus plasma membrane with organelles

NO organelles cytoplasm

DNA (genetic material)

ribosomes

CELL STRUCTURE PROKARYOTES EUKARYOTES

SIZE SMALLER (1-10mm in LARGER (10-100mm in
diameter) diameter)
NUCLEAR ENVELOPE ABSENT PRESENT
CELL WALL MADE UP OF MADE UP OF CELLULOSE
PEPTIDOGLYCAN WHEN WHEN PRESENT
PRESENT
MEMBRANE-BOUND ABSENT PRESENT
ORGANELLE
NUCLEAR MATERIAL SINGLE LOOP OF CIRCULAR DOUBLE-STRANDED DNA
DNA ARRANGED IN A
DOUBLEHELIX STRUCTURE
RIBOSOME SMALL (70S) LARGE (80S)
S = SVEDBERG / SUBUNIT
CYTOSKELETON ABSENT PRESENT
MITOCHONDRIA ABSENT PRESENT
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PROKARYOTIC VS EUKARYOTIC

PLASMA MEMBRANE

 structural barrier separating the cell from the outside environment; with protective
and regulatory functions

CELL MEMBRANE

 Gateway to the Cell

 Acts as a boundary
 Controls what enters and leaves cell
 Regulates chemical composition
 Maintains homeostasis

CYTOPLASM

 space in the cell where most cellular activities take place --- “factory area”
 contains an intracellular matrix called cytosol where all other cellular components
are suspended
 organelles --- membrane-bound structures in eukaryotic cells
 inclusions --- non-permanent and inactive substances/materials in the cell (i.e. fat
globules, crystals)

DNA (genetic material)

 “blueprint” of an organism
 carries all the information necessary for the growth, development and survival of an
organism
 Ribosomes
 small non-membrane bound structures that act as sites for protein synthesis
in the cell

PHOSPHOLIPID BILAYER

 In water, phospholipids spontaneously form a stable two layer sheet called a

phospholipid bi-layer

LIPIDS

 Organic compounds
 Fats + Oils
 Non-polar
 Insoluble in water or (Not attracted to water)
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PHOSPHATE HEAD

 Polar
 Water-soluble or (Attracted to water)

PROKARYOTIC CELL

1. CAPSULE
 a sticky outer layer that provides protection
2. CELL WALL
 a structure that confers rigidity and shape to the cell
3. PLASMID
 A genetic material
 Extra chromosomal ring of DNA
4. NUCLEOID
 A DNA-containing region within the cytoplasm
5. PILUS (phili)
 A hair-like appendage that functions in adhesion
6. FLAGELLUM
 Facilitates movement of bacteria

ORGANELLES: Similarities and Differences

 Membrane-bound structures performing a specific function in eukaryotic cells

 distribution of work in the cell --- maximizes time and space

NUCLEUS

 structure
 double-membraned structure with nuclear pores that connect the nuclear
components to the cytoplasm
 control center of the cell
 function
 directs RNA and protein synthesis
 stores the genetic information (DNA)

NUCLEOLUS

 structure
 spherical organelle within the nucleus
 function
 assembles ribosomes
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ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM

 structure
 network of internal membranes (endomembrane system)
 divided into 2 regions:
 ROUGH ER --- with ribosomes
fxn: protein synthesis
 SMOOTH ER --- w/out ribosomes
fxn: lipid synthesis, regulates calcium levels
 function
 compartmentalizes the cell creating a greater surface area for cellular processes
to proceed
 serves in the transport of cellular products via the formation of vesicles

GOLGI BODIES

 structure
 stacks of flattened membranous sacs called cisternae
 cis face --- accepts incoming transport vesicles from the ER
 trans face --- releases secretory vesicles containing the finished product
 function
 modifies and packages cellular products

LYSOSOME

 structure
 small spherical bodies containing digestive or acidic hydrolytic enzymes
 function
 digests macromolecules, cellular debris, old organelles and foreign substances

PEROXISOME

 structure
 small spherical bodies containing oxidase enzymes
 function
 neutralizes toxic substances
 breaks down fatty acids

VESICLES

 structure
 membrane-bound sacs
 function
 store and transport substances
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VACUOLE

 structure
 membrane-bound sacs
 in animals, there are many but small in size
 in plants, there is only one but big central vacuole
 function
 store water, enzymes, pigments, waste products

MITOCHONDRION

 structure
 hotdog-shaped structure with smooth outer membrane, folded inner membrane
and many respiratory enzymes
 intermembrane space separates the outer and inner membranes
 folds of the inner membrane are called cristae
 matrix is the space within the inner membrane
 have small amount of dna
 function
 produces ATP (aerobic respiration)

CHLOROPLAST

 structure
 double-membraned, green oval structure with stacks of sac-like structures within
 thylakoid refers to the sac-like structure containing pigments such as chlorophyll
and carotenoids
 thylakoids stack together to form a granum
 function
 facilitate food production in photosynthetic organisms

CYTOSKELETON

 structure
 network of protein filaments including microfilaments, intermediate filaments,
microtubules
 cilia and flagella --- motility
 centriole --- anchor and assemble spindle fibers in animal mitosis
 function
 provides structural support and movement (in some) to the cell

ENZYME
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 Enzymes are proteins that help speed up chemical reactions in our bodies. Enzymes
are essential for digestion, liver function and much more.
 Catalyze all kinds of chemical reactions that are involved in growth, blood
coagulation, healing, diseases, breathing, digestion, reproduction, and many other
biological activities.

CELL WALL

 structure
 rigid structure in plants and members of the kingdom fungi made up of cellulose
or chitin, respectively
 function
 provides structural support to the cell

ANIMAL VS PLANT CELL: A Comparison

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CELL STRUCTURE ANIMAL CELL PLANT CELL

CELL WALL ABSENT PRESENT
CHLOROPLAST ABSENT PRESENT
VACUOLES USUALLY NUMEROUS AND SINGLE AND LARGE
SMALL (USUALLY AT THE CENTER OF
THE CELL)
CENTRIOLES PRESENT ABSENT
CILIA and FLAGELLA PRESENT ABSENT IN FLOWERING
PLANTS BUT PRESENT IN
FERNS, CYADS AND
BRYOPHYTES