Discovery of the Cells 1665 –

Robert Hooke,

English Scientist discovered cells while looking at a thin slice of cork.

• He described the cells as tiny boxes or a honeycomb.

• He thought that cells only existed in plants and fungi.

Anton van Leuwenhoek looked at pond water and saw small creatures.

• “Animalcules” – single-celled organisms • He also observed blood cells from fish, birds, frogs, dogs,
and humans.

• Therefore, it was known that cells are found in animals as well as plants.

150–200-year gap from Hooke and Leuwenhoek

Fransisco Redi’s experiment disproved the theory of

spontaneous generation. While John Needham’s
experiment proved the theory but there was a mistake on
the experiment (briefly boiled)

Louis Pasteur Experiment

Louis Pasteur conclusively disproved Spontaneous Generation Theory

Cell theory

1. All organisms are composed of one or more cells.

2. The cell is the basic unit of life in all living things.

3. All cells come from preexisting cells.

Modern Cell Theory

• All known living things are made up of cells

• The cell is the structural & functional unit of all living things.

• All cells come from pre-existing cells by division.

• Cells contain hereditary information that is passed from cell to cell during cell division.

• All cells are basically the same in chemical composition.

• All energy flow of life occurs within cells

Exceptions: Viruses, First Cell, Mitochondria and Chloroplast

Ultrastructure

Prokaryotic

• Domain Archaea, Eubacteria

• Unicellular organisms

• Lack other organelles or membrane-bound structures

• They have Nucleoid

Eukaryotic

• Domain Eukarya

• Have true Nucleus

• Membrane- bound organelles

• Some unicellular and all Multicellular organism

Common ultrastructure – Plasma membrane, Ribosome, Cytosol, Genetic material, Cytoskeleton

Cell Membrane

- 75% Protein 25% Phospholipid

 (carbohydrate used to determine which
side is outside)

Phospholipid

- Hydrophilic Head & Hydrophobic tail

Protein in cell membrane helps enter important substances to enter that cannot pass through
phospholipid layer

Glycoproteins - Helps in identifying cell types

Ribosome

- Protein synthesis

Cytosol

- Fluid in Cytoplasm
- Matrix of Cytoplasm

Cytoskeleton

- Stable and dynamic network of protein fibers that gives cell shape and structure
Prokaryotic cell structure

Cell wall - Pentapeptide

Capsule

• Gelatinous Layer

• Polysaccharide in nature

• Antiphagocytic • Antigenic

• Help bacterial adherence

• Aids lab diagnosis