Examining a variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells - 2/2/4

About cells

- Cells are basic units of ife

- Cell membrane is a barrier that regulated the substances that enters and leaves the cell
- Cytoplasm is mainly water with a variety of chemical substances such as salt, sugars,
enzymes, amino acids and wastes
- Cell always have genetic material which makes specific proteins
- Every call has ribosomes that are like mini protein factories

Prokaryotic vs eukaryotic cells

Eukaryotic cells - Animals, Plants, Fungi

Prokaryotic cells - Bacteria and Archaea

About Eukaryotic cells

Meaning - Proper nucleus

Size - bigger than prokaryotic
Complexity of structure - Complex
Location of DNA - Nucleus
Has membrane bound organelles
Can be a unicellular organism
Can form a multicellular organism
Cell size - 10-100 um in diameter

About Prokaryotic cells

Meaning - before nucleus
Size - very small
Complexity of structure - Simple
Location of DNA - Nucleus
Doesn’t have membrane bound organelles
Can be a unicellular organism
Can’t form as a multicellular organism
Cell size - 0.1-5.0um

Prokaryotic organism
Cell wall - Additional layer for the cell to provide more support and reduce dehydration
Capsule - A layer found on some prokaryotes to attach to other cells and surfaces
Pill - hair like structure, some types structure aid attachment to surfaces and some to exchange
genetic material with other cells
Flagellum - A tail like structure that uses motor proteins to whip around

Describe a range of technologies that are used to determine a cell’s structure and
function - 5/2/24

Definitions
Magnification - indicates how much an image has been increased in size
Resolution - indicates the minimum distance objects need to be apart to be able to be seen
separately
Fluorescent microscopes are used to target specific structure in cells and uses labelling of these
structures with fluorescent substances to see them
Confocal laser scanning microscopes use pin-point laser beams to make images of many
layers, which are then combined into a three-dimensional model.

Compound light microscope

Energy source - forced beam of light
Magnification - up to 1500x
Resolution - up to 0.2mm
Specimen preparation - Yes, dyes
Can live specimens be viewed? - Yes
Advantages - Samples prepared quickly coloured stains can be used
Disadvantages - Limites visible detail
Electron microscope
Energy source - Beam of electrons
Magnification - 1000000x
Resolution - up to 0.0002mm
Specimen preparation - Yes, atoms
Can live specimens be viewed? No
Advantages - High magnification and resolutions allow object to be as small as molecules
Disadvantages - Only non-living section can be viewed due to electrons scattering and long
preparation
SEM
Produces pictures if the surface features of objects
TEM
Require specimens that are so thin that electrons can pass through to form an image
Microscope technologies - 5/2/24
- Robert hooke first discovered cells in 1600s
- Chloroplasts, nucleus, mitochondria and plant vacuoles can be seen with a light
microscope
- Light microscopes cannot go beyond 1000x
- Electron microscopes resolution limit is 0.1nm
- Microscope is best for the structure of cellular components

Investigate a variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structures, including but not
limited to: comparing and contrasting different cell organelles and arrangements.