2 - CELLS

IGCSE Biology
Year 1
Support teacher: Bozka
Def.: Cells are the smallest units from
which all organisms are made

ANIMAL AND PLANT CELLS

All organisms are made of cells

Many large multicellular organisms are made of millions of cells
Unicellular organisms are made of single cells – bacteria, yeast
New cells are produced by division of existing cells

Even larger human cells - like the skin cell - are 20 times smaller than a grain of salt
Microscopes enable us to see these cells in detail
 Microscopes
Light microscope is most commonly
used (image)
Uses light that shines through a
specimen (plant or animal)
Objective lenses enable us to look at
the tissue at different magnifications
Electron microscopes enable us to see
the cell structures such as
mitochondria in more detail
Cytoplasm - A jelly-like material that contains dissolved ANIMAL CELLS
nutrients and salts and structures called organelles. It is where
many of the chemical reactions happen.
Nucleus - Contains genetic material, including DNA, which
controls the cell’s activities.
Cell membrane - controls the movement of substances in and
out of the cell. Its structure is partially permeable – it will let
some molecules and ions to pass but not others.
Mitochondria - Organelles that contain the enzymes for
respiration, and where most energy is released in respiration.
Ribosomes - Tiny structures where protein synthesis occurs.
Vacuole – a fluid-filled space inside a cell, separated by
cytoplasm by a membrane.
Vesicle – a very small vacuole
 PLANT CELLS
Chloroplasts - Organelles that contains the green
pigment, chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy
for photosynthesis. Contains the enzymes needed
for photosynthesis.
Cell wall - Made from cellulose fibres and
strengthens the cell and supports the plant.
Fully permeable – spaces between the fibres are
large, allows all molecules and ions to pass through
it
Permanent vacuole – large, filled with cell sap
(solution of sugar other substances).
Bacteria = pl., bacterium = sg.
Bacteria are single-celled organisms. BACTERIAL CELLS
Do not contain a nucleus - DNA is a
circular chromosome that floats in the cytoplasm.
Have a cell membrane.
Have cytoplasm
Have a non-cellulose cell wall
Have plasmids – small rings of DNA floating in
cytoplasm. Plasmids can contain advantageous
information such as antibiotic resistance. They are often
used by scientists in research, using to study unknown
genes and their products (by cloning into a ‘plasmid
vector’).
 SPECIALISED CELLS
Specialised cells are organised and perform a particular function.

There are different levels of organisation:

Cells with the same structure and function are known as tissue (e.g. muscle tissue).
Several types of tissue that carry out a particular function is an organ (e.g. the heart
organ contains muscle and nerve tissue).
Organs that work together to carry out a particular function are known as an organ
system. (e.g. the circulatory system.)
 SIZES OF SPECIMEN
The same unit of measurement should be used when
making the calculation - metre (m), millimetre (mm) or
micrometre (µm). Equation
To convert millimetres into micrometres (µm), multiply :
by 1000.

The equation can be rearranged in order to calculate the

actual length of the cell and the magnification used as
well as the length of the image.
Actual size = size of the Image divided by
the Magnification.
Magnification = size of the Image divided by the Actual
size of object.