The Cells: The basic units of

life
The cell theory
• All living organisms are made of cells and are either unicellular or
multicellular
• The cell is the smallest basic unit of life that shows the characteristics and
properties of life
• All cells come from cells that existed before, because they double to
reproduce
• Energy flows inside cells
• Heredity information (DNA in genes) is passed from cell to cell and
instructs all activities in the cell
• All cells have the same basic chemical composition
1. Eyepiece: contains the ocular lens, which provides a magnification power of 10x to 15x, usually. This is
where you look through.
2. Nosepiece: holds the objective lenses and can be rotated easily to change magnification.
3. Objective lenses: usually, there are three or four objective lenses on a microscope, consisting of 4x, 10x, 40x
and 100x magnification powers. In order to obtain the total magnification of an image, you need to multiply
the eyepiece lens power by the objective lens power. So, if you couple a 10x eyepiece lens with a 40x
objective lens, the total magnification is of 10 x 40 = 400 times.
4. Stage clips: hold the slide in place.
5. Stage: it is a flat platform that supports the slide being analyzed.
6. Diaphragm: it controls the intensity and size of the cone light projected on the specimen. As a rule of thumb,
the more transparent the specimen, less light is required.
7. Light source: it projects light upwards through the diaphragm, slide and lenses.
8. Base: supports the microscope.
9. Condenser lens: it helps to focus the light onto the sample analyzed. They are particularly helpful when
coupled with the highest objective lens.
10. Arm: supports the microscope when carried.
11. Coarse adjustment knob: when the knob is turned, the stage moves up or down, in order to coarse adjust
the focus.
12. Fine adjustment knob: used fine adjust the focus.
Calculating magnification and size
• The total magnification of a microscope is: the power of the eyepiece
(ocular) x the power of the objective used
• Size of specimen = size of image/total magnification
• Calculating magnification and size using a scale bar:
actual size = (size on diagram x number on scale bar)/measured
length of scale bar (see p51 textbook)
Cell structure and function
• Cell wall: support structure in plant cells only
• Cell membrane: allows for transport across membranes
• Nucleus: chromatin network (DNA), nuclear membrane, nucleopores,
nucleolus – control center and heredity
• Cytoplasm: storage and circulation of material
• Mitochondria: release energy during cell respiration
• Ribosomes: protein synthesis
Cell structure and function
• Endoplasmic reticulum (rough and smooth) – transport system
• Golgi body: assembles secretions
• Plastids: production and storage of food and pigments
• Vacuole: storage
• Lysosomes: digestion
• Vesicles: osmoregulation
• Cytoplasm: storage circulation of materials
Fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane
Diffusion
• Passive process (even across non living environments)
• Non selective, random movement of substances
• Substances move across a concentration gradient
• Examples: lipid soluble molecules, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water
Osmosis
• Across living membranes
• Selectively permeable
• Channel proteins essential
• Passive process
• Selective movement of water molecules into/out of the cell
• Use channel protein molecule
• Water moves along a concentration gradient until equilibrium
• Example water
Facilitated Transport
• Across living membranes
• Selectively permeable
• Carrier proteins essential
• Passive process
• Selective movement of substances into/out of cell
• Use carrier protein molecule
• Substances move along a concentration gradient using carrier protein
until equilibrium
• Example glucose
Active transport
• Across living membrane
• Selectively permeable
• Carrier protein molecules essential
• Active process – cellular respiration provides energy (ATP)
• Selective movement using energy for substances into/out of a cell
that fit the carrier protein molecule
• Substances move against a concentration gradient – low to high
concentration using a carrier protein
• Example sodium and potassium