CHAPTER: 5

THE FUNDAMENTAL UNIT OF LIFE

 CELL: AN INTRODUCTION

 CELL:

 The word cell is derived from a Latin word “cellula” which means a small room.

 Cell is the smallest unit of all life forms and it is also the building block of life as every living organism on
earth is made up of cells. Example: From microscopic bacteria to humans to plants.

 Cell is also regarded as the structural and functional unit of living organisms.

 Cell Biology: That field of Biology that deals with the study of structure, function and types of cells.
EVENTS RELATED TO CELL BIOLOGY

A) ROBERT HOOKE: DISCOVERED CELL FOR THE FIRST TIME (1665):

 He was the first person to visualize cells.

 He studied the bark of an oak tree under a crude microscope.

 He observed “HONEYCOMB” like structures with compartments or boxes. The cells he observed
were dead cells as they were empty.
 EVENTS RELATED TO CELL BIOLOGY

B) Z. JENSSEN: DICOVERED MICROSCOPE

 He is the 1st person to discover Microscope.

 Cells are microscopic in nature and cannot be viewed with

a naked eye. Hence, we use microscopes to visualize cells.

C) ANTON VON LEEUWENHOEK:

 First person to visualize living cells such as amoeba, RBC,

human sperms etc.

 This is the reason why he is also regarded as FATHER OF

MICROBIOLOGY.
 EVENTS RELATED TO CELL BIOLOGY

D) SCHLEIDEN AND SCHWANN: GAVE THE CELL THEORY

 A German Botanist Schleiden and a British Zoologist Schwann, observed various plants
and animal cells and together gave “THE CELL THEORY”.

 The 2 major points of cell theory are as follows:

1. All the living organisms are made up of cells.

2. Cell is the structural and functional unit of all life forms.

E) RUDOLF VIRCHOW: MODIFIED THE CELL THEORY

 He modified the cell theory and added the 3rd point to cell theory that cells arise from pre-
existing cells.
 LEVELS OF ORGANISATION

• In multicellular organisms such as plants, animals and humans, the body is made
up of millions of cells.

• These numerous cells get organized at different levels to coordinate the various
functions performed by these organisms.

• These levels are as follows:

Organ
Cells Tissues Organs Organism
System

Fig: Showing Different Levels of Organisation in a living organism

LEVELS OF ORGANISATION
 VARIATIONS IN CELLS

 Cells are of various different types, they can be of different size, shape, number.
Some of the variations in cells are discussed as follows.

I. Variation in Number:

 Depending upon the number of cells, organisms are of 2 types:

UNICELLULAR MULTICELLULAR
These organisms are made up of a single These organisms are made up of
cell. numerous cells.
These are capable of independent These organisms require interaction
existence as a single cell is able to among constituent cells, tissues, organs
perform all the necessary functions and organ systems to be able to perform
all the necessary functions.
Examples: Bacteria, Blue-green algae, Examples: Humans, plants, fungi,
Amoeba, Paramoecium, Yeast. animals.
 VARIATIONS IN CELL

II. Variation in Size:

 Cells are microscopic and therefore are measured in micrometers (μm)

 1 μm =10⁻⁶ meter

 Cells differ greatly in size.

S.NO EXAMPLES SIZE

1. Mycoplasma/PPLO: Smallest cell 0.3 μm

2. Bacterial cell 3-5 μm

3. Ostrich’s egg: Largest isolated cell 15-17 cm

4. Human RBC: Smallest cell in human body 7μm in diameter

5. Neuron: Longest cell in the human body 120-150 cm

 VARIATIONS IN CELL
III: Variation In shape:

Discoid/Biconcave

Spherical
Stellate/Star shaped

Branched and elongated

 VARIATIONS IN CELL

III: Variation In shape:

 In multicellular organisms, different cells have different shapes depending upon the function
they perform.

 Example: Skin cells are flat, rectangular with no intercellular spaces so that it can form a
protective layer.

 Example: Neuron is elongated, cylindrical and branched for transmission of signals

a) Some cells have fixed shapes.

 Example: skin cells, neuron, RBC, bone cells, muscle cells etc.

b) Some cells don’t have definite shape, they can change their shape.
 Example: Amoeba and WBC
THANK YOU