CELL STRUCTURE & FUNCTIONS

References:
Text book of Medical Physiology Guyton & Hall
Ganong’s Review of Medical Physiology
Understanding Medical Physiology - RL Bijilani
 Evolution to Cell

Nucleic Acid
Membrane, Cytosol

Organellels except Nucleus

Prokaryote

Nucleus Eukaryote
 Organization of Cell – Chemical
Composition
• Water 70-85%

• Proteins 10-20% - Structural &Functional

• Lipids 2% ( in adipocytes 95%)

• Carbohydrates (3%- myocytes,6%Hapatocytes)

• Ions Na+, K+, Mg++, Ca++PO2-4, SO2-4, & Cl-.

 Mammalian cell – Light
Microscope

Von Leeuwenhoek – Invented Microscope

Robert Hooke -Observed
Schwann & Schleiden-Basic unit of life
EM, Scanning Microscopy & X- Ray diffraction
Electron Microscopic Structure
Cell & its Organelles
 Membranous structures
• Cell membrane

Unit membrane of
• Endoplasmic reticulum
• Lysosome
• Peroxisome
• Secretory vesicles
• Golgi Body
• Mitochondria
• Nucleus
Cell Membrane
Cell Membrane
 Cell Membrane – ‘ Skin’
• Boundary, Vital, Dynamic, Heterogeneous,
Asymmetrical & Semi permeable.
• Phospholipids bilayer – Fluid Mosaic Model.
• Amphipathic- Hydrophilic phosphate head,
Hydrophobic Fatty acyl tails.
• O2, Co2 & alcohol – Fat soluble - diffuse
• Ions, Glucose & urea – via Structural proteins
Proteins: 50% of mass;

Structural / Integral : Channels(Pores ), Pumps & Carriers

Functional proteins / Peripheral proteins: Enzymes, Receptors

for peptide hormones, Controllers of transport across pores.

Carbohydrates:

Glycocalyx – Loose Carbohydrate coat

Glycoprotein, Glycolipids & Proteoglycan

Negative electrical charge – Repels or attracts.
Receptors for ligands
Antigens, Enter into immune reactions
Cell adhesion molecules.
Cytoskeleton
Cytoskeleton - Structure
 Skeleton & Loco motor System
• Maintenance of shape & structure – Scaffold -Intermediate
filaments ( Cellular markers: smooth muscle – Vimentin, Epidermis
– Cytokeratin).

• Contraction of muscles – Actin & Myosin

• Microtubules -Flagellar & Ciliary movement,

mitotic spindle formation, Cell cleavage in Telophase.

• Microfilaments- IC Cargo tracks ( Kinesin, Dynein & Myosin ), whole

cell Amoeboid, microvilli movement, Organogenesis in embryo,
Desmosomes & Hemi desmosomes.
Endoplasmic Reticulum- Circulatory
system
Synthesis of Proteins, Lipids & Cellular
vesicles
 Metabolic Machinery
• Protein Synthesis - RER

• Synthesis of Phospholipids & Cholesterol, Glycolytic

enzymes, Initial steps of steroid synthesis.

• Detoxification

• Ca++ sequestration & release as signaling molecule in

Glands, Neurons & muscles.

• produces Peroxisomes ?
Golgi Body – Camillo Golgi
 Golgi Apparatus – Post office
• Concentrates, Stores, Processes, Sorts out,
Packs, Labels, address & Delivers as
Lysosomes & Secretory granules.

• Synthesizes Hyaluronic Acid & Chondroitin

Sulphate. ( mucus, Ground substance of
Interstitial space, Cartilage & Bone)
Protein Processing
 Lysosome –Digestive System
• Acid Hydrolases ( nucleases, Glycosidase, Collagenase )

• Digests – Bacteria, Food particles, worn out &

Apoptotic Cellular structures ( Granules in
Granulocytes, Acrosome in Sperm ).

• Quality control – Abnormal proteins, Glycoprpteins

formed are degraded.

• Enzyme defeciency – Lysosomal storage diseases –

Mental retardation, blindness
 Bactericidal Agents in Lysosome
• Acid - pH 5; Activates hydrolases; Inactivates
bacterial metabolic system.

• Lysozyme: Dissolves bacterial cell membrane.

• Lysoferrin: Binds to iron & other substances

before they can promote bacterial growth
Digestion by Lysosome
Secretory Granules
 Storage Granules
• Mucus in Goblet cells

• Melanin in melanocytes

• Fat in adipocytes

• Glycogen in Liver cells

• Chlorophyll in Chloroplasts

• Enzymes & Hormones in acinar cells

Mitochondrion – ‘Respiratory System’

Self Replicative & Maternal.

 ‘The Power House’
• Final oxidation of body fuels- Kreb’s cycle; Beta oxidation of
fatty acids.

• Energy harnessed as ATP – OP Enzymes in IMS

• Final steps of Steroid hormone synthesis.

• Thermoregulation- Brown adipose tissue- short circuit proton

conductance.

• Regulation of IC Ca++ conc; Regulation of Apoptosis.

Formation of ATP
Uses of ATP
Nucleus -The Brain
 Peroxisomes
• Self Generative?- ? Buds off from SER

• Rich in Hepatocytes & PCT cells of kidney

• Oxidase -Forms H2O2 – Free radical, Oxidizing substance.

• Catalase breaks down H2O2

• Detoxification of Alcohol

• Oxidation of Fatty acids- PPAR stimulants decrease insulin

resistance
 Centrosome - Reproduction
• Two centrioles at right angle – close to nucleus

• Microtubules – 9 triplets – Gamma tubulin

•
• Micro Tubules Organizing Center

• No Centrioles – No cell division

• Vinka Alkaloids & Paclitaxel – Chemotherapeutic

agents in oncology.
Endocytosis
 Classification
• Pinocytosis
• Phagocytosis

Clathrin mediated
Caveolin ( rafts of cholesterol &
Sphingomyelin ) mediated
Non Clathrin, Non Caveolin mediated.
Endocytosis & Exocytosis
 Amoeboid motion by a Cell

WBCs, Fibroblasts, Germinal cells of skin, Basal cells of taste buds, olfactory &
GIT epithelium, Embryonic cells during organogenesis
Structure & Function of Cilium