CELL THEORY and

CELL STRUCTURE.
• The word cell did not come into use until the
17TH century-
• Robert Hooke was the first to use the term cell
in 1662.
• He associated the cell structure to the tiny
units he observed in the honey combs
chambers he found in structure of plant cork.
• Since then as a result of the use of powerful
microscopes and biochemical analysis a lot is
now known about cells of different organisms.
• In 1838 Mathias Schleiden stated that all plants
are made up of cells.
• In the following year 1839, Theodor Schwann
said all animals are composed of cells.
• Schwamnn added that plant and animal cells are
arranged according to “define laws”.
• In 1856, Rudolf Virchow, established the idea
that cells arise from the division of the existing
cells; and have common ancestry.
• He first introduced the link between cell theory
and evolution.
 Cell theory.
• The cell is the building block of structures in
living things; and is the basic unit of life.
• The cell is derived from other cells through cell
division.
• The cell contains hereditary material/information
used as instructions for the growth, development
and functioning.
• The cell is the functioning unit(metabolic
activities/reactions) of life.
• Early in the 17th century, (Antony van
Leeuwenwoek – 1632-1723), the use of lenses
led to the detail study of cell structure.
• This was the birth of microscopy- use of
microscope.
• 1930- 1946 Electron microscope developed;
which led to the study of organelles of cells.
• 20th century – saw Biochemical discoveries;
combined with ultra-structure and cyto-
genetics established a branch of biology called
cell biology.
• The 20th century also established that cells
contain hereditary materials(DNA) in the
nucleus; the roles of nucleic acid in the control
of metabolism and of growth via protein
synthesis was understood.
• Cell size:
• Cells are quite small.
• A frog cell is about one millimeter in diameter
(1 mm); can be seen by the human eye.
• But most cells are far smaller than 1mm ; even
as small as one micrometer (1um)- 1/1000th
of 1mm; and even far smaller- one
nanometer(nm)- 1/1000th of one micrometer.
• Why are cells so small?
• This is to ensure that each cell has enough
surface area to volume ratio that will ensure
effective metabolic reactions in the
transportation of nutrients into and removal
of wastes from the cell.
• Calculation has shown that a 4-cm cube has a
surface- area –to- volume ratio of only 1.5: 1,
whereas a 1-cm cube has a surface-area-to-
surface-ratio of 6:1. Thus the smaller the size
of cell, the more surface area it has.
• Unicellular organisms have a surface volume
ratio that ensures effective exchanges across
the boundary/surface of the cells.
• For multi-cellular organisms , their bulky
nature does not allow for these exchanges;
since most cells are internally situated.
• Thus cell specialization and modification occur
in terms of organs and organ systems to
perform more effectively the physiological life
functions in multi-cellular organisms.
• Amoeba cell – Unicellular Eukaryotic cell
• Cells that specialize in the absorption have
modification that greatly increase the surface
area per volume of the cells.
 STRUCTURE OF CELL.
• In broad sense a typical cell is made of two main
parts – cell membrane and the protoplasm;
which is the content of the cell.
• Protoplasm consists of the nucleus surrounded
by the cytoplasm in which various sub-cellular
units called organelles are embedded.
• This typical structure varies depending –
whether plant or animal cell and
complexity/specialization of the cell.
• Two types of cells exist.
• Prokaryotic cell- do not have membrane-
bounded nucleus. E.g. Bacteria and viruses.
Mostly unicellular.
• Eukaryotic cells.- are cells that have well-
defined nucleus bounded by a nuclear
membrane. E.g. all multi-cellular higher
organisms.
• The prokaryotes belong to two groups-
Bateria and Viruses