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Cell Biology
A plant cell differs from animal cells in several respects as detailed here under
Plant cell Animal cell
1. Presence of a cell wall. 1. Cell wall is absent.
2. Presence of plasmodesmata. 2. Plasmodesmata absent.
3. Microvilli and desmosomes absent. 3. Both present.
4. Plastids present. 4. Plastids absent.
5. Centriole absent in higher plants. 5. Centriole present.
6. Mitochondria generally tubule and 6. Mitochondria cristae type.
intermediate type.
7. Ribosomes 70 S and 80 S type. 7. Ribosomes 55 S and 80 S type.
8. Vacuoles present. 8. Vacuole usually absent.
4 Cell Biology
1.5 Structure of cell
Cell boundaries : Mucin and Sialic acid forms cell coat in animal cells. Cell coat of animal
cell is also called Glycocalyx.
Cell wall : Cell coat of plant cells is called cell wall. Robert Hooke discovered cell wall from
thin section of cork cell and published his results in ‘Micrographia’. It has following components.
(1) Primary cell wall : Outermost layer, thin and elastic, composed of cellulose (-D-
glucose), hemicellulose and pectin.
(2) Secondary cell wall : Rigid, thick and composed of cellulose, hemi–cellulose and
pectin. Secondary cell wall absent in meristem.
Primary wall (Thin) Secondary wall (Thick)
(1) Cellulose microfibrils are arranged in a (1) Microbrils are parallel to long axis of
dispersed manner. cell.
(2) Hemicellulose more (50%). Cellulose
content low (2) Hemicellulose less (25%). Cellulose
(3) Primary cell wall have lipids (5–10%) content high.
and proteins (5%). (3) Proteins and lipids either absent or very
less.
Cilia Flagella
Shorter –5 to 10 m in length Upto 150 m long
More in number on a cell Few in number
(uncountable) Undulating movement
Exhibit sweeping or pendular Action not co–ordinated
movement
Action co–ordinated
Palindromic DNA – It is a part of DNA in which the base sequence of strand is opposite to
that of other strand.
Haploid DNA content of an organism is called C-value.
c-DNA (complimentary DNA) is prepared from m-RNA by enzyme reverse transcriptase.
(a) Evidence in favour of semi conservative method of DNA duplication : During the
duplication of DNA, one strand always comes from parental strand and second strand is newly
formed. This is semiconservative method.
(i) By meselson and Stahl’s experiment (1958) : They were used N 15 on E. coli
bacteria.
(ii)By Taylor’s experiment : He used autoradiography technique on Vicia faba root tips.
(iii) By Cair’s autoradiography experiments : He used H 3 tdR (Tritiated thymidine) in
bacteria.
(b) Replication /Duplication of DNA : Formation of new DNA from old DNA is called
replication of DNA. DNA replication is semidiscontinuous. During replication, two strands of DNA
separates or double standed DNA uncoils by action of enzymes topoisomerases, helicase and
single-strand binding protein (SSB).
Under the influence of enzyme DNA polymerase-III, new strand is formed on 5 to 3 strand
continuously is called leading strand. On the other hand, using the same enzyme new strand is
formed discontinuously or in the form of small segments or pieces. This strand is called lagging
strand and small segments of DNA are called Okazaki segments (after the name of their
discoverer). These are adjoined together with the help of ligase enzyme.
Polymerase III discovered by A. Kornberg.
DNA ligase discovered by H.G. Khorana.
(2) RNA : Found in cytoplasm also in nucleolus. They are concerned with protein synthesis.
They are of 3 types – m-RNA, r-RNA, t-RNA.
m-RNA r-RNA t-RNA
Formed inside nucleus Inside nucleus Nucleus
Constitute 2% 80% (Most abundant RNA) 18%
Named by Jacob and Monad Hoagland
Short lived, Many types Most stable, 3-4 types Stable 20 type
Sedimentation 12S 5S, 16S, 18S, 29S 4S
Carry genetic information for Form ribosomes (60%) Pick up particular amino acid
protein synthesis
Molecular weight 500000 40000 – 1,00,000 25000
Contain usual bases Usual bases Many unusual bases present
2-D model given by Holley. It
is clover leaf shaped, 3-D
model (L-shaped) given by
kim.
18 Cell Biology
At the end of Meiosis I either two daughter cells will be formed or a cell may have two
daughter nuclei.
Meiosis I is also termed as reduction division.
After meiosis Ist, the cells in animals are reformed as secondary spermatocytes or
secondary oocytes; with haploid number of chromosomes but diploid amount DNA.
Meiosis II
Meiosis II starts just after the end of Telophase I.
Each daughter cell (nucleus) undergoes mitotic division.
Meiosis II is similar to mitosis.
The various stages of meiosis II are prophase II, Metaphase II, Anaphase II and Telophase
II.
At the end of Meiosis II cytokinesis takes place.
Four daughter cells are formed after the completion of one meiotic division.
The chromosome number of daughter cells is haploid.
Meiosis II is termed as equational division.
In Meiosis I the kinetochores of homologous chromosomes are separated while in Meiosis II
the sister kinetochores of one chromosome are separated.
The four daughter cells receive one chromatid each of the tetravalent.
Significance of Meiosis
Gametes have half the number of chromosomes than the mother cell.
This stage is important for sexual reproduction as two gametes fuse to form a zygote.
If the chromosome number is not reduced than after every fusion the number of
chromosomes doubled in a zygote. So it is necessary that before the formation of zygote
the reduction division should take place to form the gametes.
Sexual reproduction includes one meiosis and one fusion.
Exchange of segments give rise to new varieties.
This process introduce genetic variations.
The four daughter cells will have different types of chromatids.