Cell Structures And Function

Cells
-smallest living organism of an organism
- There are 2 types of cell. The Prokaryotic
Cell and The Eukaryotic Cell.

CELLS HAVE THREE MAJOR PARTS

Cell Membrane

-also called the Plasma Membrane or

cytoplasmic membrane is a biological membrane
that separates the interior of all cells from the
outside environment which protects the cell from
the environment consisting of lipids.
Cytoplasm
- Most of the Important Activities
of all the cell occur in the cytoplasm.
It contain molecules such as enzymes
which are responsible for breaking down
waste and also aid in metabolic activity.

DNA
-An organic chemical or complex
muscular that found in all prokaryotic
and eukaryotic and in many viruses,
Contains DNA codes used for the transmission
of the inherited trait from one to another.

THE FOLLOWING ORGANELLES ARE FOUND

IN BOTH PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS.

Nucleus
-The largest organelle in the cell. It is dark and round, and is surrounded
by a double membrane called the nuclear envelope/membrane. 

-The nucleus is the "control center" of the cell, for cell metabolism
and reproduction.
 "ER" OR ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
is a type of organelle found in eukaryotic cells that forms an interconnected
network of flattened, membrane-enclosed sacs or tube-like structures known
as cisternae. The membranes of the ER are continuous with the outer nuclear
membrane. The endoplasmic reticulum occurs in most types of eukaryotic
cells, but is absent from red blood cells and spermatozoa. The general
structure of the endoplasmic reticulum is a network of membranes
called cisternae. These sac-like structures are held together by
the cytoskeleton.

There are 2 types of Endoplasmic reticulum

Rough ER
-Rough endoplasmic reticulum is an
organelle found in eukaryotic cells.
Its main function is to produce proteins. It is made
up of cisternae, tubules and vesicles. The cisternae
are made up of flattened membrane disks, which
are involved in the modification of proteins. They
are held together by the cytoskeleton.

Smooth ER
-The smooth endoplasmic reticulum, or smooth ER,
is an organelle found in both animal cells and plant
cells. An organelle is a sub-unit within a cell that has a
specialized function. The main function of the smooth
ER is to make cellular products like hormones and lipids.
Ribosomes

The ribosome is a complex made of protein and RNA and which adds up to
numerous million Daltons in size and assumes an important part in the course
of decoding the genetic message reserved in the genome into protein.
Ribosomes are made of proteins and ribonucleic acid (abbreviated as RNA), in
almost equal amounts.

Golgi Apparatus
The Golgi apparatus is a major collection
and dispatch station of protein products
received from the endoplasmic reticulum 
(ER). Proteins synthesized in the ER are
packaged into vesicles, which then fuse
with the Golgi apparatus. In most eukaryotes,
the Golgi apparatus is made up of a series of
compartments and is a collection of fused
, flattened membrane-enclosed disks known
as cisternae (singular: cisterna, also called
"dictyosomes"), originating from vesicular
clusters that bud offthe endoplasmic reticulum.
Vacuoles
-A vacuole is a membrane-bound organelle which is present in
all plant and fungal cells and some protist, animal and bacterialcells.] Vacuoles
are essentially enclosed compartments which are filled with water containing
inorganic and organic molecules including enzymes in solution, though in
certain cases they may contain solids which have been engulfed. Vacuoles are
formed by the fusion of multiple membrane vesicles and are effectively just
larger forms of these. The organelle has no basic shape or size; its structure
varies according to the requirements of the cell.

Lysosomes
-Lysosomes contain a variety of enzymes, enabling the cell to break down
various biomolecules it engulfs, including peptides, nucleic
acids, carbohydrates, and lipids (lysosomal lipase). The enzymes responsible
for this hydrolysis require an acidic environment for optimal activity.
Lysosomes act as the waste disposal system of the cell by digesting obsolete
or un-used materials in the cytoplasm, from both inside and outside the cell.
Material from outside the cell is taken-up through endocytosis, while material
from the inside of the cell is digested through autophagy The sizes of the
organelles vary greatly—the larger ones can be more than 10 times the size of
the smaller ones
Mitochondrion
-mitochondrion (plural mitochondria) is a membrane-bound organelle found
in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. It is the power house of the cell; it is
responsible for cellular respiration and production of (most) ATP in the cell.
Each cell can have from one to thousands of mitochondria. Mitochondria also
contain extranuclear DNA that encodes a number of rRNAs, tRNAs, and
proteins.
Mitochondria are small membrane-bound organelles that are usually about
1 – 10 microns in length. They can be spherical or rod-shaped. Mitochondria
are shaped perfectly to maximize their productivity. They are made of two
membranes. The outer membranecovers the organelle and contains it like a
skin. The inner membrane folds over many times and creates layered
structures called cristae. The fluid contained in the mitochondria is called
the matrix. 

ORGANELLES AND OTHER FEATURES FOUND

ONLY IN PLANT CELLS

Cell Wall
- A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside
the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. It provides
thecell with both structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering
mechanism.

Plastids
-Plastids are major organelles found in the cells of plants and
algae. Plastids are the site of manufacture and storage of important chemical
compounds used by the cell. Plastids often contain pigments used in
photosynthesis, and the types of pigments present can change or determine
the cell's colour. Plastids are found in the cytoplasm and there are two main
types:
  Leucoplasts - colorless organelles which store starch or other plant
nutrients.  ( example - starch stored in a potato)

  Chromoplasts - contain different colored pigments. The most important

type of chromoplast is the chloroplast, which contains the green
pigment chlorophyll.  This is important in the process of photosynthesis.

Central Vacuole
-The central vacuole is a large vacuole found inside of plant cells. A vacuole is
a sphere filled with fluid and molecules inside a cell. The central vacuole
stores water and maintains turgor pressure in a plant cell. It also pushes the
contents of the cell toward the cell membrane, which allows the plant cells to
take in more light energy for making food through photosynthesis. Vacuoles
are also found in animal, protist, fungal, and bacterial cells, but large central
vacuoles are only found in plant cells. The central vacuole consists of two
parts, the cell sap and the tonoplast. The cell sap refers to the fluid within the
vacuole. It is mostly water, but also consists of ions, salts, waste products,
nutrients, and sometimes pigment molecules. The tonoplast is the central
vacuole’s membrane; it is also known as the vacuolar membrane.

OTHER UNIQUE STRUCTURES

CILIA: in humans, the respiratory track is lined with cells that have cilia; Cilia
play an important role in locomotion. This can include movement of the cell
itself, or of other substances and objects past the cell (i.e. inhaled particles in
the air to lungs)
Structure: microscopic hair-like projections that can move in waves.

FLAGELLA: The word flagellum in Latin means whip, just like the whipping
motion flagella (plural) often use for locomotion. They are typically used to
propel a cell through liquid (i.e. bacteria and sperm).
Structure: a flagellum is like a little tail that can help a cell move a cell;