The Living Cell

Learning Outcomes
• Describe the processes of life at the
cellular and organism level. (CO1, CO2)
• Differentiate a prokaryotic cell from a
eukaryotic cell. (CO1, CO2)
• Describe the structure and function of
prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. (CO1,
CO2)
 Learning Outcomes
• Compare and contrast the structure of
typical animal and plant cells. (CO1, CO2)
• Enumerate the steps involved in mitosis
and meiosis. (CO1, CO2)
 Why do we need to
review the cell structure?
• In biochemistry, we are going to
study the biomolecules that make up
the components of the cell.

• The biochemical reactions that we

will study take place in these cellular
components.
The Cell
Most cells are too small to see without a microscope.
Cell discovery timeline
Cell discovery timeline
The Cell

structural and functional units of all living

organisms

Robert Hooke (1665) observed that plant

tissues were divided into tiny compartments
which he called cellulae (cells)

Theodor Schwann (1840) proposed that all

organisms exist as either single cells or
aggregate of cells
Different Cell Types Characterize
Life’s Three Domains
The Cell
Living Organisms

Prokaryotes Eukaryotes

eubacteria protists

fungi
archaebacteria
plants

animals
 Prokaryotes
• primitive, simple, versatile, ubiquitous,
unicellular form

• over 2, 500 different species known

• easily cultured in the lab

• common shapes:

Streptococcus Lactobacillus spirilli - Azospirillum

 Prokaryotes
1. Archaea (Archaeabacteria)
- many are called Extremophiles
ACIDOPHILES... Sulfolobus acidocaldaries - acid loving
microbes: pH < 5, sulfur springs

ALKALOPHILES... Natranobacterium gregoryi - pH > 9, live

in soda lakes

HALOPHILES... Halferax volcanii - salt loving, live in Dead

Sea & Great Salt Lake
 Prokaryotes
1. Archaea (Archaeabacteria)

METHANOGENS.. Methanococcus; convert CO2 to

methane (CH4)
CO2 + H2 --> CH4

PSYCHROPHILES.. Polaromonas vacuolata - cold loving -

live in antarctic ice & seas

THERMOPHILES... heat loving, in acid hot springs, deep

ocean geysers
 Prokaryotes
2. Bacteria (Eubacteria)

- several eubacteria are pathogenic and may cause

diseases
Bacillus anthracis = anthrax
Clostridium botulinum = botulism
Staphylococcus aureus = sepsis, endocarditis, &
nosocomial (hospital-borne) infections
Salmonella = food poisoning & typhoid
 Prokaryotes
2. Bacteria (Eubacteria)

- many eubacteria make antibiotics

Streptomyces = streptomycin (1943) ,
tetracycline, erythromycin

Bacillus = bacitracin, polyxyxin

also includes CYANOBACTERIA - are photosynthetic

eubacteria, formerly called blue-green algae
In 1922, Fleming
discovered lysozyme, an
enzyme found in human
tears, which is capable
of destroying bacteria.

“inhibiting the growth

of harmless bacteria”

Observed the effect of

Penicillium mold on
Staphylococcus
The Cell
Living Organisms

Prokaryotes Eukaryotes
almost all small both unicellular and
unicellular multicellular
organisms
The Cell
Living Organisms
Prokaryotes Eukaryotes

much larger in size

than prokaryotes
(2000:1 volume
10-6 m in size
ratio)
have nucleus
The Cell
Living Organisms: Structure and Function

Prokaryotes Eukaryotes
metabolic functions greater specialization
are organized in and complexity in
simpler fashion structure and
functioning

spatially closely structured into

related compartments
The Cell
Living Organisms: Genetic information

Prokaryotes Eukaryotes
DNA is ring-shaped very long linear DNA
(106 bp) (107-1010 bp)

doesn’t have introns presence of introns

located in the located in the

cytoplasm nucleus
Prokaryotic cell vs Eukaryotic
cell
Parts of the Cell
Prokaryotic cell
Parts of the Cell
Features of a Prokaryotic cell
cells have only a single membrane (cell
membrane)
no nucleus or organelles but possess a distinct
nuclear area (nucleoid)
Parts of the Cell
Features of a Prokaryotic cell
presence of cell wall

cells have ribosomes

Parts of the Cell
Features of a Prokaryotic cell

presence of storage granules

presence of cytosol

lacks cytoskeleton

surface of cell may carry pili and flagella

 Cell Structure of Prokaryotes
Part Function
Fimbriae/Pili Attachment structures on the surface of some
prokaryotes
Nucleoid Region where the cell’s DNA is located
Plasmid Extrachromosomal piece of circular DNA
Ribosomes Complexes that synthesize proteins
Plasma Membrane Enclosing the cytoplasm
Cell wall Rigid structure outside plasma membrane
Capsule Jellylike outer coating of many prokaryotes
Flagella Locomotory organelle
 Cilia and Flagella
• Hair-like projections that functions for movement

• 9 + 2 pattern of microtubules (eukaryotic)

• Move when the microtubule doublets slide past one another

• Motion of cilia: back and forth motion

• Motion of flagella: undulating or snakelike motion

Paramecium with Cilia
Flagellum
Parts of a Eukaryotic Cell
¢ Cytosol
¢ Nucleus
¢ Endoplasmic reticulum
¢ Golgi complex
¢ Mitochondrion
¢ Lysosome
¢ Peroxysome
¢ Cell wall
¢ Chloroplast
¢ Vacuoles
Parts of the Cell
Eukaryotic cell
subdivided by membranes

enclosed by a plasma membrane - a

phospholipid bilayer with proteins that separates
the cell from the surrounding environment and
functions as a selective barrier for the import and
export of materials
Parts of the Cell
cytoplasm – large space containing numerous
components in solution
organelles – well defined compartments inside
the cell; dedicated to important cellular tasks
Eukaryotic cell: Compartmentalization

Advantage of having
membrane-enclosed
compartments:
separate incompatible
chemical and physical
conditions
Parts of the Cell
cytosol – the water solution (salts and
organic molecules) where organelles are
suspended.
Parts of the Cell
nucleus – largest organelle; contains the genetic
material of the cell; site of DNA and RNA
biosynthesis
Parts of the Cell
endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes – a closed
network of shallow sacs and tubules linked with
the outer membrane of the nucleus; processes
and transports proteins

Rough ER – contains ribosomes

Smooth ER – lipid synthesis
Parts of the Cell
Golgi apparatus – resembles a bundle of layered
slices; sorts and transports molecules for export
Parts of the Cell
Endosomes and exosomes – bubble-shaped
compartments that are involved in the exchange
of substances between the cell and its
surroundings
Parts of the Cell
Mitochondria – double membrane-bound
organelle; site for cellular respiration
Parts of the Cell
Lysosomes – small, globular organelle; contains
hydrolytic digestive enzymes for intracellular
digestion
Lysosome: Digestive
Compartments
Phagocytosis: Lysosome
digesting food
Autophagy: Lysosome breaking
down damaged organelles
Parts of the Cell
Peroxisomes – smaller than lysosome; contain
oxidative enzymes and destroy peroxides
Parts of the Cell
Cytoskeleton – framework of proteins;
determines the shape of cells and gives it its
ability to move
 Cytoskeleton: Network of
Fibers
Structure Function
Microtubules - • Hollow tubes; wall • Maintenance of cell
thickest consists of tubulin shape
molecules • Cell motility
Actin filaments • Two intertwined • Muscle contraction
(Microfilaments) – strands of actin • Cytoplasmic streaming
thinnest
Intermediate • Fibrous proteins • Anchorage of nucleus
filaments supercoiled and certain other
organelles
• Formation of nuclear
lamina
Parts of the Cell
Plastids (chloroplasts) – where photosynthesis
takes place
Parts of the Cell
Vacuole – membrane bound found in the
cytoplasm; serve as reservoir for food and waste
products
Parts of the Cell
Cell wall – composed of polysaccharides and
proteins; rigid support structure surrounding
plant cells that provides protection against
osmotic or mechanical rupture
Parts of the Cell

Animal Cell vs. Plant Cell

 Centrioles (Animal cells)
Structure Function
• Composed • Help cell
mainly of division in
proteins animals
called tubulin • Help form
• 9 + 0 pattern centrosome,
of cilia and 9 + 0 pattern of microtubules triplets
microtubules flagella
triplets
The Cell
Universal Features of Living Cells

All cells contain:

nucleus or nucleoid

plasma membrane

cytoplasm
Are viruses eukaryotic or prokaryotic?