CELL THEORY

A Brief History
Some Random Cell Facts
 The average human being is composed of
around 100 Trillion individual cells!!!
 It would take as many as 50 cells to cover the
area of a dot on the letter “i”

WOW!!!
 Robert Hooke named the cell [1665] based on
observations of the cell walls of cork tissue

He described the cells as tiny boxes or a honeycomb

He thought that cells only existed in plants and fungi
 Anton van Leeuwenhoek documented
unicellular organisms based on observations of
protozoa [1673] and bacteria [1683]

He also observed blood cells from fish, birds, frogs, dogs, and
humans
Therefore, it was known that cells are found in animals as well
as plants
Paramecium - Protocista
Amoeba - Protocista
150-200 Year Gap???
 Between the Hooke/Leuwenhoek discoveries
and the mid 19th century, very little cell
advancements were made.
 This is probably due to the widely accepted,
traditional belief in Spontaneous Generation
(Generatio spontanea: Aristoteles 384–322
BC, John Needham 1700 BC).
 Examples:
-Mice from dirty clothes/corn husks
-Maggots from rotting meat
19th Century Advancement
 Much doubt existed around Spontaneous Generation
 Conclusively disproved by Louis Pasteur

Pasteur: Ummm, I
don’t think so!!!

?
=

+
Matthias Schleiden proposed that cells were the fundamental units
of plants based on observations of plant tissue [1838]
Plant cells
Plant Cell
Theodor Schwann proposed that cells were the fundamental units
of animals based on observations of animal tissue [1839]
Blood
Sperm
Schleiden and Schwann are credited as the founders of The Cell
Theory [1839]

 All living things are made of cells.

 Cells exhibit the fundamental characteristics of life:

 Obtain energy—photosynthesis, chemosynthesis, or digestion

 Use energy—respire
 Excrete Waste
 Show Order
 Homeostasis
 Evolve
 Reproduce
 Move
 Respond to changes in environment
 Grow and repair damage to self
The development of the Cell Theory involved the input of numerous
individuals from various nationalities over many years
Rudolph Virchow stated “omnis cellula a cellula ” [all cells arise
from pre-existing cells based on observations of dividing cells
[1855]
Rudolph Virchow stated “omnis cellula a cellula ” [all cells arise
from pre-existing cells based on observations of dividing cells
[1855]
The Cell Theory was modified to incorporate Virchow’s work

 All organisms are made of cells

 Cells are the smallest structural and functional unit of an

organism [that carries out the life processes]

 All cells come from pre-existing cells

Modern Cell Theory
Modern Cell Theory contains 4 statements, in
addition to the original Cell Theory:
 The cell contains hereditary information(DNA) which
is passed on from cell to cell during cell division.
 All cells are basically the same in chemical
composition and metabolic activities.
 All basic chemical & physiological functions are
carried out inside the cells.(movement, digestion, etc)
 Cell activity depends on the activities of sub-cellular
structures within the cell(organelles, nucleus, plasma
membrane)
And, what about viruses?

 Are not composed of cells but

consist of a nucleic acid (DNA or
RNA) in a protein coat

 Yet conduct all of the cell

processes (although with help,
not independently)
SO:

 Could there be an organism that does not contain a single cell?

 Might there be some other fundamental unit of life? At least, in

some cases?

 Are the life processes sufficient criteria to distinguish between

the living and the non-living?
 How big are cells?
 Microscopic
(mostly)
 Measured in
microns µm
 (micrometers).

 A µm is one
millionth of a
meter
 A nm is one
billionth of a
meter
Sizes of living things
Sizes of Biological Structures
 Thickness of leaf  O.5mm
 Paramecium  200μm
 Sharp end of pin  100 μm
 Plant cell  40μm
 Animal cell  20μm
 Mitochondrion  1μm
 Bacterium  0.5-1μm
 Ribosome  20nm
 DNA molecule  2nm
 Hydrogen atom  0.04nm
 Microscopes

Max magnification – X1000 Max magnification X1000,000

Max Resolution 0.2um Max Resolution 0.5nm
 Microscopic measurements
mm – millimeters
μm – micrometer
nm - nanometers

1m = 1000mm = 1000,000μm= 1000,000,000nm

Comaparison of Light and Electron
Microscopes
Light Microscope

Human Cheek Cell Nerve Cells

 Transmission Electron Microscope

Plant Cell Mitochondrion

Scanning Electron Microscope

Human Sperm Insect Head

 Red and White Blood Cells

Light Microscope
 S.E. M
All cells fall into one of the two major classifications of
prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Prokaryotes were here first
and for billions of years were the only form of life. Why
are eukaryotes such a formidable challenge? Find out in
this section!
The Discovery of Cells

before
nucleus

true
nucleus
Prokaryote

 unicellular organism with

simple construction
 carry out all cellular functions
as individual units
 lack nuclei and other complex
cell structure
 has five essential structural
components (genome/DNA,
ribosome, cell membranes,
cell wall and surface layer)
 Reproduction occurred by
amitosis
Eukaryote

 an organism with a complex cell or cells

 genetic material is organized into a membrane-
bound nuclei
 larger than prokaryote
 Has a variety of internal membranes and
structures called organelles
 DNA divided into several linear bundles called
chromosomes
 has some process of sexual reproduction via cell
fusion (meiosis)
Eukaryotes scientific classification

 Protista
 Fungi
 Plantae
 Animalia
 PERBEDAAN SEL PROKARIOTIK
DAN SEL EUKARIOTIK

ORGANEL SEL PROKARIOTIK SEL EUKARIOTIK

1. Membran Tidak ada Ada
Nukleus
2. RE Tidak ada Ada
3. Badan Golgi Tidak ada Ada
4. Mitokondria Tidak ada Ada
5. Lisosom Tidak ada Ada, pada hewan
6. Sentriol Tidak ada Ada, pada hewan
7. Ribosom Ada, pd sitoplasma Ada, pd sitoplasma,RE
8. DNA/RNA Ada Ada
 Similarities
1. Contain all four biomolecules
(lipids, carbs, proteins, and nucleic acids)

2. Have ribosomes

3. Have DNA

4. Similar Metabolism

5. Can be unicellular

6. Have cell/plasma membranes or cell wall