Reading
BMS1021
Cells, Tissues, Organisms
Lecture 6: Major Components of Cells
Dr. Mike McDonald
mike.mcdonald@monash.edu
Concept 6.2 A panoramic view…
Concept 6.3
Concept 6.4
Concept 6.5
Concept 6.6 Roles of cyto…, Table
6.1, Microtubules, Centrosomes and
Centrioles, Cilia and Flagella.
BMS1021: Cells, Tissues, Organisms

Lecture 5 Overview of Cell Structure

Lecture 6 Major Components of Cells

Lecture 7 Review and example question session

BMS1021: Cells, Tissues, Organisms

Learning Outcomes
After today’s lecture you should be able to:
1. Describe the evolution of the eukaryotic cell by
endosymbiosis.
2. Identify key components of the eukaryotic cell and
describe their characteristics.
3. Distinguish the endomembrane organelles.
4. Identify key components of the cytoskeleton, cilia
and flagella
Chloroplasts are visible as green
objects inside plant cells
Endosymbionts
Evidence for endosymbionts
Endosymbionts: Mitochondria
Endosymbionts: Chloroplasts
Nucleus, Nucleolus, Ribosomes
The nucleus
Nucleolus: ribosomal
RNA (rRNA) is made
here (a component of
ribosomes)

Nuclear pore complex Chromatin

(DNA + Proteins)

Nuclear
envelope
Ribosomes
Nucleus, Nucleolus, Ribosomes

Nucleus
• Contains the DNA, organised so that genes
are held in specific positions
• The nucleolus produces ribosomal RNA and
assembles ribosome subunits
• Enclosed by the nuclear envelope
• Inner membrane supported by the nuclear lamina
• Outer membrane supported by the cytoskeleton
• Nuclear pore complexes in the envelope regulate
entry and exit
• Nuclear envelope is continuous with the
Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)
Nucleus, Nucleolus, Ribosomes

Ribosomes 1

1. DNA 2. mRNA 3. protein

The Endoplasmic reticulum

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)

Proteins enter the ER using signal sequence of amino acids
The Endomembrane System

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)

A biosynthetic factory: lipids, glycoproteins and more…

lumen

smooth
rough
The Endomembrane System

Endomembranes
A system of internal, membrane-
bound compartments within the
cell that can form physical links to
exchange components

• Nuclear envelope
(nucleus)
• Endoplasmic reticulum
• Golgi apparatus
• Lysosome and vacuoles
The Endomembrane System

The Golgi apparatus

The Endomembrane System
The Endomembrane System

The endomembrane system

Protein processing, metabolism and postal service

In the endomembrane system NOT in the endomembrane system

• Nuclear envelope • Mitochondria

• Endoplasmic reticulum • Chloroplasts
• Golgi apparatus • Peroxisomes
• Lysosomes
• Vesicles and vacuoles
• Plasma membrane
The Endomembrane System

Lysosomes
Recycling centre
• Vesicles full of hydrolytic (digestive) enzymes
• A highly acidic environment

Phagocytosis: 'food' from outside the cell is engulfed

• Macrophages are white blood cells that engulf bacteria
Autophagy: Breaking down damaged organelles for recycling
• A human liver cell recycles half its macromolecules each week
 Q. What happens to the materials in a lysosome
after it digests stuff?

Leftover waste
dumped out of
cell

Enzymes active at
pH 5, but cytosol
is pH 7

Klionsky, D. J. Autophagy: from phenomenology to molecular understanding in less than a decade. Nature Reviews
Molecular Cell Biology 8, 931–937 (2007) doi:10.1038/nrm2245.
The Endomembrane System

Vacuoles
Storage compartments that are not just all about storage
End of the
endomembrane
system…
The cytoskeleton- support and motility
 Microtubules Intermediate filaments Microfilaments

Polymers of: Tubulin (2 subunits) A range of proteins e.g. keratin Actin

Diameter: Large Intermediate (varies) Small

Maintains or changes cell

Maintains cell shape,
shape - cell migration,
in cilia / flagella, cell Maintains cell shape, anchoring
Functions: division, movement organelles, nuclear lamina
muscle contraction,
cytoplasmic streaming,
of organelles
cytokinesis
The cytoskeleton: support

Organisation of microtubules

+ -
 Microtubule
Microtubules (orange)
organising centre

Reviews MoJens Lüders, Tim Stearns Nature Molecular Cell Biology volume 8, pages161–167 (2007)
The cytoskeleton: motility

Sperm

Freshwater
protist

Microtubules in cilia and flagella

The cytoskeleton: motility

9+2
BMS1021: Cells, Tissues, Organisms

Lecture 5 Overview of Cell Structure

Lecture 6 Major Components of Cells

Lecture 7 Review and example question session

BMS1021: Cells, Tissues, Organisms

Learning Outcomes
After today’s lecture you should be able to:
1. Describe the evolution of the eukaryotic cell by
endosymbiosis.
2. Identify key components of the eukaryotic cell and
describe their characteristics.
3. Distinguish the endomembrane organelles.
4. Identify key components of the cytoskeleton, cilia
and flagella