NAME:TARIRO H J HAMADZIRIPI
REG NUMBER: H220074N
COURSE :INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIOLOGY
PROCARYOTES EUCARYOTES
Size is 0.1 - 5.0 um
No distinct nucleus
No membrane-bound organelles
Cell division is by binary fission
Proteins are synthesized in small
ribosomes(70s)
DNA found in the nucleoid
DNA is circular and is not associated with
histones
Transcription occurs in the cytoplasm
Multicellular
Asexual reproduction
It may have pili and fimbriae
Have a rigid cell wall made of peptidoglycans
Some cells have simple flagella , these are
without microtubules,20nm in diameter
Some undergo nitrogen fixation for use in
amino acids fixation
Size is 5 -100 um
A distinct ,membrane-bound nucleus is
present
Membrane-bound organelles are (chloroplasts
,mitochondria ,lysosomes)
Cell division proceed by mitosis or meiosis
Protein synthesized in large ribosomes( 80s)
Chromosomes present in which DNA is
located
DNA is linear and complexed with packaging
proteins called histones.
Transcription occurs inside the nucleus
Multicellular, some are unicellular e.g.
amoebas
Sexual reproduction
Pili and fimbriae are absent
Plants and fungi have a cell wall made of
cellulose ,animals do not have
Some cells have complex flagella ,these have
9+2arrangement,200nm in diameter
None have the ability
NAME:TARIRO H J HAMADZIRIPI
REG NUMBER: H220074N
COURSE :INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIOLOGY

Figure 1

The fluid mosaic model was proposed by S.J singer and Garth L. Nicholson. This model explains the
structure of the plasma membrane of animal cells as a mosaic of components such as phospholipids,
proteins and carbohydrates.

The cell membrane also known as the plasma membrane is a biological membrane that separates
and protects cells from the extracellular space.
The cell membrane consists of a phospholipid bilayer with cholesterol interspersed between them
maintaining appropriate membrane fluidity at various temperatures. Plasma membranes must be
very flexible in order to allow certain cells, such as red blood cells and white blood cells, to
change shape as they pass through narrow capillaries.

The membrane also contain membrane proteins , including integral proteins that span the
membrane and serve as membrane transporters and peripheral proteins that loosely attach to the
outer side of the cell membrane acting as enzymes to facilitate interaction with the cell’s
environment. Glycolipids in the embedded in the outer lipid layer serve a similar purpose. The
cell membrane controls the movement of substances in and out of the cells and organelles, by
being selectively permeable to ions and organic molecules. In addition, cell membranes are
involved in a variety of cellular processes such as cell adhesion, ion conductivity and cell
signaling and serve as the attachment surface for several extracellular structures, including
the cell wall and the carbohydrate layer called the glycocalyx, as well as the intracellular network
of protein fibers called the cytoskeleton. In the field of synthetic biology, cell membranes can
be artificially reassembled. The cytoskeleton is found underlying the cell membrane in the
cytoplasm and provides a scaffolding for membrane proteins to anchor to, as well as
NAME:TARIRO H J HAMADZIRIPI
REG NUMBER: H220074N
COURSE :INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIOLOGY
forming organelles that extend from the cell. Indeed, cytoskeletal elements interact extensively
and intimately with the cell membrane. Among the most sophisticated functions of the plasma
membrane is its ability to transmit signals via complex proteins. These proteins can be receptors,
which work as receivers of extracellular inputs and as activators of intracellular processes, or
markers, which allow cells to recognize each other.

Membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and
growth factors, which then trigger intracellular responses. Some viruses, such as Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), can hijack these receptors to gain entry into the cells, causing
infections.

Membrane markers allow cells to recognize one another, which is vital for cellular signaling
processes that influence tissue and organ formation during early development. This marking
function also plays a later role in the “self”-versus-“non-self” distinction of the immune
response. Marker proteins on human red blood cells, for example, determine blood type (A, B,
AB, or O).

REFERENCE;

Traci Pederson , Scott Dutfield (January 2022)

Zeidi ,Mahdi ,kim,Churl IL(2018)

Lesli J Favour , Rosen Publishing (2014)

Michael Greenwood , Manchester metropolitan University ,2014

Shika Goyal ,20 May 2022

James Wagstaff and Jane Lowe ,Nature Reviews Microbiology , Volume 16 , January 2018