Cell

Structure and Function

Student Lecture Notes


I. The Discovery of the Cell

A. All living things are composed of __________________________.
cells A cell is _____________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
the smallest unit that can carry out all the processes of life.

B. Robert Hooke - 1665

1. The word "________"
cell was first used in late 1665 by _____________________.
Robert Hooke He looked at thin
slices of cork (plant cells) under the microscope.
2. Cork seemed to be made of thousands of ______________________________________________.
tiny, empty chambers
cells
3. Hooke called these chambers “____________” tiny rooms
because they reminded him of the ______________
in which he lived in the monastery.
4. Today we know that cells are not __________________,
empty chambers but contain much ___________________.
living matter
C. Anton van Leeuwenhoek – Late 1600’s
1. Leeuwenhoek made many __________________________
simple microscopes to observe things in nature that
10x greater
interested him. These microscopes had magnifications _____________________ than the
microscopes used by Hooke.
microorganisms
2. Leeuwenhoek discovered the hidden world of __________________________ in a drop of water.
He called them “______________________.”
little beasties
3. He was the first to ________________________________________________________________.
see and describe microorganisms under the microscope

D. Matthias Schleiden - 1838

German botanist
1. Schleiden was a ____________________________.
2. Schleiden concluded that ___________________________________________________________.
all plant tissues were composed of cells

E. Theodore Schwann - 1839

1. Schwann was a ____________________________.
German zoologist
2. Schwann concluded that ___________________________________________________________.
all animals were composed of cells

F. Virchow
1. In 1858, Rudolph Virchow noted that cells could only arise from ___________________________.
preexisting cells

G. The Cell Theory

All living things are composed of cells.
1. _________________________________________________________________________________
Cells are the basic units of structure and function in living things.
2. _________________________________________________________________________________
New cells are produced from existing cells.
3. _________________________________________________________________________________

Copyright © Amy Brown Science 1

II. Characteristics of Living Organisms

A. With the development of the cell theory, scientists began to clarify the characteristics of living
organisms.
composed of organized parts
B. All living organisms are ______________________________________________________________.

obtain energy from their surroundings. There are two ways to obtain energy:
C. Living organisms _________________
1. Heterotrophs
a) Heterotrophs
__________________________________________________________________________.
are consumers
b) Heterotrophs cannot __________________________________.
make their own food They get food by
___________________________________________________.
consuming other living organisms
c) Examples: _________________________________________________________________.
All animals and fungi are heterotrophs
2. Autotrophs
a) Autotrophs
__________________________________________________________________________.
are producers
b) Autotrophs can ______________________________
make their own food and are not dependent on outside
sources for their food.
All green plants, some protists, and some bacteria
c) Examples include: __________________________________________________________.
perform chemical reactions
D. All living organisms _________________________________________________________________.
E. change over time or evolve
All living organisms _________________________________________________________________.
F. All living organisms _________________________________________________________________.
respond to their enviroment
G. All living organisms _________________________________________________________________.
reproduce
H. All living organisms _________________________________________________________________
maintain a stable internal environment in a process called homeostasis
__________________________________________________________________________________.
I. All living organisms _________________________________________________________________.
share a common history
J. In addition to the above characteristics shared by all living things, individual cells must be able to
carry out a basic set of functions.
1. Ingestion: ______________________________________________________________________
Taking in food and water.
2. Digestion: Breaking
_____________________________________________________________________
down food into small molecules that can be used by the cell.
3. Movement of materials inside a cell.
Cyclosis: ______________________________________________________________________
4. Respiration: ____________________________________________________________________
Breaking down glucose into simpler substances and releasing
the stored energy in a form the cell can use.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Biosynthesis: ___________________________________________________________________
Using the energy from foods to form new cell parts, as in growth and repair.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. The removal of liquid waste.
Excretion: _____________________________________________________________________
7. Removal of solid waste.
Egestion: ______________________________________________________________________
8. Movement
9. May be sexual or asexual.
Reproduction: __________________________________________________________________
Copyright © Amy Brown Science 2
 10. Irritability: _____________________________________________________________________
Responding to a stimulus.
11. Secretions: _____________________________________________________________________
A substance made in one type of cell but used in other cells or tissues.

III. Diversity in Cell Shape and Size

A. There is great diversity in the size, shape, and internal organization in the cells that compose a
multicellular organism.

B. Cell Shape:
1. Different cells have ______________________
different shapes depending on their _______________.
functions Each cell
has a shape that has evolved to allow the cell to _______________________________________.
efficiently perform its function

C. Cell Size:
its surface area-to-volume ratio
1. The size of a cell is limited by _____________________________________________________.
2. The cell membrane is found at the cell surface and is responsible for _______________________
the movement of materials into and out of the cell
______________________________________________________________________________.
nutrients and oxygen
3. The cell membrane controls the passage of _______________________________ into the cell,
and the passage of ____________
wastes out of the cell.
4. As a cell grows, its _____________
volume increases much faster than its ________________________.
surface area
too large
5. If the volume of a cell becomes _________________, the surface area of the cell membrane is not
sufficient to ____________________________________________________________________.
allow for the movement of materials into and out of the cell
Materials could not enter or leave the cell quickly enough _______________________________.
to meet the needs of the cell
surface area-to-volume ratio
6. The size of a cell is limited by its ___________________________________________________.

IV. There are Two Types of Cells: Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

A. Three basic characteristics are common to all types of cells.

barrier
1. All cells are surrounded by a _____________ cell membrane
called a _____________________. All materials
________________________
enter or exit the cell by passing through the cell membrane. The cell membrane
plasma membrane
is also referred to as the _____________________________.
cytoplasm
2. All cells have an interior substance called __________________. Cytoplasm is the portion of the
cell within the cell membrane that includes the ________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________.
fluid and all of the organelles except the nucleus
3. All cells have a ____________________.
control center Coded information in the form of DNA ____________
______________________________________________________________________________.
stores the instructions for regulating cell functions and for the reproduction of the cell
floats freely in the cytoplasm
In some cell types, the DNA ______________________________________________________.
In other cell types, the DNA is contained within a ______________________________________
membrane-bound structure called the nucleus

______________________________________________________________________________.

Copyright © Amy Brown Science 3

 contain a nucleus
4. Cells fall into two broad groups, depending on whether or not they ________________________.
a) _________________________________
Prokaryotic cells
Eukaryotic cells
b) _________________________________

B. Prokaryotic Cells
a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles
1. Prokaryotic cells do not have ______________________________________________________.
2. Prokaryotic cells have genetic material (DNA) that is not contained inside a ________________.
nucleus
No membrane separates the __________
DNA from the rest of the cell.
3. Prokaryotic cells are generally _____________________________________________________.
smaller and simpler than eukaryotic cells
4. Prokaryotic cells do have _________________________________________________________.
a cell wall, cell membrane, and ribosomes
5. ______________________________________________________________________________.
Bacteria are prokaryotes

C. Eukaryotic Cells
1. Eukaryotic cells are generally ________________________________________________
larger and much more complex than
prokaryotic cells.
2. Eukaryotic cells have a ___________________________________________________________.
true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles
3. Eukaryotic cells contain a ____________________________________
membrane-bound nucleus which is kept separate
from the rest of the cell.
Plants, animals, protists, and fungi are eukaryotes
4. ______________________________________________________________________________.

V. The Structure of Eukaryotic Cells

A. Organelles:
1. Organelles are __________________________________________________________________.
2. Each organelle has a _____________________________________________________________.
B. A cell is divided into 2 parts:
1. Nucleus: _______________________________________________________________________
2. Cytoplasm: _____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

Copyright © Amy Brown Science 4

VI. The Animal Cell
A. Let’s start by learning the basic structures found in an animal cell.

A. ___________________
___________________
B. ___________________
C. ___________________
___________________
D. ___________________
___________________
E. ___________________
F. ___________________
___________________
G. ___________________
H. ___________________
___________________
I. ___________________
J. ___________________
K. ___________________
L. ___________________
M. ___________________
N. ___________________

B. The Cell Membrane

1. Also called the ________________________________.
2. Separates the __________________________________ of the cell from the
_____________________________________.
3. Separates one animal cell from the next.
4. Regulates the ____________________________ into and out of the cell by allowing only certain
molecules to enter and leave.
5. Made mostly of ____________________________.

Copyright © Amy Brown Science 5

C. The Nucleus
1. The nucleus is the control center of the cell. Label each
part of the drawing.
A. _______________________________
B. _______________________________
C. _______________________________
D. _______________________________
E. _______________________________
F. _______________________________
G. _______________________________

2. The nucleus is filled with ________________________. Nucleoplasm is a _________________

________________________________________________________. The nucleoplasm holds
the contents of the ________________.
3. The nucleus contains nearly all of the cell’s ____________. The DNA contains the ___________
____________________ for the genetic makeup of future cells as well as instructions for
________________________ and other important molecules for the daily functioning of the cell.
4. The nucleus is surrounded by a ___________________________. The nuclear membrane is a
_________________ membrane that is dotted with thousands of ___________. These pores
allow materials to move _________________________________. The nucleus is the site where
______________________________________. RNA carries ____________________________
to the _____________________. RNA travels to the cytoplasm through the numerous pores in
the nuclear membrane.

5. Chromatin or Chromosome?
a) When the cell is not dividing, the DNA is in the form of a threadlike material called
_____________________.
b) When the cell is actively dividing, the chromatin condenses to form ___________________.

6. Nucleolus
a) The nucleolus manufactures the _______________ that
make up __________________.
b) There are 2 subunits:___________________________
____________________________________________
c) These subunits then pass through the pores of the
______________ to the ________________ where they combine to form
_____________________.
Copyright © Amy Brown Science 6
 7. Summary Functions of the Nucleus
a) The nucleus is the _________________________________________. Chromosomes are
composed of the ___________ which determine ____________ in living organisms.
b) The nucleus controls the ___________________________ of the cell.
c) The nucleus controls all of the __________________ of the cell.
d) The nucleus directs ____________________________ by sending messages out to the
_______________________.

D. Ribosomes
1. Ribosomes may be found _______________________________________, or they may be found
attached to the __________________________________________.
2. Ribosomes are the most _________________ of the cell’s organelles.
3. Ribosomes are composed of protein and RNA and are not ________________________________.
4. Ribosomes are the site of _________________________________. All proteins of the cell are
made by the ribosomes.

E. Endoplasmic Reticulum
1. The _______________________________________ of a
cell is known as the endoplasmic reticulum. This system of
membranes is so extensive throughout the cell that it
accounts for more than half the total membrane in a cell.

2. The ER functions as an “___________________________”

that provides a path along which _____________________
move from one part of the cell to another.

3. The _____________ endoplasmic reticulum is covered with attached ___________________.

This type of endoplasmic reticulum is involved in the making of _________________. Newly
made proteins leave the ribosome and are ______________________________ of the endoplasmic
reticulum where they are _________________________________ into functioning proteins.
4. The ______________ endoplasmic reticulum has no ____________________. The function of the
smooth endoplasmic reticulum is to make __________ that will be used in _________________.

F. Golgi Apparatus
1. Proteins that are produced in the rough endoplasmic reticulum
are ______________________________________________.
2. The Golgi apparatus appears as a __________ of loosely
connected ______________________.

Copyright © Amy Brown Science 7

 3. The function of the Golgi is to _____________________________________ the proteins that have
arrived from the ______________________________________.
4. These proteins will either be _______________________________ or be secreted to the
__________________________________.
5. The Golgi apparatus completes the _____________________________________ before they are
shipped off to their final destinations.

G. Vesicles
1. Vesicles are small, _________________________ that are surrounded by a single membrane.
2. Vesicles are classified according to their __________________.
3. Types of vesicles include __________________________________________________________.

H. Protein Synthesis and Transport

1. The manufacture and distribution of proteins can be seen in this diagram.
a) _________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
b) _________________________________
_________________________________
c) _________________________________
_________________________________
d) _________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
e) _________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
f) ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Copyright © Amy Brown Science 8

I. Lysosomes
1. Lysosomes ________________________________________
and are filled with very strong _________________________.
2. These digestive enzymes are used to ____________________
large molecules of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids into
_________________________. The enzymes recycle the
cell's own organic materials, breaking them down into their
________________________, and returning them to the
__________________ to be used again.
3. Lysosomes are responsible for ___________________________________ that can no longer carry
out their function.
4. Lysosomes help to “clean up” or destroy any _____________ that might build up inside the cell.
5. Lysosomes are surrounded by a ________________________ because the cell would be destroyed
if the enzymes were released.

J. Peroxisomes
1. Peroxisomes contain ______________________ and are not produced by the ________________.
2. Peroxisomes break down _________________ and kill _________________, producing
____________________________ as a result. Since hydrogen peroxide is ___________ to cells,
peroxisomes go one step further and convert the hydrogen peroxide into ____________________.
3. Peroxisomes also break down ___________________ which can be used by mitochondria as an
_______________________.

K. Vacuoles
1. A vacuole is a ________________________ inside a cell.
2. A vacuole may store water, salts, proteins, and carbohydrates.

L. Mitochondria
1. The mitochondria is the “________________________” of the cell.
2. The purpose of the mitochondria is ___________________________.
Cellular respiration is the process of __________________________
________________________________________________________.
3. Mitochondria have an _____________________________________.
4. The folds on the inner membrane are known as _________________.
5. The cristae increase the ____________________________________.
6. 100's or 1000's of mitochondria may be found in a cell.
7. Mitochondria have their own _________ and carry out their own _________________________.

Copyright © Amy Brown Science 9

M. The Cytoskeleton
1. The organelles of a cell do not _____________________ in the cytoplasm.
2. Cells must have an internal _________________________________________ to give shape and
organization to a cell.
3. The cytoskeleton is a network of _______________________________ that helps the cell to
maintain its _______________. The cytoskeleton provides shape and support from
__________________________ much like the tent poles inside a tent.
4. The cytoskeleton is also involved in ______________________________.
5. Two of the types of fibers found in the cytoskeleton are __________________________________.
6. Microfilaments are _______________________________________________________________.
Microfilaments form extensive frameworks inside the cell to ______________________________.
They help to bear _________________________________.
7. Microfilaments also _____________________________. They can assemble and disassemble
rapidly and are involved in ______________________________.
8. Microtubules are hollow structures. Their functions include:
a) ___________________________________________________________________________
b) ___________________________________________________________________________
c) ___________________________________________________________________________

N. Centrioles
1. Centrioles are _____________________________ at right angle to one another. They are found
near the _____________________________.
2. Centrioles ______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________.

Copyright © Amy Brown Science 10

VII. The Plant Cell

A. A plant cell has many of the same structures and organelles as found inside an animal cell, but there
are a few organelles that are only found in plant cells.

A. ___________________
B. ___________________
C. ___________________
D. ___________________
E. ___________________
F. ___________________
G. ___________________
H. ___________________
I. ___________________
J. ___________________
K. ___________________
L. ___________________
M. ___________________
N. ___________________
B. Differences Between Plant and Animal Cells
1. These organelles are never found in plant cells: ________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. These organelles are never found in animal cells: ______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
C. The Cell Wall
1. The cell wall is a _______________________________ found in the cells of
__________________________. It lies to the ______________ of the cell’s plasma membrane.
2. The main function of the cell wall is to provide ________________________________________.
3. The cell wall is composed mostly of _________________, a tough carbohydrate fiber.
D. Central Vacuole
1. A central vacuole is a very large ___________________________ found in mature ___________.
2. When filled with __________, it creates _______________________ to give strength and support
to the cell. Turgor pressure is ______________________________________________________
___________________________. This allows the plant to ______________________________
______________________________________________________________________________.
3. It can also serve as a ____________________ for organic compounds.

Copyright © Amy Brown Science 11

E. Plastids
1. Like mitochondria, plastids are organelles that are surrounded by a ________________________
and contain their own ___________.
2. There are three types of plastids found in plant cells:
a) ____________________________________
b) ____________________________________
c) ____________________________________

F. Chloroplasts
1. Structures of the chloroplast:

A: _________________________________
B: _________________________________
C: _________________________________
D: _________________________________

2. Chloroplasts are found only in plant cells and other organisms that carry out ________________.
3. A chloroplast is ________________________________________________________________.
4. Chloroplasts ________________________________________ and convert it to the chemical
energy stored in ________________________________________________.
5. A chloroplast is similar to a _______________________________________.
6. Chloroplasts are surrounded by an __________________________________________________.
7. Inside the chloroplast are large stacks of other membranes called _________________________.
These thylakoids contain the ________________________________ which is required for
photosynthesis.
8. Stroma: _______________________________________________________________________

G. Chromoplasts
1. The prefix “chromo” means _____________.
2. Chromoplasts contain pigments of _________________________________________________.
3. Chromoplasts give ______________________________________________________________.
H. Leucoplasts (Amyloplasts)
1. Leucoplasts have ______________________.
2. These plastids __________________________________________.

Copyright © Amy Brown Science 12