THE CELL

Theories, Structures and Functions

Welcome!
Are you excited for a fun
learning session?
 LEARNING TARGETS:
1. I can explain the postulates of the cell
theory.
2. I can differentiate organelles with
membranes to organelles without
membranes.
3. I can delineate the structure and function of
major and subcellular organisms.
 CORE VALUES:
WISDOM
- The learners will become active readers and
thinkers.
INNOVATION
- The learners will become engaged in out-of-the-
box thinking. They will be able to: Creatively pursue
unique solutions to everyday problems.
OPTIMISM
-The learners will become confident of their own
skills, abilities, and potentials to grow.
 ENGAGE
“Mitochondrial Eve”
Study and analyze the given
illustration. It shows the theory of
mitochondrial eve, do you agree that
we all share the same mitochondria
as what mentioned from the theory?
If not, what are the things that you
considered to conclude that we don't
share the same mitochondria?
Elaborate your answer.
 EXPLORE
Read the article about Escherichia coli. After reading the article, answer the guide questions
below.
EXPLORE

Guide Questions:

1. What is a cell?
2. Why does E. coli O157
dangerous to human health?
 DISCOVERY OF THE CELL

Before microscope was invented, everything that is not visible by naked eye was unexplainable. In
1665, Robert Hooke was the one who first discovered cell while viewing corks specimen. He noticed
a tiny rooms that resembled cells, and thus the term cells was created. Hook thought that only fungi
and plants were the one made up of cells. But then, in 1668 the invention of a much better
microscope by Anton Van Leeuwenhoek led to the study of living cells. Leeuwenhoek published his
observations on tiny living organisms which he named animalcules. He first observed under his
microscope the structure of a red blood cell from different animal as well as a sperm cell. In the
mid-nineteenth century, the discoveries of Hooke and Leeuwenhoek were not generally accepted
because of the traditional belief on the theory of spontaneous generation which supposes that living
things may arise from non-living matter; for instance, maggots and flies can exist from rotting meat.
It was only refuted when Louis Pasteur’s experiment disproved the theory (Starr et al., 2014).
 DISCOVERY OF THE CELL
The cell nucleus was first identified in 1820s when the leading botanist Robert Brown
compare different kinds of plant specimens and found out that there is a similarities between
them and that they are all composed of cells, and inside of the cell is a dark dense spot which
he termed as nucleus. Another botanist, Matthias Schleiden, hypothesized that a plant cell is
an independent living unit when it is part of plant. Schleiden compared notes with the
zoologist Theodor Schwann, and both concluded that the tissues of animals as well as plants
are composed of cells and their products. Together, the two scientists recognized that cells
have a life of their own even when they are part of a multicelled body (Rea et al., 2017).

In 1858, Rudolf Virchow concluded that all cells come from pre-existing cells. These and
many other observations led to the six generalizations that today constitute the cell theory.
 THE CELL THEORY
The Cell theory is for all living organisms either simple or complex,
small or large it is. This theory can be summed up into six
components/statements:
1. Every living organism consists of one or more cells.
2. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all organisms. A
cell is the smallest unit of life, individually alive even as part of a
multi-celled organism.
3. All living cells come from division of preexisting cells.
4. Cells contain hereditary material, which they pass to their
offspring during division.
5. All cells are basically the same in chemical composition.
6. All energy flow (metabolism and biochemistry) of life occurs
within cells.
 THE CELL THEORY
The six postulates of the cell theory offer the basis on how an object is considered
as a living thing.   An organism can be unicellular (one-celled) or multicellular. All
living things are essentially made up of cell; this restrict no exception no matter
how simple or complex that organism is and even though what environment it lives
and how it evolves through time. A single-celled organism can perform all the
essential functions which enable it to grow, survive, and reproduce. Multicellular
organism are complex in structure and function but the mechanism on how it is
able to live is still the same with the simple life forms. Strongly related to this is the
second postulate which states that the cells is the basic unit of life. The cell
operates similar to a complete machine which has many compartments that
perform different but interrelated and interconnected functions. The cell is a
completely functional entity that possesses characteristics which distinguish it
from inanimate objects. Finally, all cells come from pre-existing cells, which
signifies that cells cannot be spontaneously created but it will always be a product
of reproduction from a pre-existing cell (Mazarello, 1999).
Cell Structure and Function
Nucleus controls all the chemical activities
of the cell and thus termed as the “control
center of the cell”. Nucleus is enclosed in a
double layer of membrane called nuclear
envelope, which control the passage of
certain molecules between the nucleus and
the cytoplasm and selectively permits
materials or compounds to enter. Nucleus
keeps the cells genetic material – its DNA
(eukaryotic) and RNA (some prokaryotes).
Nuclei contain linear chromosomes which
occur as loosely condensed, flexible strands
of chromatin, composed of a complex of
DNA, and DNA-binding proteins. These
chromosomes are visible when stained and
viewed in a light microscope.
The Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) is a
membranous system of interconnected tubules
which served as the transport system of the
cell and account for more than half of the
total membrane in many eukaryotic cells. The
surfaces of these channels provide space
where many new polypeptide chains are
modified. ER composed of two types; rough
and smooth, based on their presence or
absence of attached ribosomes and named
according to their appearance in electron
micrograph. Rough ER are covered with
ribosomes and serves as the site for
polypeptide synthesis. Smooth ER that lacks
ribosome covering functions for the synthesis
of lipids, metabolism of carbohydrates,
storage of calcium, and detoxification of
poison.
Golgi body or also known as Golgi
apparatus consist of stacks or pile of
flattened sacs called cisternae that modify
products coming from the ER, then sorts and
packages materials into transport vesicles.
Enzymes in a Golgi body put finishing touches
on proteins and lipids that have been
delivered from the ER. This polypeptides or
proteins move through the Golgi cisternae
from the cis (receiving) face to the trans
(shipping) face of the complex. Lastly, the
vesicles detach from the trans face of the
Golgi body and their contents may be carried
outside of the cell as secretory, then the
finished products are sorted and packaged
into new vesicles that carry them to lysosomes
or to the plasma membrane.
Mitochondria is well known as the
powerhouse of the cell. This oval-shaped
organelle is present nearly on all eukaryotic
cells where cellular respiration takes place.
Mitochondrion specialize in making ATP and
has outer and inner membrane. The outer
membrane is smooth while cristae (the inner
membrane) has infoldings that increase the
internal surface area for metabolic activities.
Aerobic respiration, an oxygen requiring series
of reactions that proceeds inside
mitochondria, can extract more energy from
organic compounds than any other metabolic
pathway. With each breath, we are taking in
oxygen mainly for mitochondria in our trillions
of aerobically respiring cells.
Plastids called chloroplasts contain green
pigment chlorophyll that is only found in plant
cell and other photosynthetic eukaryotic
organisms. This organelle is the site for food
production and specialized for photosynthesis.
The chloroplasts has three layers of membrane
starting with the partition of the cytosol by an
envelope consisting of two membranes
separated by a very narrow intermembrane
space. In many ways, chloroplasts resemble
photosynthetic bacteria, and like mitochondria
they may have evolved by endosymbiosis.
Chromoplasts are plastids that make and store
pigments other than chlorophylls. Amyloplasts
are unpigmented plastids. Typical amyplasts
store starch grains, and are notably abundant in
starch storing cells of stems, tubers and seeds
(Starr et al., 2014).
Lysosomes are small, sac-like structures that harbor hydrolytic enzymes that is
used to dissolve injured or worn-out cellular components and digest all kinds of
macromolecules (carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids). The
resulting monomers will be reused by the cell for repair, maintenance, and
making of necessary cellular components. Vesicles inside white blood cells or
amoebas deliver ingested bacteria, cell parts, and other debris to lysosomes for
destruction.
Eukaryotic cell also contains vacuoles,
larger in plants than in animal cells. This
vesicles appear empty under a
microscope. The large central vacuole in
plants has the ability to absorb water
and accumulate and store essential
organic and inorganic compounds such
as amino acids, sugars, toxins, and ions.
Fluid pressure in a central vacuole keeps
a plant cells plump, so stems, leaves,
and other structures stay firm. Vacuole
also serves as a disposal site for
substances that can harm the cell and
are not needed by the cell.
The smallest organelle in the cell is ribosome and is the sites of polypeptide and
protein synthesis. Ribosomes are either attached in the endoplasmic reticulum
(bound ribosomes) or floating freely in the cytoplasm (free ribosomes). The
function of ribosomes are either manufacture polypeptides destined for use in the
cytoplasm or nucleus and for manufacturing polypeptides destined for the plasma
membrane, for lysosomes, or for export from the cell.
Centrioles contain a circular DNA molecule involved in the
production or many structural proteins. In animal cells, the
centrioles are found in the centrosome and are important for the
division of DNA (Vengco & Religioso, 2016).
A dense network of protein fibers, called
cytoskeleton, helps to support the cell and
maintain the form of cells, interact with motor
proteins to produce motility, and help regulate
biochemical activities. Microfilaments is a
reinforcing cytoskeletal element that consists of
actin subunits and approximately 7-8 nm
diameter. Microtubules is a cytoskeletal
element involved in cellular movement that is 25
nm in diameter. Intermediate Filaments is a
stable cytoskeletal element structurally supports
cells and tissues that is around 8-10 nm in
diameter make it “intermediate in size”.
Thank You
For Reading!
List down all your questions regarding the
lesson so we can discuss it in our
synchronous classes.