CELL ORGANELLES

Membrane Structure Functions

Nucleus Double  4 basic parts  It contains the
1. Nuclear Membrane genetic (hereditary)
2. Nucleoli. information in the
3. Nucleoplasm form of DNA.
4. Genetic Material  Ribosomal subunits
 Surrounded by a nuclear and rRNA are made
envelope and contains in nucleolus.
chromatin/chromosomes and  Pores regulates the
one or more nucleoli with exit and entry of
nucleoplasm. materials.
 Nuclear envelope is composed  Regulates import /
of two membranes. The outer export
membrane is continuous with  Regulates
the endoplasmic reticulum. Metabolism
 The nuclear envelope is  Cell organelles
perforated by nuclear pores. synthesis
 Chromatin is composed mainly
of coils of DNA bound to
histones.
Ribosomes None  Two subunits made of Protein synthesis
ribosomal RNA and proteins.
 Sedimentation has revealed
two basic types of ribosome
called 70S (prokaryotes,
chloroplasts and mitochondria)
and 80S (eukaryotes).
 Can be free or bound to ER.

Endoplasmic Single  Network of tubular structures  Rough ER: Site of

Reticulum scattered in cytoplasm. protein synthesis.
 Depending on presence or  Smooth ER: Site of
absence of ribosome on the lipid and steroid
surface of ER, it is divided into synthesis,
Rough and Smooth ER. carbohydrate

Golgi Single  Consists of smooth, flattened,  It is involved in the
apparatus membrane bound,sac-like
structures called cisternae
that are stacked together in
parallel rows.
 It is frequently surrounded by
vesicles, which are discharged
from the cisternae.
 The cisternae are frequently
curved to give a definite
polarity to the Golgi
apparatus. Its one face is
convex and is called forming
or cis face that receives
vesicles while the other face is
concave and is known as
metabolism, Ca++
storage,
detoxification of
drugs and poisons
and is associated
with the Golgi
apparatus. (synthesis
of transport vesicle)
 Rough Endoplasmic
reticulum helps in
intracellular and
intercellular
transport of
materials.
 Proteins and lipids
synthesized on ER are
used for makingcell
membrane. The
process is known as
membranebiogenesis
.
synthesis and repair
of cell membrane.
 It is also involved in
formation of
lysosomes and
peroxisomes.
 Cell wall secretion
 Secretion is the
major function of
Golgi apparatus.
 Golgi apparatus also
takes part in storage,
modification and
packaging of various
biochemical
 maturing face or trans face
where vesicles leave.
 In plant cells, it is formed of
separate units called
dictyosomes.
Lysosomes Single  Membranous sac containing
hydrolytic enzymes (in animal
cells and fungal cells)
Vacuole Single  Fluid-filled cavities or sacs
present in the cytoplasm.
 4 types
1. Plant cell -
Storage / Central –
Membranous / Protoplasmic
2. Animal cell
Food Vacuole – Non
membranous / Non Protoplasmic
3. Protists
Contractile - Membranous /
Protoplasmic
4. Bacterial cell
Gas Vacuole – Non
membranous / Non Protoplasmic
 A single, large vacuole is
present in a plant cells. They
are surrounded by membrane  Contractile vacuole
called tonoplast. The vacuole is
products.
 It works closely with
the smooth ER, to
modify proteins for
export by the cell.
 Serves as an
intracellular digestive
system
 Are also called
suicidal bags as
enzymes contained in
them can digest the
cell's own material
when damaged or
dead. They are a kind
of waste disposal
systems of a cell.
 In plant cells
 Provide turgidity and
rigidity to the cell.
 They contain
hydrolytic enzymes
and helps in
digestion.
 Helps in waste
disposal in animal
cells
 In single celled
organisms, like
Amoeba, food
vacuole helps in
digestion of food
particles.
takes part in
 osmoregulation and
filled with liquid called "cell excretion.
sap" that contains dissolved  They store materials
salts and sugars. such as food, water,
 In animal cells, vacuole may or sugar and
may not be present. If present, wasteproducts.
they are numerous and smaller
in size.
Mitochondria Double  Rod shaped cell organelles  They are the major
 Outer membrane: It is smooth sites of aerobic
and porous. respiration.
 Inner membrane: It is folded  Cells with high
into large number of shelf like energy requirements
cristae. have high number of
 Matrix: The fluid inside the mitochondria.
mitochondria is called matrix.  Cristae are the sites
 Between outer and inner of oxidative
membranes, intermembranal phosphorylation and
space is present. electron transport.
 Mitochondria have the ability  It consists of most of
to make their own protein, as the enzymes of krebs
they contain their own DNA cycle. Fatty acid
and ribosome. That is why, oxidation also take
mitochondrion is also known as place here.
semi-autonomous organelle.
Mitochondria are also self-
replicating.
Plastids Double On the basis of pigments present Leucoplasts take part in
in them, plastids are of following storage of food.
types:
Chromoplast provide
 Leucoplasts: Leucoplasts are colouration to organs
colourlessplastids.They are for attracting
found in storage cells of roots, pollinators.
seeds and underground stems.
 Chromoplasts: They are Chloroplast:
coloured plastids. The colour
varies from red, orange, o Thylakoid is the site
 yellow etc. due to the
presence of carotenoids. They of light dependent
are mostly found in flowers reactions of
and fruits. photosynthesis.
 Chloroplasts: o Stroma is the site of
light independent
o Green colour plastids, reactions of
found in the mesophyll photosynthesis.
cells of the leaves. The
green colour is due to the
presence of chlorophyll.
o Have outer and inner
membranes that run
through a ground
substance or stroma.
o Stroma is homogenous
matrix in which grana
isembedded. Stroma
contains a variety of
photosynthetic enzymes,
DNA and ribosomes.
o Grana are stacks of
membrane bound,
flattened sacs containing
the molecules of
chlorophyll.
o One thylakoid stack is
known as granum. Each
thylakoid have chlorophyll
molecules on their surface.
o The stacks of grana are
connected by stromal
lamellae that act like the
skeleton of chloroplast,
keeping all sacs in safe
distance from the other
sac.
  Like mitochondria,
chloroplasts have the ability to
make their own protein, as
they contain their own DNA,
hence it is also semi-
autonomous organelle.
 Proplastids are immature
colourless plastids in
meristematic cells. In mature
cells, they form leucoplast,
chloroplasts or chromoplasts.
Peroxisome Single  Specialized metabolic  Degrade hydrogen
compartment containing peroxide, H2O2.
enzymes that catalyze the Oxidases produce
oxidation reactions. H2O, and peroxidases
such as catalasebreak
it down.
 Metabolism of lipids
and other
metabolites,
including the β-
oxidation of fatty
acids and oxidation of
bile acids and
cholesterol.
Glyoxysomes Single  Specialized peroxisomes found  Contain enzymes that
in plants (particularly in the fat initiate the
storage tissues ofgerminating breakdown of fatty
seeds) and also in filamentous acids and produce
fungi. intermediate
 Glyoxysomes are found in products for the
contact with lipid bodies in synthesis of sugars by
cotyledons or endosperm gluconeogenesis.
where fatty acids are being
converted to carbohydrate
(sugars) during germination.
Centrioles None  Composed mainly of a protein  It is responsible for
called tubulin. making the spindle
 Centrioles are found in fibres in cell division.
most eukaryotic cells. They are 
absent from conifers
(pinophyta), flowering plants
(angiosperms) and most fungi.
 Each centriole is composed of
nine groups of microtubules
arranged in triplets.
 Centrioles are found in a region
of the cell called the
centrosome.

Endomembrane system is a set of ALL THOSE ORGANELLES that are involved with
protein synthesis, its transport, its modification and secretion.
 Nucleus - Transcription
 RER - Translation
 Ribosomes - Translation
 SER – Transport vesicle
 Vesicles – Transport vesicle (RER – Golgi), Secretory (Golgi – cell membrane)
 Golgi bodies – Modification and secretion