Lecture 3 Prof. Dr.

Nahida Mohammed

Centrioles:
• Short cylindrical assembly of microtubules, arranged in nine groups of three
microtubules each
• Two centrioles, perpendicular to each other, lie near the nucleus in an area
called the centrosome
- these play a role in cell division.

Basal bodies:
A cylindrical organelle, within the cytoplasm of flagellated and ciliated cells, that
contains microtubules and forms the base of a flgellum or cilium: identical in internal
structure to a centriole.
Cilia:
• Hairlike processes 7-10 m long
- single, non-motile cilium found on nearly every cell
- 50 to 200 on one cell in respiratory and uterine tube move mucus
• Functions
- sensory in inner ear, retina and nasal cavity
- motile cilia beat in waves.
Lecture 3 Prof. Dr. Nahida Mohammed

Flagella:
• Long whip like structure that has an axoneme identical to that of a cilium
• Only functional flagellum in humans is the tail of the sperm
Structure of flagella and cilia is 9+2 Pattern
▪ Cilia or flagella is composed of microtubules that are encased in a plasma
membrane. This bundle of microtubules is called the axoneme.
▪ There are 9 pairs of connected microtubules in a circle towards the outside edge
of the cilia/flagella. These are called the outer microtubule doublets.
▪ The outer microtubules are connected to each other in a ring with cross-links
▪ These outer microtubules surround another pair of central microtubules, which
are not connected.
Lecture 3 Prof. Dr. Nahida Mohammed

▪ The 9+2 pattern continues throughout the entire organelle until the base.
▪ The base is called the Basal Body. It is the foundation of the cilia or flagella and
is embedded in the cell membrane.
Cilia
1 Definition Cilia are short, hair like
appendages extending
from the surface of a
living cell.
2 Number Numerous
3 Length Short and hair like
organelle (5-10)
4 Occurrence Occurs throughout the cell
surface.
5 Cross section Nexin arm present.
6 Density Many (hundreds)
per cell
7 Beating Cilia beat in a
coordinated rhythm either
simultaneously or one
after the other
8 Motion Rotational, like a motor,
very fast moving
9 Functions Helps in locomotion,
feeding circulation,
aeration, etc.
10 Examples Cilia present in
paramecium.
Flagella
Flagella are long, threadlike
appendages on the surface of
a living
cell.
Less in Number
Long wipe like organelle
(150µ)
Presence at one end or two
ends or all over the surface.
Nexin arm absent
Few (less than 10) per cell
They beat independent of
each other.
Wave-like
Help mainly in locomotion
only.
Flagella present in
Salmonella.

Cytoskeleton:
• Collection of filaments and tubules that provide internal support and movement
of cell
• Composed of microfilaments, and microtubules
- Microfilaments
▪ made of protein actin, form network on cytoplasmic side of plasma
membrane called the membrane skeleton
▪ supports phospholipids of p.m., supports microvilli and produces cell
movement, and with myosin causes muscle contraction
Lecture 3 Prof. Dr. Nahida Mohammed
Lecture 3 Prof. Dr. Nahida Mohammed

The nucleus:
• The cell nucleus is a membrane bound structure that contains the cell's
hereditary information and controls the cell's growth and reproduction. It is the
command center of a eukaryotic cell and is commonly the most prominent
organelle in a cell.
• In most cells, there is only one nucleus. It is spherical, and the most making up
10% of the cell's volume.
• It has a unique structure and function that is essential to the cell
Structure of the Nucleus
• the nuclear envelope.
• Nucleoplasm.
• Chromatin.
• The nucleolus.
Lecture 3 Prof. Dr. Nahida Mohammed

Nuclear Envelope:
• The nuclear envelope is a double-layered membrane perforated with pores,
which control the flow of material going in and out of the nucleus.
• The outer laver is connected to the endoplasmic reticulum, communicating with
the cytoplasm of the cell. The exchange of the large molecules (protein and
RNA) between the nucleus and cytoplasm happens here.
Nucleoplasm:
• A jelly-like (made mostly of water) matrix within the nucleus
• All the other materials "float" inside
• Helps the nucleus keep its shape and serves as the median for the transportation
of important molecules within the nucleus
The nucleolus:
Nucleolus is usually one spherical body. It lacks a membrane. It is rich in
protein and RNA (Ribonucleic acid).
It serves as the site of rRNA transcription and processing, and of ribosome assembly.
Chromatin:
The nucleus is the organelle which houses chromosomes. Chromosomes consist
of DNA, which contains heredity information and instructions for cell growth,
development, and reproduction. When a cell is "resting" i.e., not dividing, the
chromosomes are organized into long entangled Structures called chromatin and not
into individual chromosomes.
The function of chromatin is to efficiently package DNA into a small volume to
fit into the nucleus of a cell and protect the DNA structure and sequence. Packaging
DNA into chromatin allows for mitosis and meiosis, prevents chromosome breakage
and controls gene expression and DNA replication.
Chromatin is comprised of protein known as histones and DNA: 147 base pairs
of DNA wraps around the 8 core histones to form the basic chromatin unit, the
nucleosome.
Lecture 3 Prof. Dr. Nahida Mohammed