1|Page DR.

WZCA SEC 1 SCIENCE Revision Notes for Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Model of Cells

What are cells?

Cells are the basic building block of all organisms.

or
Cells are the basic units of an organism, and are also the smallest
parts of an organism that are alive.
A cell is a structural and functional units of living things.
Organisms which consist of only one cell is called Unicellular
Organisms Eg. Amoeba and Paramecium.
Organisms which consist of many cells are called Multicellular
Organisms Eg. Plants and Animals

Differences between Unicellular and Multicellular Organisms

Unicellular
➢ ‘Uni’ means one
➢ Found in water bodies or on
moist areas of soil and tree
trunks
➢ Microscopic in size, and cannot
be seen without a microscope
➢ Cells are not organized
➢ Perform all the processes of life
with the help of only one cell
Multicellular
➢ ‘Multi’ means many
➢ Found in water, in the air, or
on hand
➢ Big enough to be seen
➢ Organized structure of cells
➢ Each type of cell has a special
job to do
2|Page DR. WZCA SEC 1 SCIENCE Revision Notes for Chapter 6

Nerve cell (The longest cell)

The longest cells in the human body are neurons. Neurons are cells
within the nervous system and carry messages throughout the body.
Red blood cell

A red blood cell has what is known as a biconcave shape. Both sides
of the cell's surface curve inward like the interior of a sphere. This
shape aids in a red blood cell's ability to maneuver through tiny blood
vessels to deliver oxygen to organs and tissues.
Red blood cells are also important in determining human blood type.
Blood type is determined by the presence or absence of certain
identifiers on the surface of red blood cells.
3|Page DR. WZCA SEC 1 SCIENCE Revision Notes for Chapter 6

Guard cell

Guard cells are specialized plant cells in the epidermis of leaves,

stems and other organs that are used to control gas exchange.
Bacterium (The smallest cell)
Bacterium is the smallest cell ranging between 0.1 to 0.5
micrometers.
Ostrich egg (The largest cell)
The largest cell is an egg cell of ostrich. The largest cell is an ostrich
egg, it is about 15cm to 18 cm long and wide.
4|Page DR. WZCA SEC 1 SCIENCE Revision Notes for Chapter 6

Cell Model of a Typical Animal and Plant Cell

➢ Although different types of cells, e.g., red blood cell, nerve cells,
have different structural features, the typical animal and plant
cell can serve as a cell model for us to explain and understand
the process occurring in organisms.

Organelles in a Cell
➢ Each part of a cell is generally known as an organelle, and has
a specific function.
• Some biologists more strictly define organelles as
membrane-bound structures, which would only include
nucleus, vacuole, chloroplasts and mitochondria.
5|Page DR. WZCA SEC 1 SCIENCE Revision Notes for Chapter 6

organelle animal plant description function

The nucleus is the Controls cell
largest structure, activities.
nucleus spherical shaped,
responsible for cell
reproduction. It keeps
the cell alive and
contains genetic
material called
chromosomes.
The cell membrane is a Controls substances
thin, flexible envelope entering or leaving
cell that surrounds the cell. the cell.
membrane It allows the cell to
change shape and allows
some substances to
enter and exit the cell
but not others.
Thin layer surrounding Controls the
the cell membrane. movement of
cell wall Consist of a type of substances in and
carbohydrate called out of the cells.
cellulose and support
the cell and give it a
regular shape
The cytoplasm is the The site where most
jelly-like area between cell activities occur.
the nucleus and the cell
cytoplasm membrane. It fills the
space between the
nucleus and the cell
membrane.
The vacuole is fluid-filled Contains water and
vacuole space within the food substances.
cytoplasm.
6|Page DR. WZCA SEC 1 SCIENCE Revision Notes for Chapter 6

The mitochondrion is a Release energy

Mitochondrion tiny bean-shaped stored in sugars via
(Plural: structure in the respiration.
mitochondria) cytoplasm with a smooth
outer membrane, and a
greatly folded inner
membrane.
The chloroplast is an Capture the sun’s
oval, green structure energy and convert it
chloroplast found in the cytoplasm. into chemical energy
It contains chlorophyll in sugars through a
(green pigments). process called
photosynthesis.
The chromosomes are Contain information
long thread like to carry out activities
chromosomes structures found in the in a cell.
nucleus. They contain Contains hereditary
genes that carry genetic information to make
materials that determine new cells.
heredity. (Passed down
from parents to
offspring.

Comparison between plant and animal cells

Both animal and plant cells have mitochondria, but only plant
cells have chloroplasts. Plants don’t get their sugar from eating
food, so they need to make sugar from sunlight. This process
(photosynthesis) takes place in the chloroplast. Once the sugar
is made, it is then broken down by the mitochondria to make
energy for the cell. Because animals get sugar from the food
they eat, they do not need chloroplasts: just mitochondria.
Both plant and animal cells have vacuoles. A plant cell contains
a large, singular vacuole that is used for storage and
7|Page DR. WZCA SEC 1 SCIENCE Revision Notes for Chapter 6

maintaining the shape of the cell. In contrast, animal cells have

many, smaller vacuoles.
Plant cells have a cell wall, as well as a cell membrane. In plants,
the cell wall surrounds the cell membrane. This gives the plant
cell its unique rectangular shape. Animal cells simply have a
cell membrane, but no cell wall.

Unicellular and multicellular organism

➢ Some simple organisms are made up of only one cell. They are
called unicellular organisms. Examples of unicellular
organisms include bacteria and some types of algae.
➢ Most complex organisms are made up of many different types
of cells. They are called multicellular organisms. Multicellular
organisms, such as humans, are made up of many organized
parts. Each part has its own structure and function.

Forming a multicellular organism

Cell organization in multicellular organism
1) Most cells in multicellular organisms have specific functions.
For example, a single muscle cell contracts and relaxes rhythmically.
8|Page DR. WZCA SEC 1 SCIENCE Revision Notes for Chapter 6

2) Cells may be grouped together to carry out a specific function. A

group of cells working together to perform a specific function is called
a tissue.
For example, the muscle tissue is a collection of muscle cells which
helps your body to move by contracting. Other examples of tissues
are nervous tissue and bone tissue.

3) Different types of tissues that work together to perform a function

form an organ.
An example of an organ in plants is the root. The cross section of the
root below shows that it is made up of different tissues such as the
ground tissues and vascular tissue.
9|Page DR. WZCA SEC 1 SCIENCE Revision Notes for Chapter 6

For example, the stomach is an organ whose function is to

temporarily store food, digest and churn it. The stomach is made up
of muscle tissue, nervous tissue, connective tissue and epithelial
tissue.

4) Several organs with related functions work together for a

specialized purpose as an organ system.
Examples of organ system are digestive system and circulatory
system.
The digestive system is made up of several organs such as the
stomach and small intestine.
10 | P a g e D R . W Z C A S E C 1 S C I E N C E R e v i s i o n N o t e s f o r C h a p t e r 6

The circulatory system is made up of organs such as the heart and

blood vessels (arteries, capillaries and veins).

5) All the organ systems work together to enable the organism to

function properly.
For example, the digestive system works with other organ systems to
make up the entire organism.
11 | P a g e D R . W Z C A S E C 1 S C I E N C E R e v i s i o n N o t e s f o r C h a p t e r 6

In summary, cells can be organized to eventually form multi-cellular

organisms.
The example below shows how the root hair cell can be organized to
form part of a plant.
12 | P a g e D R . W Z C A S E C 1 S C I E N C E R e v i s i o n N o t e s f o r C h a p t e r 6

Transport system in plants

The plants take up the water and mineral from the soil with the help
of their roots. The roots have hair like structures known as root hairs
on them. These root hairs increase the surface area of the root so
that more amount of water and minerals are absorbed. These root
hairs are in contact with the water that is found between the soil
particles.
The water and minerals that are absorbed by the roots is transported
to the other parts of the plant by pipe-like vessels which are made of
special tissue known as the vascular tissue.
The vascular tissue found in the plants is of two types based on
their function. They are as follows:
Xylem:
The vascular tissue that is involved in the transport of water and
nutrients in plants is known as xylem. These tissues form
a network of continuous channels to connect the roots and leave
via the branches of the stem so that water is transported
throughout the plant. It is a unidirectional transport.
13 | P a g e D R . W Z C A S E C 1 S C I E N C E R e v i s i o n N o t e s f o r C h a p t e r 6

Phloem:
The vascular tissue that transports the food produced by the
leaves to all the parts of the plant is known as phloem. It is
a bidirectional transport.
14 | P a g e D R . W Z C A S E C 1 S C I E N C E R e v i s i o n N o t e s f o r C h a p t e r 6

Division of Labour