Parts of cell

Cell Wall
The cell wall is a rigid, semi
transparent and protective
covering present outside the
plant cells, prokaryotes and
fungi.

It is made up of a complex
substance called cellulose in
plants.
 Functions of cell wall

● It provides structural strength to the plant cells

● It permits the cells of plants, fungi and bacteria to withstand very dilute
external media (hypotonic solution) without bursting
● It gives a definite shape to the cells
● Because of cell walls, plants can withstand much greater changes in the
surrounding medium than animals
● Cell wall protects the cell against mechanical injury
 Plasmolysis
This is a process where the cytoplasm and cell membrane
(contents of the cell) shrinks away from cell wall. This is
observed only in plant cells when they are placed in a
hypertonic solution
Stages of Plasmolysis
The effect of Osmosis in Animal cell & Plant cell

Plasmolysis in plant cells

 Cell Wall Cell Membrane
Occurs in plant cells Occurs in plant and animal cells

Lies on the outside of the cell Lies on the outside of the cell in animals and
inside the cell in plants

Rigid and thin Flexible and thin

Cell wall is permeable Cell membrane is selectively permeable

Formed of cellulose Formed of lipids and proteins

Provides protection and strength to the cell Holds cellular content and controls the
transport of substances
 Introduction to Nucleus
● Nucleus was first discovered by Nucleus
English biologist Robert Brown in 1831
(Plural - nuclei)
● It is an important part of the cell
controlling influence on all cell
activities
● It is usually spherical or oval in
structure and located in the centre of
the cell.
● Some cells lack nuclei like - sieve
tubes of vascular plants and red blood
cells in mammals
 The nucleus
● The nucleus acts like the brain of the
cell.
● It directs other parts of the cells
through instructions printed on the
DNA(deoxyribonucleic acid)found on
the chromosomes.
● Cells without the nucleus cannot
survive for a long time
● Most cells only have one nucleus
(uni-nucleate). Some cells have more
than one nucleus (multi-nucleate)
 Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells
There are two types of cells -
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic.

“Eu” - new
“Karyon”- nucleus
These are cells with a proper
membrane for the nucleus

“Pro” - primitive/primary
“Karyon”- nucleus
These are cells without a
proper membrane for the
nucleus
 Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic cells

Prokaryotic Cell Eukaryotic Cell

Very minute in size Fairly large in size

Nuclear region is called nucleoid and is not Nuclear material is surrounded by a nuclear
surrounded by a nuclear membrane membrane

Single chromosome is present More than one chromosome is present

Membrane bound cell organelles are absent Membrane bound cell organelles are present
ACTIVITY:
To prepare a stained temporary mount of an onion peel and cheek
cell