What is a Cell?

The cell is the basic unit of structure and function of living organisms.
All organisms are made up of one or more cells.

Contributors in the Study of Cell

Robert Hooke
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Matthias Schleiden
Theodor Schwann

Robert Hooke

● Confirmed the work of Leeuwenhoek.

● He was the first to use the term “cell”, naming the shapes he saw in cork as cellulae which means
“small rooms”
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

● The first to build a microscope with one lens for observation of tiny things.

● His examination of tiny things led him to describe the first human cells and bacteria. He named the
first cells (and microorganisms) as animalcules which means “little animals”.
Matthias Schleiden

● Stated that all plants “are aggregates of fully individualized, independent, separate being namely the
cells themselves.
Theodor Schwann

● Stated that all animal tissues also consist of individual cells.

Rudolf Virchow

● He concluded that all cells come from pre- existing cells.

Schleiden, Schwann and Virchow’s ideas led to the development of the Cell theory.

CELL THEORY

● Cell is the structural and functional unit of life.

● All organisms are made up of one or more cells

● All cells arise from preexisting cells.

Types of Cell
Comparing prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells:

● Prokaryote comes from the Greek words for pre-nucleus. It is typically 0.2 um-2.0 um in diameter.

● Eukaryote comes from the Greek words for true nucleus. It is typically 10 um to 100 um.

Prokaryotic Cells

● Prokaryotic cells are structurally simple. These cells lack true nucleus.

● They are generally unicellular single-celled organisms.

● Organisms under the Domains Bacteria and Archaea are prokaryotes.

● Bacteria (pathogen/nonpathogen) are examples of prokaryotes.

Eukaryotic Cells

● Eukaryotic cells are structurally very complex. Eukaryotic cells are characterized by the presence of
nucleus.
● These cells possess a variety of other organelles, many of which are surrounded by membranes.

● Plants, animals, fungi and protists are all eukaryotes. They belong under the Domain Eukarya

EUKARYOTIC CELL: PARTS AND FUNCTION

PLANT CELL

● Peroxisome

● Mitochondrion

● Golgi complex

● Microfilament

● Vacuole

● Microtubule

● Chloroplast

● Cytoplasm

● Ribosome

● Smooth endoplasmic reticulum

● Rough endoplasmic reticulum

● Plasma membrane

● Cell walI
 ● Nucleolus

● Nucleus

ANIMAL CELL

● Flagellum

● Nucleus

● Nucleolus

● Golgi complex

● Cytoplasm

● Basal body

● Microfilament

● Lysosome

● Centrosome: Centriole Pericentriolar material

● Ribosome

● Microtubule

● Peroxisome

● Rough endoplasmic reticulum

● Mitochondrion

● Smooth endoplasmic reticulum

● Plasma membrane

1. Cell Wall
● Present in plants, algae and fungi. Most plant cells contain both primary and secondary cell walls.

● The primary cell wall is mainly composed of a polysaccharide known as cellulose while the
secondary cell wall contains lignin.
● In fungi, cell walls are composed of chitin, glucans and glycoproteins.

● Cell walls functionally supports and protects the cell.

2. Plasma/Cell Membrane
● Structurally characterized as a phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins.

● It surrounds all living cells and is surrounded by a cell wall in the cells of plants, bacteria, fungi and
most algae.
● It is selectively permeable which allows and regulates the passage of some molecules into and out
of the cells.
 3. Nucleus
● Stores the genetic material, DNA. DNA

● Governs the characteristics of the cell and its metabolic functioning.

● Every cell in the individual contains the same DNA, but in each cell type, certain genes are turned
on and certain others are turned off.

4. Protoplasm
● It is a fluid, semi-transparent, viscous, elastic material which includes all the living materials of the
cell.
● Protoplasm is either:
a. Cytoplasm- substance inside the cell membrane and outside the nucleus. The cytosol is the fluid
portion of the cytoplasm.
b. Karyoplasm/ Nucleoplasm- substance
Inside the nucleus.

5. Organelles
● Membrane-bound:

● Nucleus

● Endoplasmic Reticulum

● Golgi apparatus

● Lysosome

● Vacuole

● Mitochondrion

● Chloroplast

● Peroxisome

● Flagella and Cilia

Endoplasmic Reticulum

● Structure: Folds of membrane forming sheets and canals

● General Functions: Surface for chemical reactions and intracellular transport network system

● Rough ER- synthesis of membrane proteins and secretory proteins

● Smooth ER-Lipid synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, detoxification in liver cells, testosterone

production, calcium iron storage in muscle cells, fat metabolism, produce vesicles that are
transported to the Golgi apparatus.
Golgi Apparatus

● Structure: Membranous stacks of 3-20 slightly curved sacks

● Functions: Involved in the collection, sorting, packaging and processing of

● Proteins and lipids for secretion and for delivery to other cellular components. It is also involved in
the formation of lysosomes.

Lysosome

● Structure: Organelle produced by the Golgi apparatus; contains hydrolytic digestive enzymes.
Lysosomes are numerous in white blood cells.
● Functions: Cell’s waste disposal system and can break up anything. Used from the digestion of
macromolecules from phagocytosis and endocytosis.

Vacuoles

● Structure: Large membranous sac that are much more prominent in plant cells.

● Functions: Stores substances such as water, sugars and salts. In plant cells, pigments and toxic
molecules are also stored. In protozoans, vacuoles have the ability to expel excess water
(contractile vacuole) and break down nutrients (digestive vacuole).

Mitochondrion

● Structure: Double membraned organelle containing inner fluid filled space (matrix) and where its
inner membrane is folded Inwards (cristae).
● Functions: Powerhouse of the Cell where cellular respiration takes in the form of ATP is produced.
Heart muscle cells contain large number of mitochondria. All mitochondria come from and chemical
energy mitochondria come from the maternal through the egg and father’s sperm has no
contribution.

Chloroplast

● Structure: Double membraned organelle

● Containing inner fluid filled space (stroma) and flattened sacs (thylakoids). Thylakoids are stacked
up in structure to form granum.
● Chloroplasts belong to a group of organelles known as plastids.

● Function: Site of photosynthesis among Plants and algae.

Peroxisome

● Structure: Membrane bound organelle with oxidative enzymes.

 ● Function: Breaks down very long chain of fatty acids through beta oxidation, production of bile acids
which are important for the absorption of fats and fat soluble vitamins such as Vitamins A and K. In
leaves, peroxisomes carries out a reaction opposite to photosynthesis.

Flagella

● Structure: Membrane bound cylinder with 9+2 pattern of microtubules (nine microtubule doublets
arranged in a circle around two central microtubules). Flagella are long and whip-like.
● Function: For movement such as the flagellum in sperm cell.

Cilia

● Structure: Membrane bound cylinder with 9+2 pattern of microtubules (nine microtubule doublets
arranged in a circle around two central microtubules). Cilia are short and hairlike.
● Function: For movement such as the cilia in paramecium.

6. Organelles
● Non-Membrane bound

● Ribosome- site of protein synthesis using mRNA as template. Ribosomes can be found in
cytoplasm (individual or polyribosomes) or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum.
● Cytoskeleton- an organelle with three different types of protein fibers: actin filaments
(microfilaments), intermediate filaments and microtubules. Cytoskeleton maintains cell shape and
allows the movement of cells and organelles.
● Centrosome is the major microtubule organizing center of the cell. Before a cell divides,
microtubules disassemble and then reassemble into a structure called spindle. In animal cells, a
centrosome contains two centrioles. Centrioles have 9+0 pattern of microtubule triplets.

PROKARYOTIC CELL: PARTS AND FUNCTION

Glycocalyx

● Is a “sugar coat” produced by the plasma membrane and secreted outside the cell wall. It is a thick
layer of slimy, gelatinous material which envelopes some prokaryotic cells. There are two important
types of glycocalyx: the capsule and slime layer.
● Highly organized glycocalyx is termed as “capsule” while a less organized layer that can be washed
off easily is termed as “slime layer”. Both serve as protection of bacteria from toxic compounds and
desiccation and allow bacteria to adhere on surfaces or to escape from phagocytosis.

Cell Wall

● Provides the overall strength and shape to the bacteria. It protects the cell from osmotic lysis as the
cell moves from one environment to another or transports nutrients from its surroundings. Since
 water can freely move across both the cell membrane and the cell wall, the cell is at risk for an
osmotic imbalance, which could put pressure on the relatively weak plasma membrane. The cell
wall can also contribute to the pathogenicity or disease -causing ability of the cell for certain
bacterial pathogens.

Plasma/Cell Membrane

● Structure: Thin sem-permeable membrane that separates the rigid cell wall from cytoplasm. It is a
phospholipid bilayer embedded with peripheral and integral proteins.
● Function: Being selectively permeable, it controls which substances may enter or leave the cell. It is
the site of cellular respiration in bacteria.

Cytoplasm

● Structure: Sticky fluid rich in RNA and bacterial enzymes.

● Function: lt provides the site for many biochemical reactions of the cell

Nucleoid

● Structure: A non-membrane bound and irregularly shaped region of the cell where the bacterial
chromosomes are found. It is largely composed of DNA and small amounts of RNA and protein. The
DNA of a prokaryote is called a genophore.
● Function: Control site of various bacterial activity, including reproduction.

Ribosome

● Structure: Small cytoplasmic and non-membranous particles containing RNA and proteins.

● Function: Site of protein synthesis

Chromosome

● Structure: Consists of singular strand of DNA molecule. It lacks definite shape and contains little to
no protein material.
● Function: lt serves as the control center of the bacterial cell.

Cytoplasmic Inclusions

● Structure: Non-membranous structures. Cytoplasmic Inclusions may appear as volutin granules

(from inorganic phosphates), granulose (from polymers of Glucose) and sulfur granules.
● Function: Stores nutrients, secretory products and pigment granules.
Flagella

● Structure: Thread like protein appendages which originate from the cell membrane.

● Function: They enable bacteria to move through self-propelling, whip-like motion.

Pili and Fimbriae

● Structure: Hair-like structures often observed from gram negative bacteria.

● Fimbriae- short bristle like appendages which are made of protein that may cover

● The cell surface. They allow attachment of bacteria to tissues.

● Pili- used for conjugation (the transfer of DNA from one bacterial cell).

Comparison Between Prokaryotic, Animal and Plant Cell