SAN ANTONIO INFOTECH SCHOOL INC.

143 ME C. Harina Street, Poblacion, San Antonio, Quezon

(043) 703-2273
Quarter 2
Science 7

Week 11
Lesson 8. Animal and Plant Cell

The Cell
 The cell is considered the basic functional structure of each organism on Earth
because it is made up of the biological equipment that an organisms needs to
live.
 The human body alone is made up of more than 200 different types of cells.
 These cells are distinct from each other in their appearance, structure,
reproduction, and metabolism.
Main Types of Cells

Prokaryotic Eukaryotic

 Prokaryotic cells are also called prokaryotes.

They do not have a true nucleus and membrane – bound organelles. The nucleus is a
conspicuous spherical structure at the center of the cell enclosed by a double – layered
membrane. It is considered the control center of the cell.
It consists of chromosomes that are responsible for cellular reproduction and
transmission of hereditary traits.
 Organelles are small structures or compartments within the cell.
They perform certain functions.
 Prokaryotic cells are minute, measuring only about 1 to 10 micrometers or
microns and may be single, colonial, or many celled.
 Eukaryotic cells have a distinct nucleus and distinct organelles.
They are present in higher forms of organisms. Unlike the prokaryotes, they are larger
and have more chromosomes. They may be single – celled, colonial, or many celled.

Main Parts of the Cell

All cells, whether prokaryote or eukaryote, have the same basic structure.
They generally consists of three main parts:
 Cell Membrane
 Nucleus
 Cytoplasm
 Cell Membrane

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 SAN ANTONIO INFOTECH SCHOOL INC.
143 ME C. Harina Street, Poblacion, San Antonio, Quezon
(043) 703-2273
Quarter 2
Science 7

The cell membrane holds the cell together.

It is made up of two layers of molecules and in plants is protected by the cell wall, a rigid
nonliving structure that serves as framework for the cell and protects it.
The cell membrane is thin and has small openings in it that allow substances such as
water, amino acids, certain kinds of sugar, and lipid – soluble substances to pass in and
out of the cell.
 Nucleus
The nucleus acts as the cell’s command center as it controls the organism’s
movement, growth, and reproduction.
Within it is found the DNA, or the nucleic acid that gives the cell its unique
characteristics.
The nucleus is made up of the nuclear envelop, nucleolus, chromatin, ribosomes, and
nuclear pores.
The nuclear envelope is a double – walled membrane that separates the nucleus from
another part of the cell, the cytoplasm.
Like the cell membrane, it is also semipermeable allowing molecules to pass in and out
of the nucleus through nuclear pores.
Under the microscope, the nucleolus looks like a dark and round spot in the cell. It has
minute fibers and granules.
It produces the ribosomes, or important part of the cell that make the proteins for the
organism’s body.
The ribosomes do this by linking amino acids into long chains.
The nucleoplasm is the jellylike fluid in which the components of the nucleus float.
The chromatin is the organized structure that contains the DNA and that forms the
chromosomes, or the carriers of hereditary traits, during cell division.
 Cytoplasm
The cytoplasm is a gel – like or viscous solution within the cell, located outside the
nucleus but still within the cell membrane. It is made up of three main components:
cytosol, organelles, and inclusions.
The cytosol is the clear liquid in the cytoplasm.
The organelles are distinct membrane – bound particles and include the following:
1. Plastids – large membrane – bound organelles that are found in the cytoplasm
of plant cells. They are classified into chromoplasts and leucoplasts.
Chromoplasts consists of chloroplasts with chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenes, and
xanthophyll.
Leucoplasts are the center of starch grain formation.
2. Mitochondria or chondriosomes – considered the cell’s powerhouses because
they capture chemical energy from the food taken in and produce energy that it
then releases to the cell, thus allowing the cell to carry out its functions. The
energy that the mitochondria produce is called adenosine triphosphate, which is
then used for synthetic reactions, active transport, and all energy – requiring
processes in cells.

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 SAN ANTONIO INFOTECH SCHOOL INC.
143 ME C. Harina Street, Poblacion, San Antonio, Quezon
(043) 703-2273
Quarter 2
Science 7

3. Endoplasmic reticulum – a set of interconnected tubes that start from the

nucleus and snake through the cytoplasm. It is one of the places in the cell where
proteins are made. It can be smooth (with no ribosomes attached) or rough(with
attached ribosomes).
4. Ribosomes – tiny particles that are made up of proteins and ribonucleic acid,
one of the two acids found in cells and which transmits genetic information from
the DNA to the proteins that the cells make. Some ribosomes are attached to the
endoplasmic reticulum while others are suspended in the cytoplasm.
5. Golgi apparatus – consists of flattened sacs that are arranged approximately
parallel to each other. It refines the proteins that it receives from the endoplasmic
reticulum then packages and modifies it before the proteins are delivered to
various parts of the body. It also produces the microbodies.
6. Cytoskeleton – the cell’s framework that provides it with shape and structural
support. It is made up of microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate
filaments.
7. Centrioles – small, dark structures found in animal cells that play an important
role in mitotic cell division. They have been observed to exist in algae and fungi
and in a few reproductive cells of higher forms of plants.
8. Vacuoles – membrane – enclosed, fluid – filled spaces consisting of crystals,
inorganic salts, and sugars.
9. Microbodies – made up of the peroxisomes, glyoxysomes, and lysosomes. The
peroxisomes and glyoxysomes are vesicles that contain oxidative enzymes that
catalyze the removal of amino acids.
The lysosomes are made up of digestive enzymes. These microbodies are believed to
occur in all animal cells after having been discovered in rats and fungi.
The third major part of the cytoplasm is made up of inclusions, which are nonliving
components of the cell that are suspended in the cytosol. They are made up basically of
starch and glycogen granules and are used for storing energy for the cell. Among the
inclusions are lipids, glycogen, crystals, and pigments.
Differences Between Animal and Plant Cells
Both animal and plant cells are of the eukaryotic type. However, they also have parts
that are different.
For one, plant cells have cell walls that animal cells do not have.
For another, animal cells do not have chloroplasts, which are specialized plant
organelles that capture light energy and then convert this to a form that can be used by
the cell.
These chloroplasts are found in plant cells and eukaryotic algae.
They are mainly involved in photosynthesis. They use solar energy to build
carbohydrates and release oxygen.