CELL: STRUCTURE

AND FUNCTION
CHAPTER-8
How can you classify anything as
living?
• Living organisms show growth, development
• They perform functions like- nutrition, respiration, excretion,
reproduction.
• All organisms are made up of many small units called as a cell.
• Cells are assembled to make the body of every organism.
 Microscope

Device/ instrument
used to view cells
which are very small
in size and cannot
be viewed with
naked eyes.
Discovery of the Cell
• Robert Hooke in 1665 observed slices of cork under a simple magnifying
device.
• Cork is a part of the bark of a tree.
• He took thin slices of cork and observed them under a microscope.
• He noticed partitioned boxes or compartments in the cork slice.
• These boxes appeared like a honeycomb.
• He also noticed that one box was separated from the other by a wall or
partition.
• Hooke coined the term ‘cell’ for each box.
• What Hooke observed as boxes or cells in the cork were actually dead
cells.
 The Cell
Cell is defined as the basic structural
and functional unit of life.
Organisms are made up of cells.

The egg of a hen represents a single cell and is

big enough to be seen by the unaided eye.
 Cells forming the structure of
an organism

Organ
cells tissue Organ
Organ system
Organism
The buildings, though built of similar bricks, have different
designs, shapes and sizes. Similarly, in the living world,
organisms differ from one-another but all are made up of
cells.
How do scientists observe and study the living cells?

1. They use
microscopes
which magnify
objects.
2. Stains (dyes) are
used to colour
parts of the cell to
study the detailed
structure.
 Organisms show
Variety in

Cell
Shape Size
Number
Number of Cells
 ORGANISMS
could be divided into two groups depending
upon the number of cells they are made up of-

UNICELLULAR MULTICELLULAR
Single celled Multi-celled
Made up of a single cell Made up of two or more cells
 UNICELLULAR ORGANISMS
• The single-celled organisms are called unicellular (uni :
one; cellular : cell) organisms
• A single-celled organism performs all the necessary
functions that multicellular organisms perform.
• A single-celled organism, like amoeba, captures and
digests food, respires, excretes, grows and reproduces
 Unicellular organisms
Paramecium

Chlamydomonas
Bacteria

Amoeba
 MULTI-CELLULAR ORGANISMS
• Organisms made of more than one cell are called multicellular
(multi : many; cellular : cell) organisms

Spirogyra
Shape of Cells
Cell which can change its shape-Amoeba
• The shape of Amoeba appears
irregular and it has no definite shape,
unlike other organisms.
• It keeps on changing its shape.
• The projections of varying lengths
protrude out of its body called as
pseudopodia (pseudo : false; podia :
feet).
• These projections appear and
disappear as amoeba moves or
feeds.
• The change in shape is due to
formation of pseudopodia which
facilitates movement and help in
capturing food.
 Cell which can change its shape-
White Blood Cells
• A white blood cell (WBC) in human blood is another example of a
single cell which can change its shape.
• They change its shape to engulf or kill bacteria which enter
the blood to prevent diseases.
 Red Blood Cells-
do not have a nucleus, which helps RBC
to carry more oxygen
 Spindle shaped cells
Muscle Cells- contract and relax
Neuron- single nerve cell
The nerve cell or a neuron is a long and branched cell.
The nerve cell receives and transfers messages, thereby helping
to control and coordinate the working of different parts of the
body
Size of Cells
• The size of cells in living organisms may be as small (micrometre or
micron) or may be as large as a few centimetres.
• Most of the cells are microscopic in size and are not visible to the
unaided eye. They need to be enlarged or magnified by a
microscope.
• The smallest cell is 0.1 to 0.5 micrometre in bacteria.
• The largest cell measuring 170 mm ×130 mm, is the egg of an ostrich.
• The shape of the cell is related to its function. For example, nerve cells,
both in the elephant and rat, are long and branched. They perform
the same function, that of transferring messages.
 Tissue
• A group of cells performing the same function are called as a Tissue.
• In animals the various tissue are- Muscular tissue, Nervous Tissue, Blood, Skin
• In Plants the various tissue are- Xylem and Phloem
 Questions to be done in the notebook
• ‘Cells are the basic structural units of living organisms’. Explain.
• Make a sketch of the human nerve cell. What function do nerve cells perform?
• Differentiate between Unicellular and Multicellular organisms. Give two examples
each.
• Define the term Tissue.
• Name the following –
1. smallest single cell
2. largest single cell visible to the naked eyes
3. Scientist who discovered cells
4. Projections which help an Amoeba to move
5. Instrument used to view microbes
PARTS OF A CELL
 A single cell is made up of the
following parts-
• Cell wall ( only in plant cells)
• Cell membrane
• Cytoplasm
• Nucleus
• Cell organelles (Mitochondria, Plastid, Golgi Body, Vacuole)
• Cell wall
• Cell membrane

• Cytoplasm- jelly like material

• Vacuole
• Nucleus
• Chloroplast- kitchen of the cell
• Mitochondria- powerhouse of
the cell
 1. Cell Membrane/ Plasma Membrane/
Selectively Permeable Membrane
• Outer most covering of animal cells
• Covering in plant cells under the cell wall
• It is POROUS, and FLEXIBLE
• It is made up of PROTIENS and LIPIDS
• It helps in exchange of selected materials
• The membrane separates cells from one another and also the cell
from the surrounding medium.
2. Cell Wall (present only in plant cells)
• Provides rigidity
• Provides structural support to plant cell
• Is made up of cellulose
• This additional layer surrounding the cell membrane is
required by plants for protection.
• Plant cells need protection against variations in
temperature, high wind speed, atmospheric moisture etc.
• They are exposed to these variations because they cannot
move.
 3. Cytoplasm
• It is the jelly-like substance present between the cell membrane
and the nucleus.
• Various other components, or organelles, of cells are present in
the cytoplasm.
• These are mitochondria, golgi bodies, ribosomes.
4. Nucleus – Brain of the cell
Control centre of the cell
• It is generally spherical and located in the centre of the cell
• Nucleus is separated from the cytoplasm by a membrane called the
nuclear membrane.
• This membrane is also porous and allows the movement of materials
between the cytoplasm and the inside of the nucleus.
• A smaller spherical body is present in the nucleus. It is called the
nucleolus.
• Nucleus contains thread-like structures called chromosomes.
• These carry genes and help in inheritance or transfer of characters
from the parents to the offspring.
• The chromosomes can be seen only when the cell divides.
 Nucleus
FUNCTIONS OF THE NUCLEUS

Also called as Brain of The Cell/ control

centre of the cell as it controls the
functions of the entire cell.

Nucleus contains the genes.

Gene is a unit of inheritance in living
organisms. It controls the transfer of a
hereditary characteristic from parents to
offspring.
Chromosome
 PROTOPLASM

• The entire content of a living cell is known as protoplasm.

• It includes the cytoplasm and the nucleus.
• Protoplasm is called the living substance of the cell.
Cells of an onion peel- plant cell
Human cheek cell – animal cell
 QUESTIONS TO BE DONE IN THE
NOTEBOOK
1. Draw a well labelled diagram of a nucleus. Briefly explain its parts.
2. Differentiate between cell wall and cell membrane.
3. Where are chromosomes found in a cell? State their function.
4. Name the brain of the cell. Why is it called so?
5. Define the term protoplasm.
organisms based on their nucleus could be

Prokaryotic Eukaryotic

1. Do not have a well

developed nucleus 1. Have a well developed
nucleus
2. Do not have well
developed cell organelles 2. Have well developed
cell organelles
PLANT CELL ANIMAL CELL
• VACUOLE
• It could be single and big as in an onion cell. Large vacuoles are
common in plant cells.
• Cheek cells have smaller vacuoles. Vacuoles in animal cells are much
smaller.
• PLASTIDS
• They are scattered in the cytoplasm of the leaf cells.
• They are of different colours.
• Some of them contain green pigment called chlorophyll. Green
coloured plastids are called chloroplasts.
• Chloroplasts help in photosynthesis.
• They provide green colour to the leaves.
 QUESTIONS TO BE DONE IN THE NOTEBOOK
1. Which part of the cell contains organelles?
2. Make sketches of animal and plant cells. State three differences between them.
3. State the difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
4. Explain why chloroplasts are found only in plant cells?
5. Give one word for the following-
A. This is necessary for photosynthesis.
B. Term for component present in the cytoplasm.
C. The living substance in the cell.
D. Units of inheritance present on the chromosomes
E. Green plastids.
F. Formed by collection of tissues.
G. It separates the contents of the cell from the surrounding medium.
H. Empty structure in the cytoplasm.
I. A group of cells.