CELL STRUCTURE

&
CELL ORGANISATION

Cell Organisation
Living Processes in Unicellular Organisms
1. Unicellular organisms are organisms which consist of a
single cell.
2. They are able to perform all vital functions and living
processes within a cell include feeding, respiring,
excreting, reproducing, growing, moving and
respond to stimuli.
3. Examples of unicellular organisms are the protozoa, for
example, Amoeba sp. and Paramecium sp.
4. Unicellular organisms such as Amoeba sp. and Paramecium sp.
are capable of performing all the functions and living
processes that the specialised cells in a multicellular
organism perform.
 Amoeba sp.
HABITAT
 Live in freshwater lakes and ponds and are also abundant in damp soil.
 Most of them are free-living while others are parasitic.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
 The cytoplasm is enclosed by a plasma membrane.
 Changes its shape constantly as it meets obstacles and respond to stimuli.
 The gel-like outer part of the cytoplasm is called the ectoplasm while the
inner part is called the endoplasm.
LIVING PROCESSES
1. Locomotion
 They move and feed by using pseudopodia.
 Moves by cytoplasmic, projection, that is by extending its
pseudopodia or ‘false feet’ and anchoring the tips onto the
ground.
 This is followed by the flow of cytoplasm into the pseudopodia.
 This form of locomotion is known as ameboid movement.
2. Feeding
 Feeds on microscopic organisms such as bacteria
and diatoms.
 Method of engulfing food is called phagocytosis.
a) Amoeba sp. approaches the food particles.
b) Two pseudopodia extend out and enclose the
food particles.
c) The food particles are packaged in a food vacuole
which fuses with a lysosome containing a
hydrolytic enzyme called lysozyme.
d) The food particles are digested by the lysozyme.
The resulting nutrients diffuse into the cytoplasm
and assimilated.
e) Undigested material is left behind when the
Amoeba sp. moves away.
3. Respiration
 Exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs
through the plasma membrane by simple diffusion.
4. Excretion
 Waste products such as carbon dioxide and ammonia
are eliminated by diffusion.
 The contractile vacuole is involved in
osmoregulation.
 As Amoeba sp. lives in freshwater environments,
water diffuses into the cells and fills the contractile
vacuole.
 When the vacuole is filled to its maximum size, it
contracts to expel its contents from time to time.
5. Reproduction
 Reproduces asexually by binary fission and by forming spores.
 In a favourable environment where food is abundant, Amoeba
sp. reproduces by binary fission.
 When the environment is not conducive to reproduction, for
example, where food is scarce and the condition is dry, Amoeba
sp. from spores.
6. Responses to stimuli
 Responds to favourable stimuli (for example, food) by moving
towards them.

 Responds to adverse stimuli (for example, bright light, acidic

condition) by moving away from them.
7. Growth
 Grows by synthesising new cytoplasm.
Paramecium sp.
HABITAT
 Found abundantly in freshwater ponds rich in decaying organic matter.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
 Have a fixed slipper-like shape.
 It surface covered by numerous rows of cilia (a short hair-like outgrowths).
 The cilia involved in locomotion and feeding.
 Has two nuclei. The
macronucleus controls
cellular metabolism of the
cell and is also necessary for
asexual reproduction while
the micronucleus is required
for sexual reproduction.
LIVING PROCESSES
1. Locomotion
 Moves by means of the rhythm beating of the cilia.
 This action enables the Paramecium sp. to move forward
while rotating and spiraling along its axis.
2. Feeding
 Feeds on microscopic organisms.
 Nutrition in Paramecium sp. is as follows:
a) The rhythmic beating of cilia along a
mouth-like opening (opening groove) sweeps water and
suspended food particles into the cytostome.
a) In the cytostome, food vacuoles containing the food
particles are formed.
b) The food particles in the food vacuoles are digested by
hydrolytic enzymes from the cytoplasm.
c) Nutrients from the digested food then dissolve and diffuse
into the cytoplasm and are used to generate energy.
d) The undigested contents are released through the anal pore.
3. Responses to stimuli
 Has cilia which function as sensory structures.
 Is sensitive to chemicals, oxygen and carbon dioxide, pH
and physical stimuli such as light, contact and temperature.
 Moves in the opposite direction when it comes into contact
with an adverse stimulus.
4. Respiration
 Gaseous exchange occurs by diffusion through the entire
plasma membrane of the organism.
5. Excretion
 Waste products, for example,
carbon dioxide, are expelled
from the cell by diffusion.
 Control of water balance in the
cell (osmoregulation) is aided
by two contractile vacuoles,
one at the anterior and the
other at the posterior end.
 This is necessary because
Paramecium sp. constantly takes
in water from the hypotonic
environment by osmosis.
 The contractile vacuoles
periodically expand, filling with
water, and then contract to
expel their contents to the
exterior of the cell.
6. Reproduction
 Reproduces asexually as well as sexually.
 In a favourable environment, Paramecium
sp. Reproduces rapidly by binary fission.
Sexual reproduction in Paramecium sp. , is
known as conjugation, takes place when
the environmental condition are not
favourable.

7. Growth
 Grows to a certain size by synthesising
new cytoplasm.
Comparison between Amoeba sp and Paramecium sp.
Characteristic Amoeba sp. Paramecium sp.

Shape

Locomotion

Feeding process

Reproduction

Respiration

Growth