Cytology

Cell organelles- structure and function

Ms. T. Hanson
General Objective:

Students should be able to:

Ms. T. Hanson
 Specific objectives

Students should be able to:

2.1. Compare the structures and functions of typical animal and

plant cells as seen under the light and electron microscope;
2.2. Describe the structure of a prokaryotic cell;
2.3. Compare the structure of prokaryotic cells with that of
eukaryotic cells;
3.1. Explain the Fluid Mosaic Membrane model of biological
membrane structure

Ms. T. Hanson
Resolution vs magnification

Ms. T. Hanson
Magnification vs Resolution
• Magnification is simply the number of times an
image's size is enlarged where size is measured.

• Resolution is a measurement of how well the

smallest details of an image can be discerned.
Magnification beyond the resolving power of an
optical system is empty magnification.
Ms. T. Hanson
 Prokaryote VS Eukaryote

How are prokaryotes different from eukaryotes in terms of their

cell walls, cell size, interior organization (protein synthesis,
genetic material, form) and flagella?

Ms. T. Hanson
 Grp 1 –organelles that contain DNA 

(mitochondria and chloroplasts) 

Grp 2- manufacturing organelles 

(Rough ER + smooth ER and ribosomes + golgi  

Group
Activity  Grp 3- Control Organelle- Nucleolus with
nucleus +plasmid (prokaryotes) 
Grp 4 Lysosomes , microbodies, flagella and cilia 

Grp 5 : +Plasma Membrane, Cell wall and cytoskeleton 

Ms. T. Hanson
Students will collaborate in groups to create a model of / draw the structure of the
organelles and membrane systems with the necessary labels and annotations that
will answer how structures relate to function and to liken the organelle/membrane
system to that of a country like Jamaica. 

Ms. T. Hanson
 Prokaryote

Ms. T. Hanson
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 Eukaryote

Ms. T. Hanson
Ms. T. Hanson
EUKARYOTE CELL
ULTRASTRUCTURE

Objective:
Outline the functions of membrane systems and organelles

Ms. T. Hanson
Primary Cell Structure
That which can be seen using the light microscope

Ms. T. Hanson
Ultrastructure
That which can be
observed under the
electron microscope

Ms. T. Hanson
EUKARYOTE CELL ULTRASTRUCTURE

ORGANELLE MAIN FUNCTIONS DIMENSIONS

Nucleus Cell division, protein 10 µm diameter
synthesis
Mitochondrion Respiration pathways 1.0 to 12.5 µm
Chloroplast Photosynthetic pathways 5 to 10 µm diameter
Lysosome Digestion, recycling & 0.5 to 3.0 µm diameter
isolation
Golgi apparatus Secretion, reprocessing, Cisternae: 0.5µm thick,
lysosome synthesis l-3µm diameter
Endoplasmic Support, Golgi apparatus 26 to 56 nm thick
Reticulum (ER) synthesis
Ribosome Protein synthesis 20 nm diameter
© 2010 Paul Billiet ODWS
NUCLEUS (pl nuclei)

10 µm

Usually spherical occupying up to 75% of the cell volume

© 2010 Paul Billiet ODWS

Ms. T. Hanson
Hepatocytes are
cuboidal epithelial cells
that make up the
majority of cells in the
liver.

Ms. T. Hanson
 MITOCHONDRION (pl. mitochondria)
Inner matrix
Cristae

Inter membrane space

outer
membrane
Mitochondrial
envelope
inner
membrane

1.0 to 12.5 µm
© 2010 Paul Billiet ODWS
MITOCHONDRION (gk mitos = thread
khondrion = granule)

Transmission
electron micrograph
(TEM) of
mitochondrion from
mouse kidney cell

Image Credit: University of Georgia

 CHLOROPLAST
Grana
Thylakoid
membrane
Frets

outer
Chloroplast membrane
envelope
inner
membrane

Stroma
Starch grains

© 2010 Paul Billiet ODWS 5 to 10 µm

CHLOROPLAST (Gk chloros = green plast = form
or shape)
TEM chloroplast

Image Credit: University of Wisconsin

 GOLGI APPARATUS

Golgi vesicles take transformed

materials from the exit (trans) face
Golgi vesicles
to their destination
transport the
materials from one
cisterna to the next

© 2010 Paul Billiet ODWS
Cisternae
are flattened
sacs
Transport vesicles bring
material from the
endoplasmic reticulum to
the entry(cis) face
GOLGI APPARATUS

Image Credit: International Journal of Morphology

LYSOSOME

Image Credit: http://www.biokurs.de/

 ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM (ER)

Rough ER

Smooth ER

Transport
vesicles
Membranes
Lumen which
can occupy up to
10% of the cell
© 2010 Paul Billiet ODWS
volume
ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM (ER)

Image Credit: www.lifesci.sussex.ac.uk/

 RIBOSOME

 NOT membrane
bound
Large ribosome
 Found both in pro-
subunit
and eukarotes
 The subunits are
synthesised separately
in the nucleolus of the
nucleus of eukaryotes Small ribosome
subunit

© 2010 Paul Billiet ODWS

 RIBOSOME

Image Credit: www.palaeos.com/

Image Credit: British Society for Cell Biology

 Activity

1. Using this diagram draw and

label a diagram of a typical
plant cell.

Ms. T. Hanson
2. What is the endoplasmic reticulum? What is its function? How does rough ER differ from
smooth ER?
3. What is the function of the Golgi apparatus? How do the substances released by the
Golgi apparatus make their way to other locations in the cell?
4. What types of eukaryotic cells contain mitochondria? What function do mitochondria
perform?
5. What unique metabolic activity occurs in chloroplasts?
6. What cellular functions do centrioles participate in?
7. What kinds of cytoskeleton fibers are stable and which are changeable?
8. How do cilia compare with eukaryotic flagella?

Ms. T. Hanson
 Assignment-

1. How would increasing the number of phospholipids with double bonds between carbon
atoms in their tails affect the fluidity of a membrane?
2. Describe the two basic types of structures that are characteristic of proteins that span membranes.
3. If a cell’s cytoplasm were hyperosmotic to the extracellular fluid, how would the concentration of
solutes in the cytoplasm compare with that in the extracellular fluid?
4. How do phagocytosis and pinocytosis differ?
5. In what two ways does facilitated diffusion differ from simple diffusion across a membrane?
6. How does active transport differ from facilitated diffusion? How is it similar to facilitated
diffusion?

Ms. T. Hanson
Ms. T. Hanson
Ms. T. Hanson
(a) Name all the cellular organelles which are surrounded by two
layers of membrane.
(b) One of these organelles is concerned with energy production.
Draw a simple labelled
diagram to show the structure of this organelle.
(c) How is the structure of the organelle in (b) related to its function
in cellular metabolism ?
[7 marks]

Ms. T. Hanson
 The relationship between organelles
Exocytosis

Endocytosis

ER
Exocytosis
Nucleus
Ribosomes

Golgi
apparatus

Lysosome

© 2010 Paul Billiet ODWS