A TOUR OF THE CELL

the fundamental unit of life

PRESENTATION BY: ritu bandil

ROBERT HOOKE

CELLS WERE FIRST DISCOVERED BY HIM IN 1665

ROBERT HOOKE’S MICROSCOPE
 ROBERT OBSERVED :

CORK COMES FROM THE BARK HONEY COMB

OF THE TREE
ROBERT CALLED

 THESE LITTLE COMPARTMENTS AS CELLS.

 CELL IS A LATIN WORD FOR ‘ A LITTLE ROOM’.
COMPOUND MICROSCOPE
 ONION PEEL
1)THESE STRUCTURES LOOK
SIMILAR TO EACH OTHER.
2) TOGETHER THEY FORM A BIG
STRUCTURE LIKE AN ONION
BULB.
3) THE CELLS OF AN ONION
PEEL WILL ALL LOOK
SAME,REGARDLESS OF THE
SIZE OF THE ONION.
4) THESE SMALL STRUCTURES
ARE THE BASIC BUILDING
UNITS OF THE ONION BULB AND
ARE CALLED CELLS.
UNICELLULAR ORGANISMS

 ORGANISMS THAT HAVE A SINGLE CELL.

AMOEBA

PARAMOECIUM
CHLAMYDOMONAS
MULTICELLULAR ORGANISMS

 ORGANISMS HAVING MORE THAN ONE CELL TO

PERFORM VARIOUS FUNCTIONS.

PLANTS

ANIMALS FUNGI
DIFFERENT CELLS

BONE CELL

NERVE CELL FAT CELL

OVUM

SPERM BLOOD CELL

CELL

 A cell is the smallest unit that is capable of performing life functions.

CELL

• THE SHAPE AND SIZE OF CELLS ARE RELATED TO THE

SPECIFIC FUNCTION THEY PERFORM.
• EACH LIVING CEL LHAS THE CAPACITY TO PERFORM
CERTAIN BASIC FUNCTIONS.
• CELL CONTAINS A SPECIFIC COMPONENT CALLED
ORGANELLES.
• EACH KIND OF CELL ORGANELLE PERFORMS A SPECIAL
FUNCTION.
• ALL CELLS ARE FOUND TO HAVE THE SAME
ORGANELLES,IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR FUNCTION AND
WHICH ORGANISM THEY ARE FOUND IN.
Why are cells of different shapes and
sizes found in the human body?

> The shape and size of the cells depend upon the function
they perform. In a human body, each organ performs a
specific function, hence the cells of different organs
have different shapes and sizes.
Who discovered cells, and
how?
> Cells were first discovered by Robert Hooke, in1665. He
observed a thin slice of cork under his self designed
microscope.This slice of cork resembled the structure of
the honeycomb consisting of small compartments. He
named these small compartments as cells.
 Why is the cell called the
structural and functional unit of
life?
> Cell is called the structural and functional unit of life
because
a) It gives structure to the living organism.
b) It helps the living organism to perform various life
functions.
DIFFUSION

 GASEOUS EXCHANGE TAKES PLACE FROM A REGION OF

HIGHER CONCENTRATION TO A REGION OF LOW
CONCENTRATION.
OSMOSIS

The movement of water from a region of high water

concentration through a semi- permeable membrane
to a region of low water concentration.
osmosis
How do substances like CO2 and water
move in and out the cell? Discuss.

As the cell functions the concentration of CO2 in the

cell increases whereas the concentration of CO2 in
the external environment is low. CO2 moves out of
the cell from a region of higher concentration to the
external environment which is the region of lower
concentration.
Water moves in and out the cell from a region of
higher concentration through a semi- permeable
membrane to a region of lower concentration by the
process of osmosis.
Difference between

Diffusion Osmosis

1) It can occur in any 1) It occurs only in a

medium. liquid medium.
2) It does not require 2) It requires a semi-
a semi-permeable permeable membrane.
membrane.
 What is a hypotonic solution?

Hypotonic solution is the solution surrounding the cell which

has higher water concentration than that in the cell.
Water molecules are free to pass across the cell membrane in
both directions, but more water will come into the cell than
will leave. The net result is that the water enters the cell and
the cell is likely to swell up.
HYPOTONIC SOLUTION
When is a solution said to be
isotonic?
When the medium surrounding a cell has the same
concentration of water as that in the cell it is said to
be isotonic.

Water crosses the cell membrane in both the

directions, but the amount going in is the same as the
amount going out, so there is no overall movement of
water. The cell will stay the same size.
ISOTONIC SOLUTION
What is a hypertonic solution?

When the medium surrounding a cell has lower

concentration of water than that in the cell it is said
to be hypertonic.

Water crosses the membrane in both the directions,

but this time more water leaves the cell than enters
it. Therefore the cell will shrink.
HYPERTONIC SOLUTION
osmosis
What is Plasmolysis?

Plasmolysis is the phenomenon by which a plant cell

shrinks away from the cell wall when it loses water by
osmosis.
What is endocytosis?

Endocytosis is the process by which a cell is able to

engulf food and other material from its external
environment due to the flexibility of the plasma
membrane.

Example : Amoeba acquires its food through such

processes.
ENDOCTYOSIS
Cell organelles

1) Endoplasmic reticulum
2) Golgi apparatus
3) Lysosomes
4) Mitochondria
5) Plastids
6) Vacuoles
Endoplasmic Reticulum

• ER is a large network of membrane bound tubes and

sheets.
• Extends throughout cytoplasm
• Two types - Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)
• Serves as channels for the transport of materials between
various regions of the cytoplasm or between the cytoplasm
and the nucleus.
• Functions as a cytoplasmic framework providing a surface
for biochemical activities.
RER

 Arranged into flattened sacs

 Ribosomes on surface give it a rough appearance
 Ribosomes are the sites of protein synthesis.
 Cells that specialize in secreting proteins have lots of
rough ER
SER

 A series of interconnected
tubules .
 No ribosomes on surface.
 Helps in the manufacture of fat
molecules or lipids.
 In liver cells of vertebrates, SER
detoxifies many poisons and drugs.
Membrane Biogenesis

 It is the process of formation of the cell membrane

from proteins and lipids.
GOLGI APPARATUS

First discovered by Camillo Golgi.

 It consist of a system of membrane-
bound vesicles arranged parallel to each
other in stacks called cisterns.
 The material synthesised near the ER is
packaged and dispatched to various
targets inside and outside the cell through
the Golgi apparatus.
 Its functions include storage ,
modification and packaging of products in
vesicles.
Involved in the formation of the lysosome.
LYSOSOMES

>Waste disposal system of the

cell.
Keep the cell clean by digesting
any foreign material as well as
worn out cell organelles.
 Contain powerful digestive
enzymes capable of breaking
down all organic material.
When the cell gets damaged,
lysosomes may break open and
the enzymes digest their own cell.
Thus known as suicide bags of a
cell.
Mitochondria

Known as the powerhouse of the cell.

 The energy required for various chemical activities is
released by the mitochondria in the form of ATP
molecules.( Adenosine triphosphate).
ATP is known as the energy currency of the cell.
 Mitochondria have two membrane coverings.
 Outer membrane is very porous.
Inner membrane is deeply folded.
Mitochondria are able to make their own proteins as
they have their own DNA and ribosomes .
Plastids

 Present in plant cells.

 Two types- 1) Chromoplasts (coloured)
2) Leucoplasts (colourless)
> Plastids containing green pigment chlorophyll are
called Chloroplasts.
 Leucoplasts store materials as starch, oils and protein
granules.
 Plastids contain membrane layers embedded in a
material called stroma.
 Has a similar structure like the mitochondria.
 Have their own DNA and ribosomes.
CHLOROPLASTS
Vacuoles

• Storage sac for solid or liquid contents.

• Small size vacuoles are present in animals.
• Large in plants.
• In plant cells, vacuoles are full of cell sap and provide
turgidity and rigidity to the cell.
• Vacuoles store amino acids, sugars, various organic
acids and some proteins.
• In Amoeba, the food vacuole contains the food items
that the Amoeba has consumed.
• Vacuoles play an important role in expelling excess
water and some wastes from the cell.
Overview of a plant cell
Overview of an animal cell
Can
Ans you nameandthe
: Mitochondria two
plastids are organelles
the two organelleswe
that have
studied that contain their own genetic
contain their own genetic material. Both these organelles
have their own DNA and ribosomes.
material?
Make a comparison and write down ways
in which plant cells are different from
animal cells.
Animal cell Plant cell

Animal cells are generally small Plants cells are usually larger
in size. than animal cells.

Cell wall is absent. Cell wall is present.

Except the protozoan Euglena, Plastids (chromoplasts and

no animal cell possesses leucoplasts) are present.
plastids.

Vacuoles are smaller in size. Vacuoles are larger in size.

 What would happen to the life of a cell if
• there wasof no
(i) Membranes Golgi
the Golgi apparatus?
apparatus are often
connected to ER membranes. It collects simpler
molecules and combines them to make more complex
molecules. These are then packaged in small vesicles
and are either stored in the cell or sent out as per the
requirement. Thus, if the Golgi apparatus is absent in
the cell, then the above process of storage,
modification, and packaging of products will not be
possible.
• (ii) The formation of complex sugars from simple sugars
will not be possible as this takes place with the help of
enzymes present in Golgi bodies.
• (iii) The Golgi apparatus is involved in the formation of
lysosomes. Thus, if the Golgi body is absent in a cell, the
synthesis of lysosomes will not be possible in the cell.
 Which organelle is known as the
powerhouse of the cell? Why?
 Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of cells. Mitochondria
create energy for the cell, and this process of creating energy for the
cell is known as cellular respiration. Most chemical reactions involved in
cellular respiration occur in the mitochondria. The energy required for
various chemical activities needed for life is released by the
mitochondria in the form of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) molecules.
For this reason, mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of cells.
 Where do the lipids and proteins
constituting the cell membrane
Lipids and proteins constituting the cell membrane are
get
synthesized?
synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum.
1)SER (Smooth endoplasmic reticulum) helps in the
manufacturing of lipids.
2)RER (Rough endoplasmic reticulum) has particles
attached to its surface, called ribosomes. These
ribosomes are the site for protein synthesis.
 How does an Amoeba obtain its food?
 Amoeba obtains its food through the process of endocytosis. The
flexibility of the cell membrane enables the cell to engulf the solid
particles of food and other materials from its external environment.
What is osmosis?

 The movement of water molecules from a region of high

concentration to a region of low concentration through a selectively
permeable membrane is called osmosis.