The structure and function of Cell

components

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Cell Size

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 Cells are small for 2 reasons:
• Reason 1:
• Limited in size by the RATIO between their Outer Surface Area
and Their Volume.
• A small cell has more SURFACE AREA than a large cell for a
GIVEN VOLUME OF CYTOPLASM.

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Cells Have Large Surface
Area-to-Volume Ratio

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 Why cells are small?
• Reason 2:
• THE CELL'S NUCLEUS (THE BRAIN) CAN ONLY
CONTROL A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LIVING,
ACTIVE CYTOPLASM.

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 Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Prokaryotes Eukaryotes
Single cell Single or multi cell
No nucleus Nucleus
No organelles Organelles
One piece of circular DNA Chromosomes
No mRNA post Exons/Introns splicing
transcriptional
modification

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 Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
Chromosomal differences
Prokaryotes
 The genome of E.coli contains
amount of 4X106 base pairs
 > 90% of DNA encode protein
 Lacks a membrane-bound
nucleus.
 Circular DNA and supercoiled
domain
 Histones are unknown
Eukaryotes
 The genome of yeast cells
contains
1.35x107 base pairs
 A small fraction of the total DNA
encodes protein.
 Many repeats of non-coding
sequences
 All chromosomes are contained
in a membrane bound nucleus
 DNA is divided between two or
more chromosomes
 A set of five histones
 DNA packaging and gene
expression regulation
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 General Subdivisions of a Cell

• Plasma Membrane = selectively permeable

boundary between the cell and the
environment

• Nucleus = regulatory center of the cell

• Cytoplasm = everything between the plasma

membrane and the nucleus (fluid + organelles)
Representative Animal Cell

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 Plasma Membrane
1. Structure = phospholipd bilayer with proteins
embedded in, and attached to, the inner
(intracellular) and outer (extracellular) surfaces

2. Function
a. Selectively permeable barrier: controls what
enters and leaves the cell
b. Phospholipids are liquid at body temperature,
so proteins float around in the membrane
-functions as a Fluid Mosaic
Plasma Membrane
 Plasma Membrane (2)
2. Function – continued
c. Main responsibility: ensure the composition of
extracellular fluid is not the same as the
composition of the intracellular fluid

d. Water-soluble substances (salts, nutrients) cross

membrane with aid of protein channels, which are
selective about what can pass through

e. Lipids can pass directly through bilayer by diffusion

(the random walk of molecules)

f. Attachment site of cytoskeleton, the internal

support of the cell
 Plasma Membrane (3)
3. Glycocalyx = protein and carbohydrate coat
covering the extracellular surface of the
plasma membrane
a. Allows attachment to other cells
b. Allows the cell to interact with the environment
c. Gives each person’s cell a distinctive surface;
allows your body to recognize foreign tissues
as different from your own (i.e., blood type,
transplant rejection)
 Phospholipids phosphate
“head”

• Phosphate heads: Hydrophilic (love water)

• Lipid tails: Hydrophobic (fear water) lipid “tail”

Water Outside the cell

Water Inside the cell

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 Animal cell surface
• Extracellular matrix
– collagen fibers in network of glycoproteins
• support
• adhesion
• movement
• regulation

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Intercellular junctions in animals

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 Intercellular junctions in animal cells

– tight junctions
• membranes of adjacent cells fused forming barrier
between cells
• forces material through cell membrane
– gap junctions
• communicating junctions
• allow cytoplasmic movement between adjacent cells
– desmosomes
• anchoring junctions
• fasten cells together in strong sheets

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• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ9WTD0
XEnc

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Plasma Membrane
 Cytoplasm
• Is a gel-like matrix of water, enzymes,
nutrients, wastes, and gases and contains
cell structures (organelles).

• Fluid around the organelles called cytosol.

• Most of the cells metabolic reactions occur

in the cytoplasm.

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 Cytoplasm
• Viscous fluid containing organelles
• components of cytoplasm
– Interconnected filaments & fibers
– Fluid = cytosol
– Organelles (not nucleus)
– storage substances

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 Cells chemical composition

• Chemical composition-by weight

– 70% water
– 7% small molecules
• salts
• Fatty acids
• amino acids
• nucleotides
– 23% macromolecules
• Proteins
• Polysaccharides
• Lipids
• DNA,RNA
 Organelles
• Cellular machinery
• Two general kinds
– Derived from membranes
– Bacteria-like organelles

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Cell Structure Overview
 Nucleus
1. Nuclear Envelope (membrane)
a. Phospholipid bilayer with nuclear pores

b. Controls what enters/leaves the nucleus

-- things only go in or out by passing through
protein channels, which are selective

c. Encloses all the chromosomes

 Nucleus
2. Chromatin = all the chromosomes, which are
long strands of the molecule DNA

-- DNA regulates all cell activities, yet never

leaves the nucleus; how is this possible?

produces RNA, short messenger molecules

that exit through nuclear pores

RNA carries instructions out into the cytoplasm

 Nucleus
3. Nucleolus – site of ribosome synthesis
a. compartment in the nucleus where ribsomes
are assembled

b. ribosomes are then moved out into cytoplasm

through nuclear pores

c. ribosomes and RNA work together outside

the nucleus, to build all the proteins in the cell
 Nuclear
Compartment
 Organelles
1. Separate compartments within the cytoplasm
formed by membranes

2. Mitochondrion = “thread granule”, major source

of cell’s energy
a. energy is taken from sugar, stored in molecule
called ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
b. requires oxygen to make this exchange
(aerobic metabolism)
c. contained within double membrane
Mitochondrion
 Organelles (2)
3. The Cytomembrane System = system of tubes
and chambers formed by membranes

a. extensively distributed throughout the fluid

cytoplasm

b. involved in synthesis, modification,

processing & packaging of cellular lipids
and proteins
Cell Structure
 Cytomembrane System
1. Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) = “within the
cytoplasm network”, a system of tubes and sacs
formed by membranes (an enclosed space)

a) Rough = with bound ribosomes

--modifies proteins produced by the ribosomes

b) Smooth = without bound ribosomes

-doesn’t modify proteins
-functions in lipid synthesis, drug
detoxification, carbohydrate metabolism
 Cytomembrane System (2)
2. Golgi Apparatus = series of flattened sacs formed by
membranes, functions in final protein processing prior
to use by the cell

a. proteins get shuttled from the ER to one end

of the Golgi

b. in each sac, different modifications are made

(proteins get individually tailored)

c. proteins get sorted and shipped off to their

destination (like the post office of the cell)
 Cytomembrane System (2)
3. Vesicles = small membrane-bound structures
that transport proteins and lipids around the cell
a. little transporters that shuttle their
contents from one organelle to another
b. when they contact the appropriate organelle,
they fuse with its outer membrane and dump
their contents inside
c. same for plasma membrane, allowing the
export of materials from the cell (exocytosis)
Vesicles move from ER to Golgi
 Cytomembrane System (2)
4. Lysosome = membrane-bound vesicle that
contains digestive enzymes or toxic chemicals

a. merges with vesicles containing food

particles, invading bacteria

b. harsh chemicals and enzymes degrade the

food or bacteria, without harming rest of cell