Cell Biology:

1. Cell and cell organelles

2.Biologolical Membranes: structures and function

Major Concept
To study the molecular and functional organisation of a cell and its subcellular organelles.
Specific Objectives
1. To know importance of cell, and the types: Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell.
2. Learn the essential differences of a prokaryotic cell and eukaryotic cell.
3. Draw a diagram of an eukaryotic cell showing different cell organelles.
4. Study the following cellular organelles:
• Nucleus—its structure and functions.
• Mitochondrion, the power house of a cell. Learn its structure and functions.
• Study endoplasmic reticulum, its types, structure and functions.
• Learn structure and functions of golgi complexes.
• Study about lysosomes, their functions, inherited disorder—I cell disease.
• Learn about peroxisomes: Their structure and functions.
• Study the structure and functions of cytoskeleton.
• All organisms are built from cells. All animal tissues
including human are also organised from collections of
cells. Thus cell is the fundamental unit of life. If cell
dies, tissue dies and it cannot function.
Modern cell theory can be divided into the following
fundamental statements:
• Cells make up all living matter
• All cells arise from other cells
• The genetic information required during the
maintenance of existing cells and the production
of new cells passes from one generation to the
other next generation
• The chemical reactions of an organism that is its
metabolism, both anabolism and catabolism, takes
place in the cells.
Types of Cells
In general two types of cells exist in nature. They are:
1. Prokaryotic cells
2. Eukaryotic cells
1. Prokaryotic Cells
Typical prokaryotic cells (Greek: Pro-before and karyon-
nucleus) include the bacteria and cyanobacteria. Most
studied prokaryotic cell is Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Characteristics
• It has a minimum of internal organisation and
smaller in size
• It does not have any membrane bound organelles.
• Its genetic material is not enclosed by a nuclear
membrane
• Its DNA is not complexed with histones. Histones
are not found in prokaryotic cells
• Its respiratory system is closely associated with
its plasma membrane and
• Its sexual reproduction does not involve mitosis
or meiosis.
• 2. Eukaryotic Cells • Cell Biology
The eukaryotic cells (Greek: Eu-true and karyon-nucleus)
include the protists, fungi, plants and animals including
humans. Cells are larger in size (Fig. 1.1).
Characteristics
• It has considerable degree of internal structure
with a large number of distinctive membrane
enclosed having specific functions
• Nucleus is the site for informational components
collectively called chromatin
• Cell Biology ex.2 • Sexual reproduction involves both mitosis and
meiosis
• The respiratory site is the mitochondria
• In the plant cells, the site of the conversion of
radiant energy to chemical energy is the highly
structural chloroplasts.
Essential differences of prokaryotic and
eukaryotic cells are given in Table 1.1.
• Eukaryotic cells are given in Table 1.1.
• Cell and Cell Organelles: Chemistry and Functions