CHAPTER 2

CELL STRUCTURE and

CELL ORGANISATION
• DRAW and LABEL an animal cell and a plant cell
• IDENTIFY the cellular components of an animal cell and a plant cell.
• STATE the functions of the components in an animal and a plant cell
• COMPARE and CONTRAST an animal cell and a plant cell
• RELATE the density of certain organelles with the functions of specific
cells.
 CELL STRUCTURE AND
FUNCTION
1. A basic unit of life.
2. Vary in shape, size and content
3. Very small [range of 1 µm (bacteria) to 100 µm (plant cells)]
4. Staining techniques are used in the preparation of specimen slides.
Staining helps to show up the different parts of the cell more
clearly.
5. Cells are made up of protoplasm (consists of the cell membrane,
the nucleus and the jelly-like substance called the cytoplasm)
6. Two types of organisms :
• Unicellular organisms (made up of only one cell) - (e.g.
bacteria, yeast, Amoeba, Euglena and Paramecium)
• Multicellular organisms (made up of many cells ) - (e.g. fish,
birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals)
1. Nucleolus, 2. Nucleus, 3. Ribosomes, 4. Vesicle, 5. Rough endoplasmic reticulum 6. Golgi
apparatus, 8. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum, 9. Mitochondria, 10. Vacuole, 11. Cytoplasm, 12.
Lysosomes, 13. Centrioles
 CELL MEMBRANE
STRUCTURE
 Also known as the plasma
membrane
 Thin and partially permeable
 Layer that surrounds the cell
 Made up of proteins &
phospholipids bilayer

FUNCTION(S)
 Holds the organelles that are
found within the cell.
 Maintains structure of the cell
(in animal cell).
 Regulates the movement of
substances (acts as a selective
barriers)
 CYTOPLASM
STRUCTURE
 Region between the nucleus
& the plasma membrane
 A jelly-like substance that
fills the cell
 It consists of about 70%
to 90% water, organelles,
food reserves, proteins and
other chemical compounds.
FUNCTION(S)
 It is the site where most of
the cell activities and chemical
reactions take place.
 Enzymes and other essential
proteins are made in the
cytoplasm.
 MITOCHONDRIA
STRUCTURE
 Small spherical or cylindrical-
shaped organelles
 It is surround by a double
layer of membrane
 It contains a matrix with a
few ribosome, a circular DNA
molecule and phosphate
granules.
FUNCTION(S)
 It is the main site where
aerobic respiration takes
place to release energy for
cell activities (known as the
‘powerhouse’ of the cell)
 NUCLEUS
STRUCTURE
 A small spherical organelle
enclosed by a nuclear
membrane.
 Contains nucleoplasm &
nucleolus
 Chromatin/chromosomes
(hereditary materials) can
be found within the nucleus
FUNCTION(S)
 Controls all activities of the
cell
 Store the genetic information
 It is responsible for cell
reproduction and repair of
worn-out parts of the cell
 Cells without a nucleus usually
have a short life span.
(example – red blood cell of
humans)
 The nucleus is believed to play
an important role in protein
synthesis.
RIBOSOMES
STRUCTURE
 Compact spherical organelles
 Non-membrane-bound particles
 Made up of RNA and proteins.
 Consists of 2 subunits
 They are either bound to the
endoplasmic reticulum or lie free
in the cytoplasm
FUNCTION
 The main sites of protein
synthesis
LYSOSOMES
STRUCTURE
 A membrane-bound spherical
vesicles formed by pinching
off from the Golgi apparatus
 They contain hydrolytic
enzymes for digestion / break
down of complex substances
FUNCTIONS
 They break down unwanted
molecules or worn-out
organelles
 They are involved in autolysis
and digesting of foreign
particles.
 ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
STRUCTURE
 A system of flattened,
membrane-bounded sacs
 Physically continuous with the
nuclear membrane
 2 types :
 Rough ER
 
 Smooth ER                                                              

FUNCTIONS
 RER has ribosomes on it surface
and it transport proteins made
by the ribosomes
 SER is the site of lipid and
steroid synthesis
 GOLGI APPARATUS
STRUCTURE
 A stack of flattened,
membrane-bounded sacs being
formed continuously at one
end of the stack and budded
off as vesicles at the other.
FUNCTIONS
 As a processing, packaging and
transporting centre for
carbohydrates, proteins
phospholipids and
glycoprotein; which then
exported of the cells by the
secretory vesicles
 It is the site of enzyme
production and lysosome
formation.
 CELL WALL
STRUCTURE
 A rigid outer layer that
surrounds the plasma membrane
of plant cells
 Composed of cellulose (tough &
fibrous carbohydrate)
 Fully permeable and allows all
substances to pass through it

FUNCTIONS
 It protects and gives support
to the cell
 It gives the cell a regular shape
 Protects plant cell from
rupturing due to excessive
intake of water
 CHLOROPLASTS
STRUCTURE
 They are lens-shaped, tiny
discs
 Contains the green pigment
called chlorophyll
 Chlorophyll located in the
membrane of the grana

FUNCTIONS
 The chlorophyll gives the
leaves its green colour.
 The chlorophyll absorbs light
energy from the sun for
photosynthesis to take place
VACOULE
STRUCTURE
 A fluid-filled sac
surrounded by tonoplast,
semi-permeable membrane
 The fluid is called cell sap
(contains water, organic
acids, sugar, amino acids,
minerals waste substances,
pigments)
FUNCTION
 The vacuole supports the
cell when it is turgid
CENTRIOLES
STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
 A pair of small cylindrical
structure located just
outside the nucleus
 Composed of a complex
arrangement of microtubules.
 They form spindle fibres
during cell division in animal
cell.
 They are not present in plant
cells.
 Comparison of an Animal Cell
and a Plant Cell

Animal Cell Plant Cell

Similitaries
Both has nucleus, cytoplasm ,
mitochondrion, ribosome,
cell membrane, rough
endoplasmic reticulum, smooth
endoplasmic reticulum and
Golgi apparatus.
 Differences

Absent(cell shape is Present(cell shape is

relatively irregular) Cell wall more regular)

Usually small and Usually a large central

numerous, filled with Vacuole vacuole,contains cell
water or food. sap

Absent Chloroplast Present

Centriole Absent in most

Present

Usually centralised Usually at the edge of

Location of nucleus the edge

Glycogen granules
Storage carbohydrate Mainly starch granules
 The Relationship between the Density of organelles with
the Functions of Specific Cell

• Number of organelles in each cell varies according to:

1. Type of organism
2. Nature of the cell
• More active cells will posses more mitochondria than less active cells
• Large number of mitochondria - found in cells with high energy
requirements (the liver cells, human sperm cells, flight muscle cells in
insects and birds and cells in the meristems plants)
• Abundant rough endoplasm reticulum(ER) can be found in the pancreatic
islet cells because these cells are actively synthesising secretory proteins.
• Numerous smooth endoplasm are found in cells that continuously
synthesising lipids and steroids such as in the sebaceous gland cells, mucus-
secreting cells and liver cells.
• Abundant chloroplast are found in the palisade mesophyll cells than other
parts of the leaves. This is because palisade mesophyll is the main site of
photosynthesis.