Cell: The Building Block of Life 11

parts of an object), and magnification. These improvements Stomata

have turned microscope into a powerful tool for studying
cells.
You can see a picture of the lower surface of Colocasia leaf
observed under a Scanning Electron Microscope (Fig. 2.4).

2.2 Structure of a Cell

You have learnt that cells are organised into specialised
Fig. 2.4: Electron micrograph of lower
tissues and organs, and collectively perform specific surface of a Colocasia leaf showing stomata
function. For these cells to function as units, they must
be able to interact with one another and with their surroundings. These
interactions occur at the cell boundary, where substances move between
the cells and their external environment. Even single-celled organisms
exchange materials and respond to their environment through cell
membrane.

2.2.1 Cell membrane — The universal feature of a cell

The cell membrane is a thin boundary that surrounds a cell and protects
its contents. It defines the individuality of a cell and is also called the plasma
membrane. The cell membrane is selectively permeable, which means it
allows some substances to pass through it while blocking others. You have Grade 7

learnt how oxygen and carbon dioxide move across the membranes of Curiosity
Chapter 9
alveoli in the lungs. How does the structure of the cell membrane in the
cells of alveoli control the movement of substances across it?
Activity 2.2: Let us experiment Experimental set-up

1. With the help of a kitchen knife, Beaker A Beaker B

carefully cut a potato into two pieces
of roughly equal size (Fig. 2.5).
2. Measure and record the initial weight
of both the pieces using a weighing
balance.
3. Put one piece of the potato in Beaker
A with plain water. (a) Initial (b)
4. Put the other piece of the potato in
Beaker B with 20 per cent salt or sugar
solution.
5. Leave them undisturbed for about
an hour or until you notice a visible
change in the size of the pieces.
6. Measure and record the final weight (a) Final (b)
of each piece.
7. Calculate the difference between the
initial and their final weights.
What do you observe? You may observe
that —
Beaker A — The potato piece swells. Fig. 2.5: Experimental set-up, and initial
and final states of potato pieces in (a) plain
Beaker B — The potato piece shrinks. water, and (b) 20 per cent salt solution

[Link] 11 03-Apr-26 7:27:54 PM

 What if ... What do you infer? What do you expect in terms of changes in their
weight? The weight of the potato piece in Beaker A has increased, while
mung bean the weight of the potato piece in Beaker B has decreased. This happens
seeds are
because the cell membrane allows water to move in and out of the cell
kept in a
but not the sugar or salt molecules. Water moves from an area with more
concentrated
solution after water and less solute (dilute solution) to an area with less water and more
soaking in solute (concentrated solution) until the concentrations in the two areas
water for 12 become equal. This movement of water through a selectively permeable
hours? What membrane is called osmosis. You have learnt in Activities 7.8 Grade 8
will happen (dye spreading in water) and 7.9 (fragrance spreading in air) in Chapter
Curiosity
7
to them? Grade 8 that particles of matter intermix, due to a difference in
their concentrations, also called a concentration gradient. Diffusion is the
net movement of particles from a higher to a lower concentration (which
occurs even without a membrane). Osmosis is the diffusion of water across
a selectively permeable membrane. In plants, water from the soil enters
root cells by this process of osmosis.

What if ...
a cell is kept in salt or sugar solutions of different concentrations?

Solute concentration of extracellular

medium = Solute concentration of intracellular Isotonic
medium — Isotonic solution
solution

Solute concentration of extracellular

medium < Solute concentration of intracellular Hypotonic
medium — Hypotonic solution
solution

Solute concentration of extracellular

medium > Solute concentration of intracellular Hypertonic
medium — Hypertonic solution
solution

Fig. 2.6: Effect of solutions of different concentrations on a cell

Structurally, the cell membrane is

Various types of extremely thin, about 7 to 10 nanometres
proteins (nm) thick (1 nanometre = 0.000001 mm). It
is made up of lipids (fats) and proteins. The
fluid-mosaic model explains its structure
(Fig. 2.7) :
Lipid
bilayer y The membrane has a lipid bilayer (two
layers of special fat molecules with
water attracting heads outwards and
Fig. 2.7: Structure of a cell membrane water repelling tails inwards) with
proteins embedded in them.
y The molecules can move sideways, flip and rotate within the membrane.
Hence, it is fluid.
y Proteins in the membrane act like gatekeepers in helping substances
pass through.
12 Exploration|Grade 9

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