Cell Biology
Cell components
1st Year Clinical Program
Tarek Dishisha
PhD
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Cell Components
Prokaryotic cell Eukaryotic cell (animal cell)
Eukaryotic cell (Plant cell)
Organization of cells
Eukaryotic cells contain well defined cellular
organelles such as:
• Nucleus
• Mitochondria
• Endoplasmic reticulum
• Golgi apparatus
• Peroxisomes
• Lysosomes
Mitochondria
• Appears as rods, spheres or filamentous
bodies.
• Size: 0.5 µm - 1 µm in diameter & up to 7 µm
in length.
Mitochondria
Features:
• Mitochondria has an
inner membrane and
an outer membrane
with intermembranous
space.
• Inner membrane
convolutes يلتفinto
cristae عرفand this
increases its surface
area.
Mitochondria
Both the membranes have different appearance
and biochemical functions:
Outer membrane:
• It is permeable to most ions and molecules
which can move from the cytosol to
intermembranous space.
Mitochondria
Inner membrane:
• It surrounds the matrix.
• Location for electron transport system
• Location for enzyme complexes
• Complex V i.e. ATP synthase complex.
• Complex II i.e. succinate dehydrogenase
• It is impermeable to most ions and molecules
including H, Na, ATP, GTP, CTP etc and also to
large molecules.
• For the transport special carriers are present e.g.
adenine nucleotide carrier(ATP –ADP transport).
Electron transport chain
Electron transport chain
Succinate dehydrogenase complex II - Krebs cycle
Mitochondria
Matrix contains:
• Enzymes of citric acid cycle, β-oxidation
of fatty acids, amino acids oxidation.
• Some enzymes of urea and heme-
synthesis.
• NAD, FAD, ADP, Pi
• Mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondria
• Mitochondrial cytochrome P450 system- it
causes:
– Hydroxylation of cholesterol to steroid hormones
(placenta, adrenal cortex, ovaries and testes)
– Bile acid synthesis (liver)
– Vitamin D formation (kidney)
• Mitochondria plays a key role in aging:
– Cytochrome C component of electron transport
chain plays a main role in cell death and
apoptosis.
Mitochondria
Mitochondria have a role in its own replication:
• They contain copies of circular DNA called
mitochondrial DNA, this DNA have
information for 13 mitochondrial proteins and
some RNAs. This is DNA inherited from
mothers.
• Most mitochondrial proteins are derived from
genes in nuclear DNA.
• Mutation rate in mtDNA is 10 times more.
Mitochondria
Mitochondrial Diseases:
• Fatal infantile mitochondrial myopathy اعتالل
عضليand renal dysfunction الفشل الكلوي
• MELAS (mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic
acidosis and stroke)
• Lebers hereditary optic neuropathy اعتالل
األعصاب البصرية
• Myoclonic epilepsy الصرع
• Ragged red fiber disease اعتالل عضلي
• Also implicated in: Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s , Cardiomyopathies and diabetes.
Endoplasmic Reticulum
• Network of interconnecting membranes in
Eukaryotic cytoplasm.
Endoplasmic Reticulum
It consists of
membranes with
smooth appearance in
some areas and rough
appearance in some
areas
• Smooth endoplasmic
reticulum SER
• Rough endoplasmic
reticulum RER
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
• Due to the presence of ribosomes which are
involved in the biosynthesis of proteins.
• These membranes enclose a lumen where
newly synthesized proteins are modified.
– Special proteins are present that are called
CHAPERONES. Theses proteins play a role in
proper folding of proteins.
– Protein glycosylation also occurs in ER.
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
• Involved in synthesis of cholesterol, steroid
hormones and lipids.
• Detoxification. The enzyme system involved in
detoxification is called Microsomal
Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase system
(xenobiotic metabolism).
• ER along with Golgi apparatus is involved in
the synthesis of other organelles – lysosomes
& Peroxisomes.
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
• Elongation of fatty acids e.g. Palmitic acid 16-
C and Stearic acid 18-C.
• Desaturation of fatty acids.
• Omega oxidation of fatty acids.
Golgi Apparatus
• Network of flattened smooth membranous
sacs- cisternae and vesicles.
Golgi Apparatus
• These are responsible for the secretion of
proteins from the cells (hormones, plasma
proteins, and digestive enzymes).
• It works in combination with ER.
• Enzymes in Golgi complex transfer
carbohydrate units to proteins to form of
glycoporoteins, this determines the ultimate
destination of proteins.
Golgi Apparatus
Golgi is the major site for the synthesis of new
membrane, lysosomes and peroxisomes.
It plays two major roles in the membrane
synthesis:
• It is involved in the processing of
oligosaccharide chains of the membranes (all
parts of the GA participates).
• It is involved in the sorting of various proteins
prior to their delivery(Trans Golgi network).
Lysosomes
• Responsible for the intracellular digestion of
both intra and extracellular substances
• They have a single membrane
• They have an acidic pH 5
• They have a group of enzymes (Hydrolases)
Lysosomes
Importance of lysosomes
• The enzyme content varies in different tissues according to
the requirement of tissues or the metabolic activity.
• Lysosomal membrane is impermeable and specific
translocators are required.
• Vesicles containing external material fuses with lysosomes,
form primary vesicles and then secondary vesicles or
digestive vacoules.
• Products of lysosomal digestion are released and reutilised.
• Indigestible material accumulates in the vesicles called
residual bodies and their material is removed by
exocytosis.
• Lysosomes are also involved in autophagy.
Lysosomes
Diseases (lysosomal storage diseases)
• In some genetic disease individual lysosomal
enzymes are missing and this lead to the
accumulation of that particular substance.
• Such lysosomes gets enlarged and they
interfere the normal function of the cell.
Peroxisomes
• Called Peroxisomes because of their ability to
produce or utilize H2O2.
• They are small, oval or spherical in shape.
• About 50 enzymes have been identified.
• Have role in the breakdown of lipids,
particularly long chain fatty acids
• Synthesis of isoprenoids, bile, glycerol ether
lipids, glycerolipids.
Peroxisomes
Biomedical importance (peroxisome)
• Oxidation of D-amino acids
• Oxidation of uric acid to allantoin (animals)
• Oxidation of Hydroxy acids which leads to the
formation of H2O2
• Contain catalase enzyme, which causes the
breakdown of H2O2
Non-functional peroxisomes
• Diseases associated: Most important disease is
Zellweger Syndrome. There is absence of
functional peroxisomes. This leads to the
accumulation of long chain fatty acids in the
brain, and defects of bile acid formation.