Cell structure
Cell structure and function
Cell structure and function
⚫ The plasma membrane (cell surface membrane) controls what enters and leaves the cell. Many membranes
within the cell help to make different compartments for different chemical reactions to take place.
⚫ The nucleus is surrounded by a pair of membranes, which make up the nuclear envelope. The nuclear envelope
has many small pores called nuclear pores which allow and control exchange between the nucleus and the
cytoplasm.
⚫ A darker area in the nucleus (no membrane) is called nucleolus: here new ribosomes are made, following a code
on part of the DNA.
⚫ Ribosomes are small structures made of rRNA and protein. They are found free in
the cytoplasm as well as on the Rough ER. Cytoplasmic ribosomes are 80S, while
those of bacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts are 70S.
⚫ ER comprises a network of tubules and flattened sacs enclosed by single
membranes. There are two types of ER: rough endoplasmic reticulum and
smooth endoplasmic reticulum
Cell structure and function
⚫ The Rough ER is network of membranes in the cytoplasm. .
RER looks like flattened sacs known as cistemae.
⚫ The Golgi body is a stack of flattened sacs. It processes and
midifies molecules ( e.g. addition of sugars to proteins and
lipids to make glycoproteins and glycolipids; enzymes that
make new cell walls during plant cell division;forming golgi
vesicles and primary lysosomes; removal of the first amino
acids)
1. Proteins are made by ribosomes on the Rough ER and are
pinched off into vesicles.
2. Vesicles containing the proteins fuse to the Golgi body, where
the proteins are modified.
3. Vesicles containing modified proteins break away from the
Golgi body.
4. Vesicles fuse with cell surface membrane, releasing the
proteins outside the cell by exocytosis.
⚫ Smooth ER:
1. making lipids and steroids;
2. a storage site for calcium ions.
3. breaking down of drugs in the liver
Cell structure and function
Lysosomes (diameter 0.1-0.5um) are spherical sacs, surrounded by a single
membrane and having no internal structure. They contain hydrolytic
enzymes(such as proteases, lipases and nucleases) and are used to digest
bacteria or other cells taken into the cell by phagocytosis, or to break down
unwanted or damaged organelles within the cell.
Mitochondria(diameter 1um) have an envelope (2 membranes) surrounding
them. The inner membrane is folded to form cristae which project into the
interior solution(matrix).
This is where aerobic respiration takes place, producing ATP. ATP then leaves
the mitochondrion and spreads to all parts of the cell where energy is needed.
Its energy is released by breaking the molecule down to ADP (adenosine
diphosphate). This is a hydrolysis reaction. And ADP can be converted into ATP
during respiration.
They contain small, circular DNA molecules and 70S ribosomes.
Centrioles and microtubules
Centrioles are found only in animal cells, not plant cells. They are made of tiny
structures called microtubules. The 2 centrioles lie close together and at right
angles to each other in a region known as the centrosomes. They act as
MTOCs for the assembly of the microtubules that make up the spindle during
cell division. They are also found at the bases of cilia and flagella.
Microtubules are tiny tubes that made of a protein called tubulin and found in
most eukaryotic cells. It have a large variety of functions, including:
➢ Help to form cytoskeleton, which keeps cell shape;
➢ Cell support
➢ Forming an intracellular transport system
➢ Making spindle and centrioles
➢ Forming an essential part of the mechanism involved in the beating
movements of cilia and flagella
Cilia and microvilli
Cilia: whip-like structures projecting from the surface of many animal cells and the cells of many unicellular organisms;
they beat, causing locomotion or the movement of fluid across the cell surface
Microvilli: small, finger-like extensions of a cell which increase the surface area of the cell for more efficient
absorption or secretion.
Chloroplasts and cell wall
Chloroplasts (3-10um) are surrounded by 2 membranes. They contain small, circular DNA molecules and 70S
ribosomes.
Their background material is called stroma, which contains many flattened membranes called thylakoids. In places,
the thylakoids form stacks called grana which contain chlorophyll. The first stage of photosynthesis(ATP produced),
called the light dependent reaction takes place on the grana. The second stage takes place in the stroma.
Plant cell walls are made of cellulose which gives a high tensile strength. Cell walls may be reinforced with extra
cellulose or with a hard material called lignin for extra strength.
Plant cells are linked to neighbouring cells by means of pores containing fine strands of cytoplasm. These structures
are called plasmodesmata. They allow the controlled passage of materials from one cell to the other
Large permanent vacuole
Plant cells typically have a large central vacuole. The plant vacuole is surrounded by a membrane, called tonoplast.
The functions of vacuole including:
➢ Support
➢ Contain Secondary metabolites: pigments of flowers and some vegetables; certain alkaloids and tannins deter
herbivores from eating the plant; latex
➢ contain hydrolases
➢ Store food reserves and waste products
➢ Osmotic uptake of water into the vacuole is responsible for most of the increase in volume of plant cells during
growth.
Prokaryotic cell
Viruses
Viruses(20-300nm) are consist of a self-replicating molecule
of DNA or RNA which acts as its genetic code and a
protective coat of protein molecules called capsid. Some
viruses have an outer envelope made of phospholipids
Microscopy
Magnification is the number of times greater that an image is than the actual object.
Resolution is the ability to distinguish between two objects very close together; the higher the resolution of an
image, the greater the detail that can be seen. The maximum resolution of a light microscope is 200nm.
Electron micrographs
Microscopy