CELLS

Our body is made up of cells. Whenever we look at our hand or at a drop of blood, we're looking at
millions of cells packed tightly together. But on their own, most cells are too tiny to see. In all, we have 50
trillion to 100 trillion cells in your body.
Scientists observe and study the living cells with the help of microscopes which magnify objects.

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Cells were first observed by Robert Hooke in 1665. He observed the cork cells, which were in fact
the dead cells, using the microscope available at that time. Now, with advancement in technology and
development of more sophisticated microscope such as electron microscope one can see the most intricate
details of even the various components of the living cells, not just the cells!

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Cells are basic structural units in the living organisms.

All living organisms are made up of one or more cells, and all cells arise from other, pre-existing cells.
In the living world, organisms differ from one another but all are made up of cells.

A cell is a tiny living unit with its own protective skin. Inside, a cell has several parts, called
organelles, which help it to work. The cells that make up our body are working all the time to keep us alive.
They make body chemicals, carry messages, and help us to think, move, eat and breathe.
Our cells make chemicals called proteins, which help to make either new cells or are used to do
different jobs in our body.
Proteins are made up of simpler chemicals called amino acids. By combining amino acids in
different ways, your cells can make thousands of different kinds of proteins.
Unicellular and Multi-cellular Organism:
Some organisms are made up of a single cell, and the others, most of them in fact, are made of more
than one cell. The single-celled organisms are called unicellular (uni: one; cellular: cell) organisms. For
example Amoeba and Paramecium single-celled organism. The others are called multicellular (multi: many;
cellular: cell) organisms.
The number of cells being less in smaller organisms does not, in any way, affect the functioning of
the organisms. An organism with billions of cells in fact begins life as a single cell, which is the fertilised
egg. The fertilised egg cell then multiplies and the number of cells increase as development proceeds.
A single-celled organism performs all the necessary functions that multicellular organisms perform.

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A single-celled organism, like amoeba, captures and digests food, respires, excretes, grows and
reproduces. Similar functions in multicellular organisms are carried out by groups of specialised cells
forming different tissues. Tissues, in turn, form organs.
Size of Cells:
Cells vary in shapes and sizes. The size of cells in living organisms may be as small as a millionth
of a metre (micrometre or micron) or may be as large as a few centimetres. However, most of the cells are
microscopic in size and are not visible to the unaided eye.
The egg of a hen represents a single cell and is big enough to be seen by the unaided eye. Inside the
egg of a hen white material surrounds the yellow part. White material is albumin which solidifies on boiling.
The yellow part is yolk which is also a part of the single cell.

The smallest cell is 0.1 to 0.5 micrometre in bacteria. The largest cell measuring 17cm 13cm, is
the egg of an ostrich.
The size of the cells has no relation with the size of the body of the animal or plant. It is not necessary
that the cells in the elephant be much bigger than those in a rat. The size of the cell is related to its function.
For example, nerve cells, both in the elephant and rat, are long and branched. They perform the same
function transferring the messages.

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Shape of Cells:
Components of the cell are enclosed in a membrane. This membrane provides shape to the cells of
the plants and the animals.

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Cell wall is an additional covering over the cell membrane in plant cells. It gives shape and rigidity
to the plant cells.
Bacterial cell also has a cell wall.

And yet the shape Amoeba, a single-celled organism, looks irregular. It has no definite shape, unlike
other organisms. It keeps on changing its shape. There are projections of varying lengths protruding out of
its body. These are called pseudopodia (pseudo: false; podia: feet). These projections appear and disappear
as Amoeba moves or feeds. The changing shape of Amoeba is due to formation of pseudopodia which
facilitates movement and help in capturing food.
A white blood cell (WBC) in human blood is another example of a single cell which can change its shape.
But while WBC is a cell, amoeba is a full-fledged organism capable of independent existence.
Generally, cells are round, spherical or elongated. For instance, red blood cells (RBC) in our body
are spherical in shape, like a flattened ball. Some cells are long and pointed at both ends, and exhibit spindle
shape. For example, muscle cells in us have spindle shape. Some cells are quite long and branched like the
nerve cell (called neuron). The nerve cell receives and transfers messages, thereby helping to control and
coordinate the working of different parts of the body.
The different shapes of the cells are related to their specific functions.

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Cell Structure and Function:

Our body contains hundreds of different types of cells that do different jobs. For example, red blood
cells (RBC) carry oxygen around our body. Nerve cells carry messages around our brain, and to and from
other parts of your body.

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Cells of the same type, performing specific function, usually group together to form tissue. Fat,
muscle, bone, and nerves are types of tissue. Blood is a liquid tissue. Tissues combine together to form
organs, and organs combine together to form our body system.
Our body parts work together in groups called body systems. We have ten main body systems
altogether, all intertwined with each other. These include, among others, skeleton system, nervous system,
muscular system, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system etc.
These together make our body an amazing machine. All systems, dozens of different organs, and
trillions of cells are working together to keep us alive, even though we rarely think about it.

Looking in reverse order, evidently, the most basic unit of any organism is the cell, the smallest unit
of life that can function independently and perform all the necessary functions of life, including reproducing
itself.
Parts of the Cell:
The cell has three basic parts: (i) the cell membrane, (ii) the cytoplasm which contains smaller
components called organelles, and (iii) the nucleus.

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Cell Membrane
The cytoplasm and the nucleus are enclosed within the cell membrane (also called the plasma
membrane). The membrane separates cells from one another and also the cell from the surrounding
medium. The plasma membrane is porous and allows the movement of substances or materials both inward
and outward.

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In addition to the cell-membrane, there is an outer thick layer in cells of plants called cell wall. This
additional layer surrounding the cell membrane is required by the plants for protection. Plant cells need
protection against variations in temperature, high wind speed, atmospheric moisture, etc. They are exposed
to these variations because they cannot move.
A cell wall is absent in animal cells.

Cytoplasm
It is the jelly-like substance present between the cell-membrane and the nucleus. Various other
components, called organelles (mitochondria, golgi complex, ribosomes, etc.), of cells are present in the
cytoplasm.
Nucleus
It is spherical, dense body located in the centre of the cell. It is an important component of the living
cell. For, it acts as control centre of the activities of the cell.
Nucleus is separated from the cytoplasm by a membrane called the nuclear membrane. This membrane is
also porous and allows the movement of materials between the cytoplasm and the inside of the nucleus.

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Nucleus also play significant role in inheritance of characteristics (transfer of characteristics from
the parents to the offspring) in an organism. It contains thread-like structures called chromosomes. These
carry genes. Gene is a unit of inheritance in living organisms. It controls the transfer of a hereditary
characteristic from parents to offspring. For example, if any of the parents has brown eyes the offspring
may also have brown eyes. If parent has curly hair, then offspring might also have curly hair. The different
combination of genes from parents result in different characteristics.
The chromosomes can be seen only when the cell divides.

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The nucleus of the bacterial cell is not well organised like the cells of multicellular organisms. There
is no nuclear membrane.
The cells having nuclear material without nuclear membrane are termed prokaryotic cells. The
organisms with these kinds of cells are called prokaryotes (pro: primitive; karyon: nucleus). Examples are
bacteria and blue green algae.
The cells having well organised nucleus with a nuclear membrane are called as eukaryotic cells. All
organisms other than bacteria and blue green algae are called eukaryotes. (eu :true; karyon: nucleus).

The entire content of a living cell is known as protoplasm. It includes the cytoplasm and the nucleus.
Protoplasm is thus called the living substance of the cell.
Other parts
There are blank (empty)-looking structures in the cytoplasm. It is called vacuole.
Large vacuoles are common in the plant cells, whereas these are much smaller in the animal cells.
These act as storage sacs for solid or liquid contents of the cells.

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Comparison of Plant and Animal Cells:

Part
1. Cell membrane
2. Cell wall
3. Nucleus
4. Nuclear membrane
5. Cytoplasm
6. Plastids
7. Vacuole

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Besides, there are several small coloured substances scattered in the cytoplasm of the plant cells.
These are called plastids. They are of different colours. Some of them contain green pigment called
chlorophyll. Green coloured plastids are called chloroplasts. They provide green colour to the leaves.
Chlorophyll, in the chloroplasts of leaves, is essential for photosynthesis (process by with the plants prepare
their food by using atmospheric carbon dioxide and sun-light).

Plant Cell
Present
Present
Present
Present
Present
Present
Present

Animal Cell
Present
Absent
Present
Present
Present
Absent
Present

Comparison between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells:

Prokaryotic cells are very small (1 to 10 micro-metre or so) whereas eukaryotic cells are generally
very large (5 to 100 micro-metre).
In prokaryotic cells a well-defined nuclear region is lacking. Its nuclear material contains only
nucleic acids and is called nucleoid. In eukaryotic cell there exist a well-defined nuclear region surrounded
by a nuclear membrane.
The nucleus of prokaryotic cells have just one chromosome whereas that of eukaryotic cells have
more than one chromosome.
In prokaryotic cells membrane bound cell organelles are absent, whereas in eukaryotic cells these
membrane bound cell organelles are present.

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QUESTIONS:
1) Make a sketch of the human nerve cell. What function do nerve cells perform?
2) Write short notes on the following:
(a) Cytoplasm, (b) Nucleus of a cell, (c) Plastid
3) Which part of the cell contains organelles?
4) Make sketches of animal and plant cells. State three differences between them.
5) State the difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
6) Where are chromosomes found in a cell? State their function.
7) Cells are the basic structural units of living organisms. Explain.
8) Plasma membranes are the gatekeepers of the cell. Explain.
9) Explain why chloroplasts are found only in plant cells?
10) Why do plant cells have cell wall? What would happen if animal cells were also to have cell walls?