Notes by Nat L.

- UNSW

BABS1201
Cells and Life:
Cells - Building blocks of Life:
Characteristics that make up life!
What is life?
Reproduction
Growth and development
Metabolism
Adaptation and response to stimuli
Organisation
Reproduction:
All living things produce offspring that are similar to parents
Off-springs are similar to the parents - not identical?
Asexual reproduction is reproducing without the aid of another, it is using binary fission - you
reproduce identically, does not do a lot for genetic diversity. Affects ability to survive
Sexual reproduction - two cells from different individuals unite to form the first cell of a new
organism. Increases chances of favourable outcome of the offspring. Mitosis, one cell divide
into two - it's not binary fission.
Growth and Development:
Growth is where you go from small size to bigger size
Development is the change in form during an organism's lifetime - cells has differentiated
This is a characteristic of complex life
There is a genetic code that allows for death for new growth
Metabolism:
Set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms to maintain life
The processes allow growth and reproduction and maintain their structure and function
(homeostasis) and respond to their environment
To grow and reproduce takes energy
Homeostasis is very important - it's maintaining stability, maintaining a stable state. For cells
they have an active process to keep things in and out and methods for importing and
exporting molecules. They have methods to maintain their ionic concentration. We also have
methods to restores them.
Metabolism can be divided in two different categories.
Catabolism - breaking down organic matter into smaller molecules, releasing energy - because
there's energy stored in the bonds. We access the energy by breaking it apart.
Anabolism - uses energy to construct components of cells. We do it to store energy so we have
energy for the day etc. We may break food down and then rearrange it - e.g. Fats/lipids.
Carbohydrates can also be used as a storage reservoir, however it uses a lot of water unlike
fat. There's also glycogen stores in the liver which can be used.
There's a molecule in the body which is the molecule that is used to store energy and easily
transported. It is stable, easily transported and easily accessed - used for most things in body.
This is immediate use - longer term storage then use fats
Autotrophs: plants obtain energy through a process known as photosynthesis.
Heterotrophs: We get our food from other organisms, we have an absolute requirement of
other organisms.

Notes by Nat L. - UNSW

Adaption and Response to Stimuli:

Positive Response: causes the organism to move towards the stimulus. Even microorganisms
have a response to stimuli (even microorganisms singled cell ones). Characteristic of all life.
Negative Response: Causes the organism to move away from the stimuli. Better at this is
better adapted, to produce more off-springs.
Adaption: The ability to change over time in response to the environment. This ability is
fundamental to the process of evolution and is determined by an organism's heredity, diet and
external factors.
Organisation:
They will expend energy to get organised
Living organisms have organised themselves into cells
Just the right shape - surface area to volume ratio to properly transport substances
There's energy producing sections, a 'brain' section etc
Unicellular: organism exists as a single cell. Cilia allows movement. They can actually aggregate
together. Biofilms are what these are called.
Multicellular: Composed of many cells and have the capacity to have specialised functions in
different cells. The whole organism can therefore work together cooperatively.
Cell theory: all life forms are made from cells, cells only arise from pre-existing cells. The cell is
the smallest form of life.
What is a Cell?
It has a membrane to keep things in an out
Cytoplasm the mushy bit inside - and in there it needs to have a ribosome (protein
manufacturing organelle). It must contain genetic material.
Viruses:
Not cells
They are just DNA/RNA surrounded by protein. Dependant on host cell's functions for protein
synthesis
They cant replicate and grow on their own
Classification:
Three domains of life
Bacteria, Archae, Eukarya - by using their RNA to classify
Inner Parts of cells:
cytoskeleton
Actin filaments in cells help organise cells so it has structure to move things through?
Cells - Building blocks of life
Three domains of life bacteria, archaea and eukarya. Bacteria and archaea are prokaryotes.
Pro = before
Karyone = nut or kernal
Before the nut is probably evolved first hence the name
Prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea:
No defined nucleus - but they have a nucleoid region, where the DNA is compressed and pact
together. DNA organised in big circle and folded up, confined to restricted region called the
nucleoid region - nothing to keep it/ barrier it to the cytoplasm

Notes by Nat L. - UNSW

Cytoplasm is a gel-like substance that is 80% water and contains salt, minerals, and organic
compounds. Most of the reaction occurs throughout the cytoplasm
Ribosomes: are responsible for protein synthesis. Are composed of protein and RNA, no
membrane protecting it. Not a membrane bound organelle.
Plasma membrane: prevents leakage (prevents like ions moving out etc.). They have pores that
serves as gateways for transport and are quite selective. Proteins involved in transport,
generation of energy and chemotaxis. Energy generated in the cell. They have a mechanism to
generate energy in the plasma membrane (prokaryotes).
Cell wall: is made of peptidoglycan (complex carbohydrate). It provides strength and structure
for the shell. It is relatively porous (doesn't regulate what comes in and out) and it is a good
target for antibiotics.
Pili (and fimbrae): short = fimbrae and long = pili. They are the hairs on the cells that allows
attachment to surfaces, and other bacteria. It also allows transfer of genetic information. They
transfer plasmids (their genetic info) via these structures. They share antibiotic resistant
genes.
Flagellum: the tail which allows motility (movement). Not all of them have one.
Capsule: a polysaccharide coat that protects the bacteria from dessication , viruses and
engulfment by white blood cells. White blood cells don't really recognise them as foreign
because of the capsule.
Prokaryotes are most numerous on the planet. Very wide range of metabolic diversity

Eukaryotes:
Human body has 10^13 cells
There are between 10-20 times more bacteria in and on the human body than there are
human cells.
What do they need to do?
They need to reproduce, respire, communicate, respond to stimuli, grow and age, obtain and
use energy, excrete waste.
Cells are specialised as they are in multi cellular organisms.
Nucleus: The "brains" of the cell
It has a membrane around the DNA
Has pores to allow transport of molecules
The nucleolus is inside the nucleus. The nucleolus is the site of ribosomal RNA transcription
Ribosomes:
It is non membrane bound and occurs in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes
Is the site of protein synthesis - the protein synthesis factory
The molecular machines that convert the genetic information carried by messenger RNA into
proteins
They are located on the endoplasmic reticulum -> the rough endoplasmic reticulum
It's rough because they have ribosomes on it
Edomembrane System:
Series of organelles responsible for modifying protein chains into their final form, synthesising
lipids, and packaging fully modified proteins and lipids into vesicles for export or use in the
cell.
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum:
There is a rough and there is a smooth this is rough because of ribosomes

Notes by Nat L. - UNSW