AHA Thesis

In the month of June, we began our unit on cell biology. We learned that prokaryotes
(made of prokaryotic cells) and eukaryotes (made of eukaryotic cells) are different in many
ways. After studying the two types of cells a for couple of days, we understood how plant cells
and animal cells are distinct from each other by looking what organelles the cells have. At last
but not least, we were informed that a cell has various parts, and these parts are very much
similar to a city and the objects and buildings in it.
To start off, one of the first topics that we analyzed was about prokaryotes and eukaryotes
and how they are diverse from each other. For example, the organisms that are considered
eukaryotes include protists, fungi, animals, and plants which are all multicellular, but the only
life forms that are prokaryotes are bacteria and Archaea which are single-celled. Along with
those organisms, prokaryotes are made up of prokaryotic cells, but eukaryotes are made up of
eukaryotic cells. These cells are also different from one another. As we can see, prokaryotic cells
lack a nucleus which means its DNA or genetic material just floats around in the cell. Compared
to a eukaryotic cell, the DNA is in the nucleus, and the nucleus also contains chromosomes
which are made of proteins and DNA. In addition, the eukaryotic cell has membrane-bound
organelles that the prokaryotic cell does not have. The parts include the mitochondrion, Golgi
apparatus, and the endoplasmic reticulum.
Moreover, plant and animal cells are both similar and different; for instance, the two cells
both have a plasma (cell) membrane, ribosomes, a vacuole, Golgi apparatus, cytoplasm, and the
endoplasmic reticulum. However, a plant cell has two organelles that make them unique. The
first part is called the cell wall which acts as a supporter of the cell. Animal cells do not have a
cell wall around them because the animal has bones that supports them. The second part is
termed chloroplasts; which is the site of photosynthesis. This is a process in which the plants
captures sunlight and turns it into food. Furthermore, there is a pigment called chlorophyll in
chloroplasts and it not only helps the chloroplasts capture sunlight, but it also gives plants their
green color.
Again, there are many organelles in cells, and they are similar to the buildings and
objects in a city. For example, the mitochondria in a cell is equivalent to the coal burning power
plants in a city. That power plant burns coal, uses it to produce electricity, and distributes the
electricity to people. Likewise, the mitochondria produces energy called cellular energy so the
cell could use it to power chemical reactions. Another reason why the cell is like a city is
because the vacuole in the cell is similar to a storage area. That organelle is used to store water,
enzymes, salts, and waste in the cell while a real life storage room would also contain items such
as water, salts, and waste. Additionally, the ribosomes of a cell is another reason why a cell is
similar to a city. Ribosomes are responsible for creating proteins in a cell so the cell could
function properly.
Lastly, the purpose of the cells unit is to let us comprehend more about them. I learned
that prokaryotes and eukaryotes vary from each other in several ways, and I studied the
relationship between plant and animal cells. More importantly, there are tiny structures in cells
called organelles, and they are the building blocks of a cell. All in all, I believe it is amazing how
scientists invented the electron microscope so they could see the inside of cells, but I still think
that there are more to cells that people haven’t discovered yet.