CELL

Do you think you will want to eat this cake?

Cell
 Cells are the basic units of living organisms.
 Membrane-bound compartments filled with a concentrated
solution of chemicals & biological compounds.
 Can be divided into:
 Unicellular – organism composed of a single cell (eg:
bacteria)
 Multicellular – organism composed of more than one cell
(eg: fungi, plant, animal) Human has ~37 trillion cells!
Cell
 Classification of organism by cell structure:
 Prokaryotes
 Eukaryotes
Prokaryotes
 Pro=before,
karyon=nucleus
 They do not have a
membrane bound nucleus
 Their DNA is not enclosed
within a nuclear membrane
(nucleoid (nucleus-like))
 Devoid of membranous
organelle
Eukaryotes
 Eu=true, karyon=nucleus
 They have a membrane-bound nucleus
 Contain an array of membranous and membrane-bound
organelles
Animal cell
Plant cell
Basic Properties of Cells
 Cell are highly complex and organized
 Cells posses a genetic program and the means to
use it
 Cells are capable of producing more of themselves
 Cells acquire and utilise energy
 Cells carry out a variety of chemical reactions
 Cells engage in numerous mechanical activities
 Cells are able to respond to stimuli
 Cells are capable of self-regulation
An overview of cell organelles
Cell membrane @ Plasma membrane
 Plasma membrane is the outer boundary
of the cell and serves as a partition
between the cell and its environment.
 The plasma membrane (and the various
internal membranes) consist of a double
layer (bilayer) of phospholipids with
proteins that either attached to @
embedded in it.
 Each phospholipid molecules consists of
hydrophobic tails and a hydrophilic head
 amphipathic molecule.
 The plasma membrane also has
carbohydrates attached to its outer
surface.
Cell membrane (cont.)
Functions:
1. Serve as a partition between the cell and its environment.
2. Selectively permeable – only allows specific molecules
and sufficient O2, nutrients and wastes go through it.
Mitochondria
 Membrane-bounded spherical @
rod shaped organelles.
 The mitochondria is surrounded by
2 membranes: inner & outer
mitochondrial membranes.
 Mitochondria contain their own
DNA & ribosomes and can
therefore code for & synthesise
their own proteins.
 Infoldings of the inner mitochondrial
membrane are called cristae.
 Inside of mitochondria is filled with
semifluid called matrix.
Mitochondria (cont.)
Function:
 Produce energy (ATP) by oxidation of sugar and other
cellular ‘fuel’ molecules occur within the mitochondria.
 Kreb cycle & fat oxidation enzymes localised in matrix.
 Intermediates involved in the transport of electron to O2
(ATP generation) are located in/on the cristae.
Chloroplast
 Like mitochondria, chloroplasts are surrounded by the both an inner
and an outer membrane.
 In addition, they have a third membrane system consisting of flattened
sacs called thylakoids.
 Thylakoids are stacked together to form the grana (s: granum).
 Semifluid that fills the interior of the chloroplast is called stroma.
 Found in higher plant & eukaryotic algae.
Chloroplast (cont.)
Function:
 Where photosynthesis happens
 Most enzymes, intermediates and pigments (light-
absorbing molecules) required to ‘fix’ carbon from CO2 into
organic form and convert its reductivity into sugars are
located within the semifluid stroma.
 The reaction that depends directly on solar energy are
localized in/on the thylakoid membrane system.
 Endoplasmic reticulum
 Endoplasmic = within the
cytoplasm
 Reticulum = network
 Somehow it is like a plumbing
system
 ER consists of a network of
membranous tubules and sacs
called cisternae.
 ER can be either rough @ smooth:
 rough ER – contains ribosomes
 smooth ER – has no ribosomes
Endoplasmic reticulum (cont.)
Functions:
a. Rough ER: Ribosomes on rough ER actively synthesise proteins.
 Most of these proteins are transported into or across the membrane
as they are synthesized, within either the membrane or the lumen of
the ER.
 Secretory proteins & membrane proteins are made by ribosomes on
the rough ER.
b. The smooth ER of various cell types functions in diverse metabolic
processes, including synthesis of lipids (phospholipids & steroids),
metabolism of carbohydrate and detoxification of drugs and poisons.
 Golgi apparatus
 The golgi complex consist of flattened, disk-like, membranous cisternae.
 The cisternae are arranged in an orderly stack and curved so as to resemble a
shallow bowl.
 Typically, a golgi stack contains < 8 cisternae, but some cells contain > 100
cisternae.
 The golgi complex is divided into:
 cis golgi network (closes to ER)
 trans golgi (exit of golgi)
 bulk of golgi complex –
cis, medial, trans cisternae

Golgi cont.
Golgi apparatus (cont.)
Functions:
1. As a center of manufacturing, warehousing,
sorting and shipping products of the ER
2. Synthesis of polysaccharide (eg: hyaluronic acid)
3. Packages proteins into membrane-bound
vesicles, and prepare them for transport
Lysosomes
 Known also as “garbage collector” or
“recycling centers”
 Digest worn out or damaged cell
parts.
 Lysosome is surrounded by a single
membrane.
 Lysosome contain hydrolytic enzymes
that the cell uses to digest
macromolecules.
 Lysosomal enzymes can hydrolyze
proteins, polysaccharides, fats &
nucleic acids.
 Lysosome provides a space where
the cell can digest macromolecules
safely.
Vacuoles
 Vacuoles are membrane-
bounded sacs within the cell.
 Mature plant cells generally
contain a large central
vacuole (water vacuole)
enclosed by a membrane
called the tonoplast.

Vacuoles cont.
Vacuoles (cont.)
Functions:
 1) Food vacuoles (protozoans/amoeba) – temporary food
storage
 2) Plant cell vacuole
 store organic & inorganic compounds.
 dispose metabolic by-products.
 contain the pigment that color the cells.
 contain poison to protect the plant from predators.
 play a role in the growth of plant cells.
 contractile vacuoles (in fresh water protists, vacuoles pump
excess water out of the cell).

What about animal cells? Do you think it has vacuole too?

peroxisomes
 Peroxisomes
 Is a specialized metabolic compartment
bounded by a single membrane.
 It contain enzymes that transfer H2 from
various substrates to O2 to produce H2O2
as a by-product.
Functions:
 Use O2 to break fatty acid into smaller
molecules that are transported to
mitochondria as fuel for cellular respiration
 In the liver, peroxisomes detoxify alcohol and
toxic by transferring H2 from these
substances to O2.
 In plant seeds, peroxisomes (glyoxysomes)
convert fatty acid to sugar which can be used
as an energy & carbon source for growth.
 H2O2 is toxic, but peroxisomes contains an
enzymes that converts H2O2 to H2O

ribosomes
Ribosomes
 Ribosomes is not bounded by a membrane (perhaps not be
considered as true organelle).
 Ribosomes are found in both eukaryotes & prokaryotes cell.
 A ribosome consists of 2 subunits differing in size, shape &
composition  large and small subunit:
big (joins aa together) small (reads RNA)
Eukaryotes 60S 40S 80S
Prokaryotes 50S 30S 70S
(S = sedimentation coefficients, Svedberg)
Ribosomes (cont.)
 In both eukaryotes & prokaryotes, ribosomal subunits are
synthesized and assembled separately in the cell but come together
to synthesize protein.
 Ribosomes build proteins in 2 locations:
 Free ribosomes – in cytosol
 Bound ribosomes – attach to ER
 Ribosomes can also be found in chloroplasts & mitochondria.
Functions:
 Protein remain in the cytosol are synthesized by free ribosomes.
 Bound ribosomes generally make proteins that are destined either for
inclusion into membrane, for packaging within organelles @ export
from the cell.
Many thanks!