The Cell

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Why are cells so small?

Why cant they be as huge as an hippo?

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What limits cell size?

Surface to volume ratio

as cell gets bigger its volume increases

faster than its surface area
PROBLEMS!!!

What cell organelle governs this?

Why is a huge
single-celled
creature not
possible?
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6:1

2005-2006 6:1
~1:1

Limits to cell size

Metabolic requirements set upper limit

As cells get larger, moving material in & out of

cell fast enough to support life is difficult

What process is this?

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CO2

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NH3

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2005-2006

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Whats the solution?

How to get bigger? DIVIDE!

Become multi-cellular
But what challenges do you have to solve now?
CO2

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O2

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CO2

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AP Biology

NH3
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O2

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2005-2006

Cell characteristics
All cells have:
plasma membrane
have cytosol (watery part)

cytoplasm = cytosol + organelles

chromosomes in the form of DNA

Ribosomes

WHAT TYPES OF CELLS ARE THERE?

What about viruses?
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Types of cells

Prokaryote
bacteria cells
- no organelles

- organelles

Eukaryote
animal cells
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Eukaryote
plant cells

Types of cells
Prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cells
Prokaryotic cell
DNA in nucleoid
region
no nucleus
Cell wall present in
all (type differs)
Ribosomes

Eukaryotic cell
Nucleus present with
DNA,
Cell walls present in
fungi and plants only
Membrane bound
organelles present
MORE COMPLEX!

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The prokaryotic cell is much simpler in structure, lacking a nucleus and

the other
2005-2006
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membrane-enclosed
organelles of the eukaryotic cell.

Why have organelles?

Specialized structures

specialized functions

mitochondria

Ex: cilia or flagella for locomotion

Containers

partition cell into compartments

create different local environments

chloroplast

separate pH, or concentration of materials

distinct & incompatible functions

lysosome & its digestive enzymes

Membranes as sites for chemical reactions

unique combinations of lipids & proteins

embedded enzymes & reaction centers

Golgi

chloroplasts & mitochondria

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ER

Cells gotta work to live!

What jobs do cells have to do?

make proteins
proteins control every

cell function

make energy
for daily life
for growth

make more cells

growth
repair
renewal

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Building Proteins
Organelles involved
nucleus
ribosomes
endoplasmic reticulum
(ER)
Golgi apparatus
vesicles

The Protein Assembly Line

nucleus
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ribosome

ER

Golgi
apparatus

vesicles

Nucleolus
Function

ribosome production
build ribosome subunits from rRNA & proteins

large subunit

small
subunit

rRNA &
proteins

ribosome
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nucleolus

Ribosomes make proteins

Free ribosomes

in cytosol
Proteins for INSIDE cell

Bound ribosomes

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attached to endoplasmic
reticulum
Proteins for OUTSIDE
cell

membrane proteins

Rough ER function
Finalize protein formation (protein folding = 2 nd, 3rd etc.)

protein secreting cells will have lots of RER

packaged into transport vesicles to golgi

Which cells
have lot of
rough ER?

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Golgi Apparatus

Function

finishes, sorts, tags & ships cell products

like UPS shipping department

Which cells
have lots
of Golgi?

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ships products in vesicles

membrane sacs
UPS trucks

secretory
vesicles

transport vesicles

Putting it together
nucleus
nuclear pore

Making proteins

cell
membrane

protein secreted

rough ER

ribosome

vesicle

proteins

smooth ER
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transport
vesicle

cytoplasm

Golgi
apparatus

Smooth ER function
Membrane production
Many metabolic processes

synthesis
synthesize lipids
oils, phospholipids, steroids & sex hormones

hydrolysis
hydrolyze glycogen into glucose
in liver
detoxify drugs & poisons
in liver
ex. alcohol & barbiturates

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Where
old organelles
go to die!

Lysosomes
Function

little stomach of the cell

digests macromolecules

clean up crew of the cell

cleans up broken down

organelles

Structure

vesicles of digestive
enzymes

synthesized by rER,
transferred
to Golgi
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only in
animal cells

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When cells need to die

Lysosomes can be used to kill cells when
they are supposed to be destroyed

apoptosis
auto-destruct process
lysosomes break open & kill cell
ex: tadpole tail gets re-absorbed

when it turns into a frog

ex: loss of webbing between your
fingers during fetal development

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Fetal development

syndactyly

6 weeks

15 weeks

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Vacuoles & vesicles

Function

little transfer ships

Food vacuoles
phagocytosis, fuse with lysosomes
Contractile vacuoles

in freshwater protists, pump excess H2O

out of cell

Central vacuoles
in many mature plant cells

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Vacuoles in plants
Functions

storage
stockpiling proteins or inorganic ions
depositing metabolic byproducts
storing pigments
storing defensive
compounds against
herbivores
selective membrane
control what comes

in or goes out
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Making Energy
Cells must convert incoming energy to
forms that they can use for work

mitochondria:
from glucose to ATP

ATP

Cellular Respiration

chloroplasts:
from sunlight to ATP & carbohydrates
Photosynthesis

ATP
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Mitochondria & Chloroplasts

How are they similar?

transform energy
generate ATP

double membranes
semi-autonomous organelles

move, change shape, divide

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internal ribosomes, DNA & enzymes

Mitochondria
Almost all eukaryotic cells have mitochondria
Even PLANT CELLS!!!

# of mitochondria is correlated with aerobic

metabolic activity
more activity = more energy

needed = more mitochondria

What cells would

have a lot of
mitochondria?

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Plastids
Different Types:

amyloplasts
store starch in roots & tubers

chromoplasts
store pigments for fruits & flowers

chloroplasts
store chlorophyll & function
in photosynthesis
in leaves, other green
structures of plants &
in eukaryotic algae

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Review: How are Mito and

Chloro different?

Not part of endomembrane system

Grow & reproduce
Own ribosomes
Own circular chromosome

directs synthesis of proteins produced by own

internal ribosomes

Who else has a circular chromosome not

bound within a nucleus?
BACTERIA
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Endosymbiosis theory 1981

Mitochondria & chloroplasts were once
free living bacteria

engulfed by ancestral eukaryote

Endosymbiont

cell that lives within another cell (host)

mutualistic relationship
evolutionary advantage

for both
one supplies energy
the other supplies raw materials
& protection
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Lynn Margulis
U of M, Amherst

Endosymbiosis theory
Evolution of eukaryotes

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Putting it all together, try labeling..

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animal cells

plant cells

Any Questions??

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2007-2008