Cellular Basis of Life

Introduction

Cell is the fundamental structural unit of all

living organisms. It can either be :

a complete organism
a special components of multi cellular
organism
 Methods of Cell Study

Microscopy - study of cell through the use

of microscopes.
Cell Culture - study of cells through use
of culture media such agar-agar
Ultra centrifugation or fractionation - a
study of cells through the use of the
different components of cells having
different densities
 Compound Microscope

Uses two lenses, an objective lens and

an ocular lens, mounted at opposite ends of
a closed tube, to provide greater
magnification than is possible with a single
lens. It is the most commonly used
microscope in classroom work.
 Parts of the Compound
Microscope
Mechanical Parts – these consist of certain
precise parts chiefly of metal to supports
and adjust the optical parts.
• Base, heavy Y-shaped foot on precise parts
chiefly metal to support and adjust the
optical parts which the microscope stands.
• pillar, short supporting piece arising from
the base
 Parts of the Compound
Microscope
• arm, short curved handle used in carrying
the microscope
• inclination joint, joint between the pillar
and arm used to tilt the upper parts
• Body tube, attached to the arm; bears the
lenses
• Draw tube, upper portion of the body tube
which bears the upper lenses
 Parts of the Compound
Microscope
• Rotating nose piece, revolving structure
at the lower end of the body tube which
bears the lower lenses.
• Dust shield, metallic structure above the
nosepiece which protects the lower lenses
• Coarse adjustment screw, knob that
geared to the body tube used to bring the
object into focus
 Parts of the Compound
Microscope
• Fine adjustment screw, knob below the
coarse adjustment screw, used for more
delicate focusing
• Stage, platform with a central aperture and
two clips to hold the slide being studied
• Mechanical stage, mechanism attached to
the stage for ease moving the slide
 Parts of the Compound
Microscope
Optical Parts – these consist principally of
special types of carefully ground and
polished glass4s aligned on an optical axis
for the enlargement of the image of the
object under study.
• Mirror, found below the stage with concave
and flat surface to gather and direct the light
to illuminate the object
 Parts of the Compound
Microscope
• Iris diaphragm, found above the mirror
consisting of several metal blades which
form a circular opening that may be
enlarged or reduced to control the amount
of light reaching the object.
• Condenser, found immediately beneath the
stage; serves further to concentrate the light
rays on the specimen. The iris diaphragm
and the condenser constitute the substage.
 Parts of the Compound
Microscope
• Low power objective, shorter lens
screwed to the rotating nosepiece; serves to
form the image of the object within the body
tube.
• High power objective, longer lens
screwed to the rotating nosepiece; serves to
form a bigger image of the object within the
body tube.
• Ocular, found in the draw tube used for
further magnification of the image.
 Two Types of Cell

 Prokaryotic cells – these are cells

without a true nucleus. the prokaryotes
include the mycoplasmas, bacteria, and
cyanobacteria.

 Eukaryotic Cells – these are cells with

a true nucleus. The eukaryotes comprise
all plant and animal cells.
 Cell Structure

Two Regions of the Cell

cell membrane
 cytosome
• cytoplasm
• nucleus
 Cell Membrane

It is a thin limiting membrane that encloses the

cell, defining the boundaries between extracellular
and intracellular spaces. The plasma membrane (PM),
a continuous double-layer of phospholipid molecules
75 to 100 angstroms thick, constitutes the boundary
between the cell and its external environment.
 Functions of Plasma
Membrane
Responsible in exchange of mineral ions and small
nutrient molecules such as proteins.
Participates in the exchange of larger molecules
through phagocytosis, endocytosis, the intake of
fluids and membrane components; exocytosis, the
expulsion of cell products or cell waste
Contains receptors that selectively receive nerve
and hormone signals and transmit them to the
interior of the cell.
Direct cell-to-cell interactions can occur through
specialized regions of the PM known as junctions.
 Movement Across the Cell
membrane
Molecules are always in constant,
random motion. As a consequence, collisions
between molecules can occur, causing them
to bounce off one another in different
directions. Although random collisions send
the molecules back and forth, the net
movement is outward from the area of
higher concentration. As a result molecules
move down their concentration gradient.
 Four Principal Ways of Cell
Membrane Transport
 Passive Transport – the movement
of molecules from greater to lesser
concentration. This does not require
metabolic energy to activate the transfer of
substances across the membrane
Types of Passive Transport
•Diffusion – the movement of solute
molecules from a region of greater/higher
concentration of solute to a region of
lesser/lower concentration of solutes until
equilibrium is attained.
•Osmosis – the movement of solvent
molecules from the region of greater/higher
concentration of solvent to a region of lower
concentration of solvent through semi-
permeable membrane.
 Principal Ways of Cell
Membrane Transport
 Active transport – metabolic energy
is required to activate transfer across the
membrane.
 Endocytosis/wholesale ingestion –
involves moving larger molecules
particles into the cell.
 Exocytosis – involves discharge of
materials from the cell
 Cytosome

Cytoplasm
It is the water-rich matrix within a cell that
contains and surrounds the other cellular
contents. It is more like a viscous gel than a
watery solution, but it liquefies when shaken
or stirred. Such gel-to-sol transitions are
thought by some cell biologists to play a role
in the movement of a cell's components
from place to place within the cell.
 Parts of Cytoplasm

 Endoplasmic Reticulum
is a winding network of membrane
interconnected with each other. It provides
channels through which transport of
materials can be made effectively
throughout the cytoplasm. The ER functions
in the synthesis of chemicals.
 Two types of Endoplasmic
Reticulum
• Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
This part of the endoplasmic reticulum is
peppered with ribosomes which functions in
the synthesis of proteins.

• Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum

This portion is devoid of ribosomes but
produces lipids like cholesterol, and
carbohydrates like glycogen.
 Parts of Cytoplasm

 Mitochondria
are slendered rods or filaments enclosed
by two membranes – the outer is smooth
and the inner forms are thrown into folds
called cristae. Mitochondria are considered
the powerhouse unit of the cell, where
cellular respiration takes place.
 Parts of Cytoplasm

Golgi Apparatus
is consists of flattened smooth-surfaced
vacuoles stacked one on top of the other.
they serve as site for processing and
packaging of cell secretions/ products like
proteins.
 Parts of Cytoplasm

 Lysosomes
are vesicles present only in animal cells
which are surrounded by membranes and
contain hydrolytic enzymes that break down
large organic molecules like proteins, lipids,
carbohydrates and nucleic acids.
 Parts of Cytoplasm

 Centrioles
are granular bodies located just
outside the nucleus and are involved in the
movement of chromosomes during cell
division. Like lysosomes, centrioles are
absent in plant cells.
 Parts of Cytoplasm

 Plastids
occur as round or oval bodies that
contain pigment and are absent in
animal cells.
 Types of Plastids

Chloroplasts contain green pigments

(chlorophyll) which traps light for
photosynthesis.
Chromoplasts contain red, yellow, and
orange pigment characteristics of flowers
and vegetables
Leucoplasts contain pigments for colorless
appearance like starch grains in rice,
potatoes and radishes.
 Parts of Cytoplasm

 Vacuoles

Types of Cell Vacuoles

 Food Vacuoles – food storage

 Excretory Vacuoles – removal of waste
 Central Vacuoles – water storage in plants
 Parts of Cytoplasm

Microfilaments
are long tiny cylindrical fibrils of tubules
made up predominantly of protein tubulin.
They form the spindle fibers during cell
division and it is a component of the
centriole.
 Parts of Cytoplasm

 Microtubules
are smaller than microfilaments. It is
made up of protein molecules like actin. It
is responsible for the maintenance of cell
shape and movement of inclusion and
organelles within the cell
 Nucleus

The nucleus is the most easily

recognizable of organelles of the cell. DNA,
combined with protein, is organized inside
the nucleus into structural units called
chromosomes, which usually occur, in
identical pairs.
 Parts of the Nucleus

 Nuclear membrane
are double walled, perforated
membranes which are mainly made up of
protein and fatty materials.
 Nucleoplasm or nuclear sap or
karyolymph
is the gel like nuclear sap in which the
chromosomes are suspended and one or
more nuclei.
 Parts of the Nucleus

 Chromatins
are clamps of dense granular thread –
like network, which is transformed into
chromosome during mitosis. It is a
combination of protein, DNA, and some
RNA. It also contains genes that carry the
genetic information necessary for replication
and synthesis of protein.
 Parts of the Nucleus

 Nucleolus
are dense spherical object which is
largest in the interphase and disappears in
mitosis. It consists of specialized areas of
certain chromosomes called nuclear
organizer, ribosomal RNA and protein, and is
the probable precursor of ribosome. The
function in the construction of ribosome
which ultimately leave the nucleus and
become organized in the E.R.
 Comparison of Typical
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic
Cells
Characteristics Prokaryotic Eukaryotic
Cells Cells

Nuclear Absent Present

Membrane

Chromosomes Single Multiple

 Comparison of Typical
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Characteristics Prokaryotic Eukaryotic

Cells Cells

Golgi Apparatus,
endoplasmic Absent Present
reticulum,
lysosomes
 Comparison of Typical
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Characteristics Prokaryotic Eukaryotic

Cells Cells
Mitochondria Absent Present

Photosynthetic May contain Chlorophyll,

Apparatus chlorophyll when present,
but not in are contained
chloroplasts in chloroplast
Comparison of Typical Prokaryotic
and Eukaryotic Cells

Characteristics Prokaryotic Eukaryotic

Cells Cells
Ribosomes Small Large

Microtubule Absent Present

 Comparison of Typical
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic
Cells
Characteristics Prokaryotic Eukaryotic
Cells Cells
Cytoplasmic Does not May occur in
Streaming occur streams or
amoeboid
movement

Cell wall Contains When

murein present does
not contain
murein
Biology is the most powerful technology
ever created. DNA is software, protein
are hardware, cells are factories.
Arvind Gupta