Eukaryotic Cell Structure

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 Common Features of Eukaryotic Cells
• Membrane-delimited
nuclei
• Membrane-bound
organelles that perform
specific functions
• Cytoplasm fills the region
nucleus-plasma
membrane
• Have linear chromosome
in nucleus
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 Eukaryotic Cell Envelopes
• Consists of the plasma membrane and all coverings
external to it
• Plasma membrane is a lipid bilayer

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 Eukaryotic Cell Envelopes - 2
• Cell walls of photosynthetic algae have
cellulose, pectin, and silica
• Cell walls of fungi consist of cellulose, chitin,
or glucan

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 Nucleus
 Contains ins DNA, which makes you who you
are
 Directs the activity of the cell – for
example,when it grows and divides
 Eukaryotic Ribosomes
• Proteins made on ribosomes of RER are often
secreted or inserted into ER membrane as
integral membrane proteins
• Free ribosomes synthesize nonsecretory and
nonmembrane proteins
 Mitochondria
Break down food and release energy to cell –
the “Powerhouse” of the cell
 Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)
Function : Transports proteins,
lipids, and other materials
within cell
• Rough ER
– ribosomes attached
– synthesis of
secreted
proteins by ER-
associated
ribosomes
• Smooth ER
– devoid of
ribosomes
– synthesis of
lipids by ER-
associated
 The Golgi Apparatus
• Membranous organelle made of cisternae stacked
on each other
• Cis and trans faces
• Dictyosomes=stacks of cisternae
• Involved in modification, packaging, and secretion of
materials

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 Lysosomes
• Membrane-bound
vesicles found in most
eukaryotes
• Involved in
intracellular digestion
• Contain hydrolases,
enzymes which hydrolyze
molecules and function
best under slightly acidic
conditions
• Maintain an acidic
environment by pumping
protons into their interior
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 Peroxisome
Specialized metabolic
compartments are
limited by a single
membrane.
Peroxisomes contain
enzymes that transfer
hydrogen from various
substrates to oxygen,
producing hydrogen
peroxide.
 Glyoxysome
- only found in plant cells
- to convert fat into sugar which is needed in
germination
 Centrioles
Inside the centrosome there is one pair of centrioles,
but centrosomes in plants do not have centrioles.
Cylindrical centriole, composed of 9 pairs of
microtubular triplets. Sentriol can replicate and form
spindle threads.
 Vacuola
The vacuole is a large vesicle-shaped organelle that
contains fluid and is enveloped in a thin, single
membrane called a tonoplast.
serves as a storage area for food, metabolic waste,
pigments, and production deposits
 Plastid
Plastids are membrane-
enclosed organelles that
function in photosynthesis
or storage in plant cells
and algae.

Can be divided into 3

types: leukoplas,
chromoplas, chloroplast.
 Cytoskeleton
– vast network of interconnected filaments within the
cytoplasmic matrix
– filaments that form the cytoskeleton: microfilaments
(actin), microtubules, intermediate filaments, and
motor proteins
– plays role in both cell shape and cell movement

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