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Components of A Cell

Major classes of organic molecules in cells include nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Nucleic acids like DNA and RNA contain and help express the cell's genetic code. Proteins are made of amino acids and perform catalytic and structural functions. Carbohydrates are used for energy or stored as energy, and lipids make up cell membranes. Organelles like mitochondria are structures partitioned from the cytoplasm that contain equipment to perform specialized cellular functions.

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41 views

Components of A Cell

Major classes of organic molecules in cells include nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Nucleic acids like DNA and RNA contain and help express the cell's genetic code. Proteins are made of amino acids and perform catalytic and structural functions. Carbohydrates are used for energy or stored as energy, and lipids make up cell membranes. Organelles like mitochondria are structures partitioned from the cytoplasm that contain equipment to perform specialized cellular functions.

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Anurag Rana
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© © All Rights Reserved
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What Other Components Do Cells Have?

As previously mentioned, a cell's cytoplasm is home to numerous functional and


structural elements. These elements exist in the form of molecules and organelles —
picture them as the tools, appliances, and inner rooms of the cell. Major classes of
intracellular organic molecules include nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids,
all of which are essential to the cell's functions.

Nucleic acids are the molecules that contain and help express a cell's genetic code.
There are two major classes of nucleic acids: deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA is the molecule that contains all of the
information required to build and maintain the cell; RNA has several roles associated
with expression of the information stored in DNA. Of course, nucleic acids alone aren't
responsible for the preservation and expression of genetic material: Cells also use
proteins to help replicate the genome and accomplish the profound structural changes
that underlie cell division.
Proteins are a second type of intracellular organic molecule. These substances are
made from chains of smaller molecules called amino acids, and they serve a variety of
functions in the cell, both catalytic and structural. For example, proteins
called enzymes convert cellular molecules (whether proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, or
nucleic acids) into other forms that might help a cell meet its energy needs, build
support structures, or pump out wastes.
Carbohydrates, the starches and sugars in cells, are another important type of organic
molecule. Simple carbohydrates are used for the cell's immediate energy demands,
whereas complex carbohydrates serve as intracellular energy stores. Complex
carbohydrates are also found on a cell's surface, where they play a crucial role in cell
recognition.
Finally, lipids or fat molecules are components of cell membranes — both the plasma
membrane and various intracellular membranes. They are also involved in energy
storage, as well as relaying signals within cells and from the bloodstream to a cell's
interior (Figure 2).
Some cells also feature orderly arrangements of molecules called organelles. Similar to
the rooms in a house, these structures are partitioned off from the rest of a cell's interior
by their own intracellular membrane. Organelles contain highly technical equipment
required for specific jobs within the cell. One example is the mitochondrion —
commonly known as the cell's "power plant" — which is the organelle that holds and
maintains the machinery involved in energy-producing chemical reactions (Figure 3).

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