Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

6.1 Identify how common techniques of microscopy and biochemistry are used in cell biol-
ogy.
6.2 Compare and contrast (1) prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and (2) animal and plant
cells.
6.3 Describe the structure of the nucleus, chromosomes, and ribosomes, and explain their
functions.
6.4 Identify the parts of the endomembrane system and describe their roles in the cell.
6.5 Compare and contrast the structures and functions of mitochondria and chloroplasts.
6.6 Describe the subunits and structures of the three types of cytoskeletal fibers and list
their functions.
6.7 Compare and contrast (1) the extracellular components of plant and animal cells and
(2) the cell junctions of plant and animal cells.
6.8 Explain how the parts of a cell work together to enhance cellular function.

In high school biology, you probably learned all the cell parts and what they do. In this course,
change your focus to understanding the importance of specialized organelles, how they function
in normal cells, and what may occur if their function is disrupted.

Study Tip: Research clearly shows that when you make sketches, you remember details better.
Follow the Study Tip suggestion, using an entire sheet of paper for an animal cell and another for
a plant cell. Add structures and notes as you progress through each concept.

The diagram of the plant cell on the opening page of this chapter gives a visual overview of how
plant cells are organized. Note that plant cells have a large central vacuole and may contain both
chloroplasts and mitochondria. Draw a plant cell labeled with the structures mentioned in
Figure 6.1 in the space below.

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

Concept 6.1 Biologists use microscopes and biochemistry to study cells

LO 6.1: Identify how common techniques of microscopy and biochemistry are used in cell bi-
ology.

1. The study of cells has been limited by their small size, and so they were not seen and de-
scribed until 1665, when Robert Hooke first looked at dead cells from the bark of an oak
tree. His contemporary, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, crafted lenses and opened a new world
with the improvements in optical aids. Magnification and resolving power limit what can
be seen. Explain the difference.

2. The development of electron microscopes has further opened our window on the cell and
its organelles. What is considered a major disadvantage of the electron microscope?

3. Study the electron micrographs in your text. Describe the different types of images ob-
tained from:

scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

4. In cell fractionation, whole cells are broken up in a blender, and this slurry is centrifuged
several times. Each time, smaller and smaller cell parts are isolated. This will isolate dif-
ferent organelles and allow study of their biochemical activities. Which organelles are the
smallest ones isolated in this procedure?

Concept 6.2 Eukaryotic cells have internal membranes that compartmentalize their functions

LO 6.2: Compare and contrast (1) prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and (2) animal and plant
cells.

5. Which two domains consist of prokaryotic cells?

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

6. A major difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is the location of their DNA.
Describe this difference.

7. On the figure of a prokaryotic cell, label each of these features and give its function
or description.

wall

plasma membrane

bacterial chromosome

nucleoid

ribosomes

flagella

Surface area-to-volume ratio is an important concept as it determines the ability of a cell to ex-
change materials with the environment. It is important that you be able to both calculate this ra-
tio and also understand its significance.

8. Why are cells so small? Explain the relationship of surface area to volume.

9. Exchange of materials across the plasma membrane requires a high surface-to-volume ra-
tio. How do the microvilli of intestinal cells facilitate this?

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

10. Imagine an elongated cell (such as a nerve cell) that measures 125 × 1 × 1 arbitrary units
(cell A). Predict how the surface-to-volume ratio would compare with a cell that is 5 × 5 ×
5 (cell B) and then calculate the ratio for both cells. A small sketch will help you visualize
this. (Calculations will be found at the end of this chapter.)

11. Spend some time with the calculations of surface area and volume on p. 98 and the Scien-
tific Skills Exercise on p. 99 of Campbell Biology, 12e. The following two questions will
ensure you understand the central concept.

a. As the size of a cell increases, what happens to the surface area to volume ratio?

b. How would this affect traffic into and out of the cell?

Concept 6.3 The eukaryotic cell’s genetic instructions are housed in the nucleus and carried
out by the ribosomes

LO 6.3: Describe the structure of the nucleus, chromosomes, and ribosomes, and explain their
functions.

12. Describe the nuclear envelope. How many layers does it consist of? What connects the lay-
ers? How do molecules such as mRNA pass through the envelope?

13. What are the nuclear lamina and nuclear matrix? What function do they perform?

14. Found within the nucleus are the chromosomes. They are made of chromatin. What are the
two components of chromatin? When do the thin chromatin fibers condense to become dis-
tinct chromosomes?

15. When are the nucleoli visible? What organelles are assembled here?

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

16. What is the function of ribosomes? What are their two components?

17. Ribosomes in any type of organism are all the same, but we distinguish between two types
of ribosomes based on where they are found and the destination of the protein product
made. Complete this chart to demonstrate this concept.

Type of Ribosome Location Product

Free ribosomes

Bound ribosomes

Concept 6.4 The endomembrane system regulates protein traffic and performs metabolic func-
tions in the cell

LO 6.4: Identify the parts of the endomembrane system and describe their roles in the cell.

18. List all the structures of the endomembrane system. (Use this list to update your Study Tip
diagram)

19. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) makes up more than half the total membrane system in
many eukaryotic cells. Use this sketch to label and explain the lumen, transport vesicles,
and the difference between smooth and rough ER.

20. List and describe three major functions of the smooth ER.

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

21. Why does alcohol abuse increase tolerance to other drugs such as barbiturates?

22. The rough ER is studded with ribosomes. As proteins are synthesized, they are threaded
into the lumen of the rough ER. Some of these proteins have carbohydrates attached to
them in the ER to form glycoproteins. What does the ER then do with these secretory pro-
teins?

23. What is another major function of the rough ER?

24. The transport vesicles formed from the rough ER fuse with the Golgi apparatus. Use this
sketch to label the cisterna of the Golgi apparatus, and its cis and trans faces. Describe all
that can happen to a transport vesicle and its contents after it arrives in the Golgi apparatus.

25. What is a lysosome? What does it contain? What is the pH range inside a lysosome?

26. One function of lysosomes is intracellular digestion of particles engulfed by phagocytosis.

Describe this process of digestion. Which human cells carry out phagocytosis?

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

27. A second function of lysosomes is to recycle cellular components in a process called

autophagy. Describe this process using Figure 6.13 in your text.

28. Explain what occurs in lysosomes to cause Tay-Sachs disease.

29. There are many types of vacuoles. Briefly describe each type of vacuole below.

food vacuoles

contractile vacuoles

central vacuoles in plants

30. Label and use this figure to explain how the elements of the endomembrane system func-
tion together to secrete a protein and to digest a cellular component.

Concept 6.5 Mitochondria and chloroplasts change energy from one form to another

LO 6.5: Compare and contrast the structures and functions of mitochondria and chloroplasts.

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

31. What is the endosymbiont theory? Summarize three lines of evidence that support the
model of endosymbiosis.

32. Mitochondria and chloroplasts are not considered part of the endomembrane system, al-
though they are enclosed by membranes. Sketch a mitochondrion here and label its outer
membrane, inner membrane, inner membrane space, cristae, matrix, and ribosomes.

33. Now sketch a chloroplast and label its outer membrane, inner membrane, inner membrane
space, thylakoids, granum, and stroma. Notice that the mitochondrion has two membrane
compartments, whereas the chloroplast has three compartments.

34. What is the function of the mitochondria?

35. What is the function of the chloroplasts?

36. Recall the relationship of structure to function. Why is the inner membrane of the mito-
chondria highly folded? What role do all the individual thylakoid membranes serve? (No-
tice that you will have the same answer for both questions.)

37. Explain the important roles played by peroxisomes.

38. Use peroxisomes as an example to explain the value of compartmentalization in cells.

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

STUDY TIP SUMMARY

A favorite essay question of many teachers would be to ask you to determine the primary func-
tion of a cell type, based on its organelles. It is important for you to consider not just the function
of an organelle, but in what cell types specialized organelles might be found (or absent). Your
Study Tip diagrams should now resemble the animal and plant cells included here. This is a good
point to make sure your diagrams are updated and labeled with a brief statement of function. The
final task with the diagrams is for you to cite a tissue where cells might have many of these or -
ganelles. For example: Chloroplasts capture light energy and can be found in green leaves. Cilia
move materials across the surface of a cell and can be found in epithelial cells lining the trachea.

Concept 6.6 The cytoskeleton is a network of fibers that organizes structures and activities in
the cell

LO 6.6: Describe the subunits and structures of the three types of cytoskeletal fibers and list
their functions.

39. What is cytoskeleton?

40. There are three main types of fibers that make up the cytoskeleton. Name them.

41. What are three functions of the cytoskeleton?

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

42. Microtubules are hollow rods made of a globular protein called tubulin. Each tubulin pro-
tein is a dimer made of two subunits. These are easily assembled and disassembled. De-
scribe several functions of microtubules.

43. Animal cells have a centrosome that contains a pair of centrioles. Plant cells do not have
centrioles. What is believed to be the role of centrioles?

44. Compare and contrast cilia and flagella. For both, select a human cell that has this feature,
and describe the role for that cell.

45. On your Study Tip diagram of an animal cell, add the primary cilium. What is the function
of the primary cilium? What are two examples of the important role of the primary cilium?

46. How do motor proteins called dyneins cause movement of cilia? What is the role of ATP in
this movement?

47. Microfilaments are solid, and they are built from a double chain of actin. Study Figure 6.26
in your text and explain three examples of movements that involve microfilaments.

48. What are the motor proteins that move the microfilaments?

49. Intermediate filaments are bigger than microfilaments but smaller than microtubules. They
are more permanent fixtures of cells. Give two functions of intermediate filaments.

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

Concept 6.7 Extracellular components and connections between cells help coordinate cellular
activities

LO 6.7: Compare and contrast (1) the extracellular components of plant and animal cells and
(2) the cell junctions of plant and animal cells.

50. What are three functions of the cell wall?

51. What is the composition of the cell wall?

52. What is the relatively thin and flexible wall secreted first by a plant cell?

53. What is the middle lamella? Where is it found? What material is it made of?

54. Describe the deposition of a secondary cell wall.

55. On the sketch, label the primary cell wall, secondary cell wall, middle lamella, cytosol,
plasma membrane, central vacuole, and plasmodesmata.

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

56. Animal cells do not have cell walls, but they do have an extracellular matrix (ECM). On
this figure, label the elements indicated, and give the role of each. Also label the extracellu-
lar fluid and cytoplasm.

57. What are the intercellular junctions between plant cells? What can pass through them?

58. Animal cells do not have plasmodesmata. This figure shows the three types of intercellular
junctions seen in animal cells. Label each type and summarize its role.

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 Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell

There is a fascinating figure on pp. 122–123 of your text that will help you visualize the molecu-
lar machinery in a cell. Notice that a number of details reference other chapters. You will want to
come back to this important diagram through the cell biology part of your course. Study Figure
6.32 carefully and then answer the three questions on p. 123 at the end of the figure. Place your
answers here.
1.

2.

3.

This chapter ends like it started with diagrams, drawings, and visualization. These are the things
that allow an understanding of the material beyond memorization.

Test Your Understanding, p. 125

Now you should be ready to test your knowledge. Place your answers here:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

Solution to question 10:

Cell A: SA = (125 × 1) × 4 + (1 × 1) × 2 = 502 units2; Volume = 125 × 1 × 1 = 125 units3;
S-to-V = 502/125 = 4.02

Cell B: SA = 5 × 5 × 6 = 150 units2; Volume = 5 × 5 × 5 = 125 units3; S-to-V = 150/125 = 1.2

Note that both cells have the same volume, but the elongated cell A has a higher S-to-V ratio and
therefore is better able to exchange materials with the environment.

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