Cell Structures and Functions

Cell
- the smallest functional and structural unit of living organisms.
- Contains many biomolecules (lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids)
Cell Finest Function
 Cell metabolism and energy use.
 Synthesis of molecules
 Communication
 Reproduction and inheritance
2 basic cell types:

 Prokaryotic Cell

 lacks a nuclear envelope

 absent of nucleus simple /primitive type of cell
 lacks some organelles (centrioles, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi complex, lysosomes,
mitochondria, cytoskeleton)
 an independent single-celled organisms

ex. Bacteria

 Eukaryotic cell

 with a true nucleus

 complex
 multicellular organisms

Ex. Plants, animals, humans

2 TYPES OF ANIMAL CELL

 Somatic Cell – body cells
Ex: Blood Cell, Bone Cell, Neuron

 Germ Cell – sex cells

Ex: Egg Cells and Sperm Cells
 2 Properties of the cell

 Physical properties - perceptible to the sense

 Size - micron is the unit of measurement

 color - grayish/ translucent

 consistency - colloidal, viscous

 odor - odorless
 taste - tasteless colloidal

 Chemical properties - it contains organic and inorganic substances that are important for the
various functions of the cell.

 Water - most abundant of all compounds in cell, about 60-90% of most living
organisms
 Oxygen and - gases in the respiratory organs of the organisms and in the tissue fluids
Carbon dioxide such as the blood and lymph
 Mineral salt - are present in skeletons
- ex: Calcium carbonate, and calcium phosphate

 Organic salts - are present in skeletons,

- sodium chloride and other salts are present in very small amounts.

 Inorganic compounds:

 Organic compounds

 Carbohydrates - are the simplest and most abundant organic compound

 Proteins - are the most important organic compound

 Lipids - are fats soluble only in organic fluids

- ex. Chloroform

 Nucleic acids - large and most complex organic molecules

  DNA - found only inside the nucleus, for heredity

 RNA - found in and out of the nucleus for protein synthesis

The Generalized Cell and its major parts

 plasma membrane separates inside from outside; barrier; control; signaling

 intracellular fluid (ICF)
 extracellular fluid (ECF)
 nucleus is the control center
 cytoplasm is everything between the nucleus and the plasma membrane
 cytosol - semiliquid portion (ICF), which suspends the other parts and is a site of
chemical reaction
 organelles - specialized structures with specific functions
 inclusions – temporary storage
 The Plasma Membrane
Structure

 phospholipid bilayer is the basic structure

- important for fluidity
- is a barrier
- cholesterol
- fluidity and stability
- proteins
- integral proteins span the membrane, may be channels, transporters, receptors
- peripheral proteins are on one side only, may be enzymes or anchors for
cytoskeleton
- carbohydrates
- on outer surface only, includes glycoproteins and glycolipids (collectively called
glycocalyx), important for recognition of self, attachments to other cells

hydrophobic – water fearing

hydrophilic – water loving

Basic functions

1. communication within body and with non-self-cells

2. defines boundaries and protects
3. maintains chemical and electrical gradients
4. selective permeability - controls what gets in and out

Membrane Transport / Cell Transport

Solute – a substance that is being dissolved in the various fluids
Solvent – a fluid or gas in which solute is being dissolved
Concentration – the amount of solute dissolved in given volume of solvent
 Concentration Gradient – the difference in concentration of a substance between two areas

 Passive Transport
- Cell does not use or require up its own energy to move substances across the
membrane

EXAMPLE:

Diffusion - molecules move down their concentration gradient from greater → lesser
concentration, charged molecules move down electrochemical gradients

 simple diffusion - moves through bilayer or protein channel

 osmosis - water moves across bilayer; fluid flows from lower solute concentration;
often involves movement of water- Into cell -Out
of cell

 facilitated diffusion - uses a protein carrier; protein binds with molecule; Shape of
protein changes; molecule moves across membrane
 filtration - water and solutes forced through membrane by hydrostatic pressure

 Active Transport
- A membrane transport that requires the cell to use its ATP across the membrane in the
direction against the concentration-gradient
 carrier proteins transport substance against its concentration gradient
 endocytosis – a cellular process where substances are brought into the cell
- piece of membrane surrounds substance and pinches off inside cell
(vesicle)
- pinocytosis (cell drinking); phagocytosis (cell eating)
 exocytosis - opposite of endocytosis

Cell Nucleus

- Usually round, at cell center

 double membrane
 has large nuclear pores
 contains nucleoli - parts to make ribosomes
 contains DNA
- in the form of chromatin when cell not dividing (long thin strands)
- in the form of chromosomes when cell dividing (coiled up)
- carries the genetic material that contains information for cell activities and
cell division.
- Three Distinct Parts
 Nuclear envelope
 Nucleolus
 Chromatin

Cytoplasm and Organelles 

 Cytoplasm
- Viscous fluid containing organelles
- Fluid = cytosol
  Cytoskeleton

 protein filaments running through cytosol

- important in movement of cell and within cell
- supports cell and organelles
 cell projections for movement made of microtubules
 flagella (on sperm) - one long projection, moves the whole cell
 cilia are many small projections that move substances across the surface of the cell

 Inclusions

 No membrane, temporary storage of products like fat or glycogen

 ORGANELLES

 Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) - membranous network of channels 

 Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
- Has ribosomes (rRNA plus proteins)
- protein and lipid synthesis

 Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum

- continues processing of rough ER products
- specialized in some cells for lipid synthesis or detoxifying chemicals
 Golgi complex
 stacked membranous sacs
 processing, sorting, packaging of ER products
 makes vesicles for transport to destinations inside cell, or for secretion
 Lysosomes
 Sacs contains digestive enzymes
 recycles material from cell
 breaks down substances brought in by endocytosis
 Peroxisomes
 sacs contain oxidative enzymes - O2 used to detoxify harmful substances
 Mitochondria
 double-membraned, makes ATP via cellular respiration
- inner membrane has folds called cristae
- gel inside called matrix
 Vaults
 probably involved in transport between nucleus and cytoplasm
 Centrosome
 found near nucleus
 consists of centrioles (protein tubules) surrounded by a centrosome matrix (a
cloud of protein)
 organizing center for parts of the cytoskeleton
 Centrioles are organelles which are only active during cell division
 Centrioles produce spindle fibers which attach to chromosomes. The fibers pull a copy of
each chromosome to opposite side of the cell so that when it splits, each new daughter
cell has all the DNA it needs.

The Cell Division

  Cells must divide for growth, replacement of dead cells, reproduction of the organism
(making sperm/eggs)
 In somatic cells (typical body cells), division involves making two "daughter cells" that are
identical to the "parent cell"

Structures of Chromosome

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Diploid - A cell possessing two copies of each
chromosome (human body cells).

• Homologous chromosomes made up of sister

chromatids joined at the centromere.

• Haploid - cell possessing a single copy of each

chromosome (human sex cells).

The Cell Cycle

1. The sequence of events from the time a cell begins to divide until the time the daughter cells divide
2. Cells divide at different rates
 some don't divide at all, like mature neurons and RBCs
 rapid dividers include skin cells and the cells lining the digestive tract
 once a cell is going to divide the whole cycle may take 18 - 24 hours
3. Interphase
  most of the cell's time spent in this phase
 lots of metabolic activity, performing the cell's usual functions
 consists of:

 G1 – cell undergo majority of growth, can last several hours to days or years,
toward the end the centrioles begin replication
 S – Each chromosome replicates. DNA synthesis (cell must double the amount
of DNA so both daughter cells have the correct genetic material); Attached at
centromere; Contains attachment site (kinetochore )
 G2 - another growth phase; Chromosomes condense; Assemble machinery for
division such as centrioles

4. Mitosis (nuclear division, lasts about 2 hours) Body Cells – Phases of cell cycle:

 prophase - chromatin coils up into chromosomes, nucleoli and nuclear membrane break
apart, mitotic spindle forms from centrioles
 metaphase - chromosomes line up in center of mitotic spindle
 anaphase - chromosomes pull apart
 telophase - chromosomes uncoil, nucleoli and nuclear membrane form, mitotic spindle
breaks down
5. Cytokinesis

 division of the cytoplasm

 in late anaphase or early telophase, the plasma membrane indents (cleavage furrow) and
pinches into two separate cells.

Cell Theory!
• You are a living organism, made of cells.
• To keep living, your cells must stay alive.
• For cells to keep living, they must divide and multiply