THE CELLULAR

LEVEL OF
ORGANIZATION

Prepared by: Sarah P. Balubal, LPT, MST

A cell is the
smallest unit that
is capable of
performing life
functions.
 MICROSCOPES AND CELLS
1600s
Anton Van
Leeuwenhoek first
described living cells as
seen through a simple
microscope.
 MICROSCOPES AND CELLS
Robert Hooke first used a
compound microscope to
view thinly sliced cork cells.
Hooke was the first to use
the term “cell”.
Compound scopes use a
series of lenses to magnify
in steps.
 MICROSCOPES AND CELLS
1830s
Mathias Schleiden
identified the first plant cells
and concluded that all plants
are made of cells.
Thomas Schwann made
the same conclusion about
animal cells.
1. All organisms are made up of cell
2. Basic structural unit of life
3. All cells come from pre – existing cell
Organisms may be:
1. Unicellular OR 2. Multicellular
 CELLS CAN BE EUKARYOTIC
OR PROKARYOTIC

Prokaryotes do not have a nucleus and

membrane bound organelles. (bacteria)
Eukaryotes have a nucleus and organelles.
(Animals, Plants, Fungi, and Protists.
Cell structures that have a specific function
and are surrounded by a membrane that
are found in eukaryotes only.
PROKARYOTIC VS. EUKARYOTIC
Believe to be the first cell
to evolve
Lack a membrane bound
nucleus and organelles.
Genetic material is free
in the cytoplasm.
Ribosomes are only
other cell structure.
FUNCTIONS OF THE CELL
1. Basic unit of life
2. Protection and Support
3. Movement
4. Communication
5. Cell metabolism and energy release
6. inheritance
 PLASMA MEMBRANE
 It is a thin semipermeable protein-membrane layer that
surrounds an animal cell.
 To enclose and protect the cell content
 To also regulate the molecules that pass into and out of the cell,
through the plasma membrane. Therefore it controls
homeostasis.
 The proteins are actively involved in transporting materials
across the membrane
 The proteins and lipids allow cell communication, and
carbohydrates (sugars and sugar chains), which decorate both
the proteins and lipids and help cells recognize each other.
 CYTOPLASM
This is a gel-like material that contains all the
cell organelles, enclosed within the cell
membrane.
These organelles include; Mitochondria,
ribosomes, Endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi
apparatus, lysosomes intermediate filaments,
microfilaments microtubules, vesicles.
 ORGANELLES OF THE
ENDOMEMBRANE SYSTEM
Helps moves substances within cells
Network of interconnected membranes
Rough Endoplasmic
Reticulum

Smooth Endoplasmic
Reticulum
 ROUGH ENDOPLASMIC
RETICULUM
Protein synthesis of the cell.
Series of connected flattened
sacs, part of a continuous
membrane organelle within
the cytoplasm of eukaryotic
cells, that plays a central role
in the synthesis of proteins.
 SMOOTH ENDOPLASMIC
RETICULUM
 Polypeptides are converted
into functional proteins and
where proteins are prepared
for secretion.
 Its main functions are the
synthesis of lipids, steroid
hormones, the detoxification
of harmful metabolic
byproducts and the storage
and metabolism of calcium
ions within the cell.
 RIBISOMES
Are the site of protein
synthesis in the cell.
Free Ribosomes and
Attached Ribosomes
 GOLGI APPARATUS

Involved in modifying, storing and packaging

macromolecules for secretion.
Modifies proteins and lipids.
Process materials to be removed from the cell.
Packages products into vesicles for transport.
 LYSOSOMES
Site of protein digestion –
thus allowing enzymes to
be re-cycled when they are
no longer required.
 MITOCHONDRIA
The main function of the
mitochondria is to produce
energy in the form of ATP or
adenosine triphosphate.
 Cells use this to perform
specific functions necessary
for cell survival and function.
They also help carry out
cellular respiration in
eukaryotic cells.
 PEROXISOMES
 store food or any variety of nutrients a
cell might need to survive.
 They can even store waste products so
the rest of the cell is protected from
contamination.
 CYTOSKELETON
Maintains the shape of the cell, and helps
the cell to move.
Microfilaments

Intermediate filament

Microtubules
 NUCLEUS
 The primary role of the nucleus is to control
and regulate cell activities of growth and
maintain cell metabolisms.
 It also carries the genes that have hereditary
information of the cell.
 The chromosomal DNA and genetic materials,
which are made up of genetic coded
ultimately make up their proteins’ amino acid
sequences for use by the cell.
 Therefore, the nucleus is the information
center.
 It is the site for Transcription (formation of
mRNA from DNA) and the mRNA is
transported to the nuclear envelope.
 NUCLEAR PORE AND
NUCLEOLUS
Nuclear pore complexes
allow the transport of
molecules across
the nuclear envelope.
The nucleolus is the largest
structure in the nucleus of
eukaryotic cells.
 VACUOLES
 store food or any variety of nutrients a
cell might need to survive.
 They can even store waste products so
the rest of the cell is protected from
contamination.
 CILIA AND FLAGELLA
Provides
movement for the
cell or objects
moving by the
cell.
 CELLULAR
TRANSPORT
MECHANISMS
PASSIVE METHOD ACTIVE METHOD

• Simple Diffusion • Active Transport

• Osmosis • Endocytosis
• Facilitated Diffusion - Phagocytosis
• Filtration - Pinocytosis
• Exocytosis
Balanced internal condition of cells
Also called equilibrium
Maintained by plasma membrane
controlling what enters & leaves the cell
 TYPES OF CELL TRANSPORT
Passive Transport
Requires NO energy
Molecules move from
area of HIGH to LOW
concentration
 DIFFUSION
Diffusion is a PASSIVE
process which means no
energy is used to make the
molecules move, they have
a natural KINETIC ENERGY
Moves DOWN the
concentration gradient
The chemical and physical properties of the
plasma membrane allow only a few types of
molecules to enter and exit a cell by simple
diffusion. Lipid – soluble molecules such as
alcohols can diffuse through the membrane
because lipids are the membrane’s main
structural components. Gases can also diffuse
through the lipid bilayer, this is the mechanism
by which oxygen enters cells and carbon
dioxide exit cells.
 Facilitated
Diffusion
• Doesn’t require energy
• Uses transport proteins to
move high to low
concentration
Examples: Glucose or amino
acids moving from blood into a
cell.
Molecules will randomly move through the
pores in Channel Proteins.
 Diffusion of water across a
membrane
 Moves from HIGH water
concentration to LOW water
concentration
 Water is attracted to
solutes (like salt) so it will
also travel to areas of low
solute concentration to high
solute concentration.
 High water concentration Low water concentration
 Low solute concentration High solute concentration
 Isotonic
 A solution whose solute
concentration is the same as the
solute concentration inside the
cell.
 Hypotonic
 A solution whose solute
concentration is lower than the
solute concentration inside a
cell
 Hypertonic
 A solution whose solute
concentration is higher than the
solute concentration inside a
cell.
 What is the
direction of
water
movement?
 The cell is at
The solute and water EQUILIBRIUM
concentrations are the same  Water will flow in
inside and outside the cell.
both directions
outside and inside
the cell.
What is the direction of
water movement?
 The water is going INSIDE
the cell.
 Water is attracted to the solute
inside the cell. The solute concentration
is greater inside the cell
than outside, therefore
water will flow into the
cell.
 What is the direction of
water movement?
 The water is GOING OUT of
the cell.

The solute concentration is

greater outside the cell,
therefore water will flow
outside the cell.
 Cytolysis Plasmolysis
 Isotonic Hypotonic Hypertonic
 FILTRATION
 The movement of liquid from high pressure to low
pressure.
 The passage of water and solutes through a membrane
by hydrostatic pressure.
 Example, capillaries are the smallest blood vessels.
Because capillary walls are only one cell thick, small
molecules tend to passively diffuse across these walls,
from areas of higher concentration to those of lower
concentration. However, blood pressure aids matter by
pushing water and dissolved solutes out of the
capillary, through tiny pores between capillary cells.
Allows a molecule to
cross the membrane
from lower
concentration to
higher
concentration.
the process by which cells
take in substances from
outside of the cell by
engulfing them in a vesicle.
These can include things
like nutrients to support the
cell or pathogens that
immune cells engulf and
destroy.