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CH 5 - The Fundamental Unit of Life

The document summarizes key aspects of the fundamental unit of life - the cell. It describes the structure and functions of the plasma membrane, cell wall, nucleus, and cytoplasm. The plasma membrane is a selectively permeable barrier that regulates what enters and exits the cell. The nucleus contains genetic material and directs cell activities. Plant cells have an additional cell wall for structural support. The cytoplasm contains specialized organelles that allow most cell functions.

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29 views

CH 5 - The Fundamental Unit of Life

The document summarizes key aspects of the fundamental unit of life - the cell. It describes the structure and functions of the plasma membrane, cell wall, nucleus, and cytoplasm. The plasma membrane is a selectively permeable barrier that regulates what enters and exits the cell. The nucleus contains genetic material and directs cell activities. Plant cells have an additional cell wall for structural support. The cytoplasm contains specialized organelles that allow most cell functions.

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ghdfrtu42
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ch 5 – The Fundamental Unit of Life

Notes
1. Plasma Membrane or Cell Membrane
a) Structure: - –
• The outermost covering of the cell that separates the contents of the
cell from its external environment.
• The plasma membrane is flexible and made up of organic molecules
called lipids and proteins.
b) Functions: -
• The plasma membrane allows the entry and exit of some materials in
and out of the cell. It also prevents movement of some other materials
therefore it is a selectively permeable membrane.
• Some substances like carbon dioxide or oxygen can move across the cell
membrane by a process called diffusion (The movement of substances
from a region of higher concentration to lower concentration).
• Some substances like carbon dioxide (which is cellular waste and
requires to be excreted out) is in higher concentration in the cell and
lower concentration of it in the surrounding medium, so carbon dioxide
moves from cell to surrounding medium. There is also a low
concentration of oxygen in the cell and high concentration of oxygen in
the surrounding medium so movement takes place from surrounding
medium to the cell.
• The flexibility of cell membrane also enables the cell to engulf in food
and other materials from its external environment. Such process is
known as endocytosis.
➢ Osmosis -> The movement of water molecules through such a selectively permeable
membrane is known as osmosis. It is the net diffusion of water across a selectively
permeable membrane toward a higher solute concentration.
▪ Types of Osmosis -> Hypotonic Solution, Isotonic Solution, Hypertonic Solution
2. Cell Wall
a) Structure: -
• Plant cells, in addition to the plasma membrane have another rigid outer
covering called the cell wall.
• The cell wall lies outside the plasma membrane
• The plant cell wall is mainly composed of cellulose, Cellulose is a complex
substance and provides structural strength to plants.
➢ Plasmolysis -> When a living plant cell loses water through osmosis there is a shrinkage or
contraction of the contents of the cell away from the cell wall. This phenomenon is known as
plasmolysis.
b) Functions: -
Cell wall permits the cell of plants, fungi and bacteria to withstand very
dilute (hypotonic) external media without bursting.
• In such media cells tend to take up water through osmosis.
• The cell swells, building up a pressure against the cell wall. The wall exerts an
equal pressure against the cell.
3. Nucleus –> Brain of the cell
a) Structure: -
• The nucleus has a double layered covering called nuclear membrane.
• The nuclear membrane has pores.
b) Functions: -
• The nucleus contains chromosomes. (Scroll down for function)
• The nucleus plays a central role in cellular reproduction, the process by
which a single cell divides and forms two new cells.
• It determines the way the cell will develop and what form it will exhibit at
maturity, by directing the chemical activities of cell.
• The nuclear membrane has pores which allow the transfer of materials in
and out of the cell that is, to the cytoplasm.
c) Structure of Chromosomes – Rod shaped structures and is made of DNA and
proteins.
d) Functions of Chromosomes- Chromosomes contain the information for inheritance
of parents to next generation.
e) Nucleoid -> The undefined nuclear region containing only nucleic acids is known as
nucleoid.
f) Functions of DNA-
• DNA molecules contain information necessary for constructing and
organizing the cells.
• Functional segment of DNA is known as genes.
• In a cell which is not dividing DNA is present as an entangled mass of thread
known as chromatin material.
g) Prokaryotic Cell -> Organisms whose cells lack a nuclear membrane are known as
prokaryotic cells. (Pro = Primitive, Karyon =Nucleus). Examples -> some bacteria,
fungi etc.
h) Eukaryotic Cell -> Organisms whose cell have a defined nucleus are known as
eukaryotic cells. (Eu = True, Karyon=Nucleus). Examples -> humans.

Prokaryotic Cell Eukaryotic Cell


Size: Generally small (1-10 µm) 1 µm = 10-6 Size: Generally large (5-100 µm)
Nuclear Region: Nuclear membrane is absent Nuclear Region: Nuclear membrane is present
and is not well defined. and is well defined.
Chromosomes: Single More than one chromosome
Membrane bound organelles are absent Membrane bound organelles are present

4. Cytoplasm
a) Structure: - The fluid content inside the cell with specialized cell organelles is known
as cytoplasm.
b) Function: - Almost all functions happen here due to the presence of cell organelles.

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