CELLS

Published on: September 24, 2013 Author: Johny Thomas Leave a comment
Cells are the basic structural and functional unit of life. Cells provide structure and stability to an
organism. Cells provide energy and a means of reproduction for an organism. Organisms are made
up of cells. Organisms containing only one cell in their body are called unicellular organism. Example
Amoeba (animal), Chlorella (plant).

Organisms containing many cells in their body are called multi cellular organisms. Example: rabbit,
mango tree. Scientists estimate that our bodies contain anywhere from 75 to 100 trillion cells.
Cytology is the study of cells. Cells are very small in size. Cells range in size from 1 to 100
micrometers. Microscope is needed to study the cells. But an ordinary compound microscope is not
enough to study the details of a cell. With the help of Scanning Electron Microscope and
Transmission Electron Microscope, cell biologists are able to obtain detailed images of the smallest
of cell structures.

There are two types of cells. The cells which have a true nucleus are called Eukaryotic cells. A
nucleus is a membrane bound structure that contains the cell’s hereditary information and controls
the cell’s growth and reproduction. Animals, plants, fungi and protists are examples of organisms
that are composed of eukaryotic cells. The cells which do not have a proper nucleus are called
Prokaryotes. Example: Bacteria and archaens. Archaea are a group of microscopic organisms that
were discovered in the early 1970s. Like bacteria, they are single-celled prokaryotes.

Archaeans were originally thought to be bacteria until DNA analysis showed that they are different.
In fact, they are so different that the discovery prompted scientists to come up with a new system for
classifying life. There is still much about archaeans that is not known. What we do know is that they
can exist under some of the most extreme conditions, such as extremely hot, acidic, or alkaline
environments.

Eukaryotic cells contain structures called organelles which carryout specific functions. There are also
differences between the kinds of organelles found within different eukaryotic cell types. Plant cells
for example, contain structures such as a cell wall and chloroplasts that are not found in cells. Some
of the cells organelles present in a eukaryotic cell are
Nucleus
Mitochondria
ribosome etc.

The Nucleus of a eukaryotic cell contains DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the genetic information
necessary for directing cellular activities. DNA is a type of molecule known as a nucleic acid. In
prokaryotic cells, the single bacterial DNA molecule is not separated from the rest of the cell but
coiled up in a region of the cytoplasm. Mitochondria are the site of respiration which releases
energy. Ribosome are the sites of protein synthesis.
Most prokaryotic cells reproduce by a process called binary fission. This is a type of cloning process
in which two identical cells are derived from a single cell. Eukaryotic organisms have a similar type
of reproductive method known as mitosis. Some eukaryotes also have the ability to reproduce
sexually, which involves the fusion of sex cells or gametes. Gametes are produced by a process
called meiosis.

Cell Theory
The Cell Theory is one of the basic principles of biology. Credit for the formulation of this theory is
given to German scientists Theodor Schwann, Matthias Schleiden, and Rudolph Virchow.

The modern version of the Cell Theory includes the ideas that:

Energy flow occurs within cells.

ALL CELLS HAVE THE FOLLOWING STRUCTURAL FEATURES IN COMMON

CYTOPLASM:

This is a jelly-like substance found in all cells. It contains living structures, which have a particular
function in the cell, called organelles and non-living structures called inclusions. It is the site of
most of the chemical reactions, which take place inside a cell necessary for life.

CELL MEMBRANE:

It is made of a very thin layer of protein and lipids. Cell membrane controls the entry and exit of
molecules in and out of the cell. In general, oxygen, food such as glucose amino acids and water are
allowed to enter, waste products are allowed to leave and harmful substances are kept out of the
cell. Because of this the cell membrane is called a partially permeable or selectively permeable
membrane. A partially permeable membrane allows some molecules to enter, but not others. Water
enters the cells by osmosis. The vacuole swells up and it pushes cytoplasm and cell membrane out
wards and cell wall pushes equally back so that the cell becomes turgid. Thus the cell membrane
helps the cells to become turgid.

NUCLEUS (Plural – nuclei):

This structure is present in most of the cells. Its rounded structure is enclosed in a membrane and
embedded in the cytoplasm. It controls all the cell activities. Inside the nucleus there are thread-like
structures called chromosomes. The chromosomes carry hereditary information from one
generation to another.

PLANT CELLS AND ANIMAL CELLS

In addition to the cell membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus all plant cells have a cell wall, a
large vacuole andchloroplasts.

CELL WALL:

A cell wall is made up of cellulose (a carbohydrate). It is found outside the cell membrane in plant
cells. Unlike the cell membrane, the cell wall is not partially permeable. It is fully permeable and it
allows all the molecules to pass through it by diffusion. Cell wall is tough and it gives the plant cell a
definite shape, protection and also support to the cell. It stops the cell from bursting

CHLOROPLAST:

Chloroplasts are green organelles found in the inside of the cytoplasm. These are green because
they contain a green pigment called chlorophyll. The chlorophyll absorbs light energy and this
energy is used for photosynthesis. The chloroplasts are the sites of photosynthesis. Chloroplasts
are the food producers of the cell. They are only found in plant cells. Animal cells do not have
chloroplasts. All the green plants convert the energy of the sun into sugars. They produce sugars in
photosynthesis, and the byproduct of that process is the oxygen that we use in respiration to release
energy. Chloroplast contains enzymes for photosynthesis.

VACUOLE:

A vacuole is a membrane – bound organelle which is present in Plant cells. Vacuoles are filled with
water containing inorganic and organic molecules including enzymes in solution. All mature plant
cells have a large permanent vacuole. Vacuoles might store food or any variety of nutrients a cell
might need to survive. The vacuole is filled with watery fluid made of a sugar and salt solution. This
fluid is called the cell sap. The vacuole is also sometimes known as the sap vacuole. The vacuoles
help to maintain the turgidity of the cell. The membrane of the vacuole is partially permeable and it is
called tonoplast.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLANT AND ANIMAL CELL

 All the cells have cytoplasm and a cell membrane. Most of them have a nucleus.
 The cytoplasm is the site of most of the chemical reactions.
 Cell membrane controls the movement of molecules in and out of the cell.
 The nucleus controls all the cell activities. The chromosomes within the nucleus pass the genetic
(hereditary) information from one generation to other.
 Only plant cells have a cell wall, a sap vacuole and chloroplasts.
 The cell wall gives the plant cell a definite shape and protection.
 The sap vacuole makes the plant cell turgid. It also stores food in some cells.
 The chloroplasts have the green pigment, chlorophyll. Chlorophyll absorbs sun light for
photosynthesis. Chloroplasts are also the sites of photosynthesis.

Remember the key words

1. Nucleus – control centre of the cell

Categories: Biology