Lecture 1

Cells & Organelles

Biology, Campbell & Reece

7th Edn. Ch 1, pp. 1-8; Ch 6, pp. 94-118; Ch 27, pp. 534-538

By

Dr Mohamed Abumaree
Molecular Reproductive Biology & Immunology
College of Medicine
King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Science
Riyadh
2009

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 Objectives
1.To understand the difference between pro- &
eukaryotic cells

2.To identify the organelles found in

eukaryotic cells & know their functions

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 What is Biology?
 A science that study life to understand:
1. The development of living organisms from a single
microscopic cell!
2. The formation of energy!
3. How human mind works!
4. The improvement of the quality of life, for example,
human disease identification by genetics & cell biology

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 Organisms: living things

 Organs: Such as brain, heart, kidney

 Organ systems: a number of organs with a specific

function, such as the digestive system,
system (tongue,
stomach & intestines)
 Tissues: A group of similar cells aggregated &
associated together to perform one or more specific
functions in the body
 Four basic tissue types: Muscle; Nerve; Epidermal
& connective tissues
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What Are
Cells?

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  Cells: Structural & functional units
of all living organisms
 Unicellular organisms (bacteria):
consist of a single cell
 Multicellular organisms (humans):
many cells of many kinds, such as
muscle cells which are organized
into various specialized tissues
 Cells perform all activities of life,
such as cell division to form new
cells
Cell division
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 Cell division: essential for reproduction, growth &
repair

 Cell contains chromosomes (partly made of

deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA)

 DNA is the substance of genes

 Genes: inheritance units transmit information from

parents to offspring

 Chromosome has one very long DNA molecule, with

many genes arranged along its length

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The Heritable
Information

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 The DNA of chromosomes replicates as a cell
prepares to divide
Thus, each of the two cellular offspring inherits
a complete set of genes

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 DNA molecule is
made up of two long
chains (double helix)

 DNA chains are

linked by four
nucleotides (chemical
building blocks)

 Nucleotides encode
the information in genes,
which encoding proteins 10
 DNA provides the design of inheritance,
inheritance but
proteins build up & maintain the cell

 We utilize the same genetic code

 Nucleotide sequences determine the similarities or

differences between organisms

 Genome: the entire library of genetic instructions

 Within the genome, genes coding for different

proteins with specific functions

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How Can we Study
Cells?

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 Microscope (morphology & structure) has 2
important parameters:

1. Magnification
2. Resolution
 Light microscopes (magnify to ~1,000 times the
size of the actual specimen
 Electron microscope (magnify a hundredfold over
the light microscope)
 Cell fractionation (composition & function) to
separate organelles from each other by a centrifuge
(size & density)
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Forms of
Cells
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 PROKARYOTIC CELLS
microorganisms, such as
bacteria
EUKARYOTIC CELLS
plants & animals
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 Eukaryotic cells bigger than prokaryotic cells

 In eukaryotic cells, chromosomes located in

nucleus

 In prokaryotic cells, chromosomes concentrated in

nucleoid

 In eukaryotic cells, nucleus surrounded by a

membrane (nuclear envelope)

 In prokaryotic cells, there is no membrane

surrounding the nucleoid
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 Cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane,
membrane
a barrier allows the passage of oxygen,
nutrients & wastes to service the cell
 Eukaryotic cells also have an internal
membranes
 The region between nucleus & plasma
membrane is the cytoplasm,
cytoplasm a semifluid
substance (Cytosol)
 Eukaryotic cells contains membrane-bounded
organelles in their cytoplasm unlike prokaryotes
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Membranes consist of a double layer of phospholipids & other
lipids
Embedded in the lipid bilayer or attached to its surfaces diverse
proteins or carbohydrates

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Animal Cell
Structure
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 NUCLEUS
 Most prominent organelle in animal cell

 Nuclear envelope encloses the nucleus

 Nuclear envelope punctured by pores to regulate

the passage of large macromolecules

 Nuclear envelope lined by nuclear lamina, lamina

mechanically supports nuclear envelope to maintain
nucleus shape

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 Nucleus contains chromosomes,
chromosomes made up of
chromatin, a complex of proteins & DNA
 Human cell has 46 chromosomes
 Sex cells (egg & sperm) have only 23
chromosomes
 Nucleolus: prominent structure in non-
dividing nucleus
 Nucleus directs protein synthesis as instructed
by the DNA
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 Cytoplasm
1. Cytoplasm: entire region between nucleus
& plasma membrane

2.Most of metabolic activities occur in the

cytoplasm

3. Contains many organelles suspended in a

semifluid medium (cytosol)
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 Ribosomes
1.Ribosomes perform protein synthesis

2.Made of ribosomal RNA & protein

3.Two types with identical structures

synthesizing proteins with different functions

 Free ribosomes (suspended in the cytosol)

 Bound ribosomes (attached to the outside of

ER or nuclear envelope)
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 The endomembrane system
 Membranes with different structure & function:
1. Nuclear envelope
2. Endoplasmic reticulum
3. Golgi apparatus
4. Lysosomes
5. Various kind of vacuole
6. Plasma membrane

 Function:
1. Protein synthesis
2. Protein transport into membranes/organelles/out of the cell
3. Lipid metabolism & movement
4. Poisons detoxification
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 The Endoplasmic Reticulum

1. Smooth ER (outer surface lacks ribosomes)

 Functions in lipid synthesis; carbohydrate metabolism;
drug & poisons detoxification; calcium storage

2. Rough ER (ribosomes, so appears rough)

 Making secretory protein (such as insulin,
glycoproteins..)
 Addition of membrane proteins & phospholipids to its
own membrane
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 Golgi Apparatus
 Manufacturing center (such as
polysaccharides), warehousing, sorting &
shipping products of ER to other destinations

Lysosomes
 Contain hydrolytic enzymes (specialized
proteins speed up chemical reactions in cells)
that digest all kinds of macromolecules

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 Mitochondria
1.Found in eukaryotic cells (plants, animals,
fungi, & protists)

2.Cells have a single large mitochondrion or

many of mitochondria

3.Contains enzymes, DNA & ribosomes; so

involved in metabolic activity such as ATP
(Adenosine-triphosphate ) production

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 Chloroplasts
 Contain green pigment chlorophyll, enzymes,
DNA, ribosomes

 Function in the photosynthetic production of

sugar

 Found in leaves & other green organs of

plants & in algae

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 Peroxisomes

1. Produce H2O2
2. Break fatty acids to produce energy
3. Detoxify harmful compounds (alcohol) in liver
4. Convert H2O2 (TOXIC) to H2O

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 Cytoskeleton

 A network of fibers including:

1. Microtubules
2. Microfilaments
3. Intermediate filaments

 Functions
1. Mechanically supporting the cell shape
2. Cell motility (movement)
3. Regulate the biochemical activities in the cell
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 Cilia and Flagella
 Attachment sticking out from some cells

 Enhance cell movement (Human sperm)

 Move fluid over the tissue surface
 For example, in woman’s reproductive
tract,
tract cilia lining the oviduct (fallopian tubes)
help move an egg toward the uterus

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Bacteria are microscopic & unicellular

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 Different shapes (spheres “cocci”, rods
“bacilli” & spirals)
 Smaller than eukaryotic cells
 Cell wall protects from bursting in a
hypotonic environment
 Cell wall is covered by a capsule (a sticky
layer) for adherences & protection from
attacks by other prokaryotes
 Dominate the biosphere
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 Adapt, reproduce and live in diverse places
(acidic, salty, cold or too hot)
 The internal structure & genome are simpler
than eukaryotes
 Genome:
1. Has ~1000 as much DNA
2. Consist of a ring of DNA (Single chromosome) that
is associated with few proteins
3. Chromosome located in a nucleoid region

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 A typical prokaryotic cell
may also have much smaller
rings of DNA called plasmids,
most consisting of only a few
genes

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