BIOLOGY

Is the study of life and living

organisms
 Cell Theory
1. All living things are made up of one or more cells and
their products.
2. The cell is the simplest unit that can carry out all life
processes.
3. All cells come from other cells, they do not come
from non-living matter.
Cell Theory
Structures common to plants and
animals cells
 The Cell membrane
• The cell membrane is the barrier between what is
inside a cell and the environment outside a cell.
• It is responsible for keeping all of the cells materials
inside of the cell.
• It is thin enough to allow certain important molecules
such as oxygen and water go through the membrane in and
out of the cell, but does not let larger objects in and out of
the cell.
• It is made mainly out of fat molecules.
 2. The nucleus
• The nucleus is known as the “control centre” of the
entire cell. It contains all the instructions (known as DNA) for
what the cell does during its lifespan.
• The nucleus is usually the largest object inside the cell.
• The nucleus also has a membrane around it to
separate it from the rest of the cell. This barrier is known as
the “nuclear envelope.”
3. The mitochondria
 4. The endoplasmic reticulum
- The endoplasmic reticulum is responsible for
transporting objects around the cell just like a
highway transports people around the city.
 5. Ribosomes
• These are very small organelles (an organelle is any
structure inside a cell. For example, the nucleus,
mitochondria, are all organelles) that are barely visible with
the strongest of microscopes.
• Ribosomes are either attached to the ER or float freely
around the cell.
• Ribosomes are responsible for producing proteins
using the instructions (DNA) from the nucleus.
 6. Golgi apparatus
• The Golgi apparatus is an organelle that looks like a
bunch of empty balloons stacked on top of each other. It is
also made out of membrane.
• The Golgi apparatus is responsible for finishing
proteins. It receives proteins from the ribosomes and adds
the finishing touches to it. For example, pretend the
ribosome is an oven, which cooks a cake. The baker (the
Golgi apparatus) then adds icing to the cake to finish it.
 7. Vacuoles
- A vacuole is a single layer of membrane, inclosing
fluid in a sac. The functions of vacuoles include
containing some substances and removing unwanted
substances from the cell.
 8. Cytoplasm
• The cell is mainly fluid (water and other
chemicals). The cytoplasm includes all the organelles
(except the nucleus) and all the fluid inside of the
cell.
• It holds most of the nutrients that the cell needs.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANIMAL
AND PLANT CELLS
- There are three main diff erences between animal and plant cells.

Vacuole

Chloroplast
Cell
Wall
 Cell wall
1.Plants have a cell wall.
-Both animal and plant cells have a cell membrane. In addition
to the cell membrane, plants have a very hard structure known
as a cell wall around the cell membrane.
-The cell wall allows the plant to have a very firm structure
(since plants do not have skeletons like animals) and also helps
to protect the cell. Therefore, most plants have a square or
rectangle shape while animal cells are generally round in shape.
 Chloroplast
2. Plants have chloroplast.

•Plants have a special feature that allows them to

get all their energy from the Sun in a process
called photosynthesis. In order to perform
photosynthesis, plants have a specialized
organelle (structure within a cell), called a
chloroplast. Inside the chloroplast is a molecule
called chlorophyll. This molecule traps light from
the Sun and makes energy for the plant.
Chlorophyll molecules are green; therefore most
plants are green.
 Vacuole

- Plants have a large vacuole.

- In order for a plant to keep its structure and not wilt (plants
wilt when they die) the cells need to keep lots of water inside
of the cell in order to keep their shape just like water inside of
a balloon will allow the balloon to keep its shape.
- The water is stored in specific organelles called vacuoles.
Depending on what type of plant cell you are looking at, the
vacuole can take up most of the space inside of a plant cell.
Animal cells have vacuoles as well; they are just much smaller.
 Why Do Cells Divide?
• The cells you are born with do not last you for life. Each type of cell has a
different lifespan.
• The cells lining on your stomach are replaced every three days (because
they are always in contact with strong stomach acid).
• Red blood cells last 120 days, and some brain cells are with you most of
your life (which is why alcohol and drugs are dangerous: when they kill
your brain cells, you do not regrow these cells).
• Cells divide for 3 main reasons: Growth, Healing and Tissue Repair, and
Reproduction of Organisms.
 1. Growth
• You began your life as a single microscopic (small) cell and so
did every other organism (living thing) on this planet.
 The single cell replicates and divides into 2 cells. Those 2 cells
then divide into 4 cells. Those 4 cells divide into 8 cells, then
32 cells, then 64 cells, and so on. This continues until you
reach the 100 trillion cells found the in the average adult
human.
 1. Growth
• Why does a cell divide? In order for cells to survive, they
must be able to exchange materials with the environment.
Nutrients go into the cell while wastes from the cell leave and
enter the environment around the cell. In order for the cell to
do this, they must remain small; otherwise there is too much
cytoplasm to exchange with the outside environment. As
soon as a cell becomes too big, it divides.
 Osmosis
1. Diffusion is a transport mechanism for moving
chemicals in and out of the cell, from an area of higher
concentration to an area of lower concentration.
2. Concentration is the amount of a substance present in a
given volume of solution.
3. Osmosis is the movement of a fluid, usually water
across a membrane toward an area of high solute
concentration.
 2. Healing and Tissue Repair
• Every time you injure your body, cell division
occurs to repair the cells that have died.
• The cells grow over wounds and create scars.
 2. Healing and Tissue Repair
• If you injure too many cells at once, the body may
have trouble regenerating enough cells. For example, if you
lose a finger in an accident, it will not grow back. If you
damage too many cells in an organ or a blood vessel in an
accident, it may be fatal (cause death).
• Most brain cells do not heal or grow back so it’s very
important to make sure that these cells are not damaged (for
example: wearing helmets, not drinking or doing drugs).
 3. Reproduction of Organisms
• In order for new life to occur, cells must divide to
create a new organism.
• Some cells divide in male and female animals and then
join to create a new life, some new organisms are formed
from a few cells breaking off of from the parent and then
growing into the new organism (ex. Starfish).
 3. Reproduction of Organisms
- Asexual reproduction involves only one parent and the
offspring are exact genetic copies of the parent.
- Sexual reproduction produces offspring that have genetic
information from each parent.
- Those two parental cells are different from normal body cells;
they contain only half of the DNA and are called gametes.
- To produce gametes, some of the parents 'cells undergo an
additional cell division process called meiosis.
 Basic Building Blocks of Life
Both plants and animals are made of cells and these cells
contain many of the same organelles – but there are
differences.
 The Cell Wall
Plant cells have cell walls: rigid frames around
the cells that provide strength, protection,
and support.
They still have cell membranes!
Note that these cell walls can be rounded!
 Chloroplasts

Plant cells also have chloroplasts that contain

the substance chlorophyll, which uses solar
energy to perform photosynthesis.
Chloroplasts contain stacks, or grana, of little
sacs called thylakoids.
 The Vacuole

Although both animal and plant

cells have vacuoles, the vacuole Vacuole
in the plant cell is large and
centralized.
 Centrioles

Plant cells lack centrioles, those paired

structures involved in cell division, or
mitosis, in animal cells.
 Chemical differences

There are also chemical differences between

the cells: plant cells often store energy in the
form of starch or oils (cornstarch, corn oil),
and animal cells store energy in the form of
glycogen (a carbohydrate) or lipids (fats).