Cells
Cells
Cells
Cell wall
The cell wall is a rigid outer layer of plant cells. It surrounds the cell membrane. The
cell wall is non-living and is made up of cellulose, a polysaccharide. It is completely
permeable to water and mineral salts. Openings in the cell wall contain strands of
cytoplasm, called plasmodesmata, that connect adjacent cells. The cell wall of a
plant cell is joined to other cell walls by a thin layer of material called the middle
lamella.
Functions:
Protect the inner parts of the plant cell
Give plant cells a more uniform and regular shape
Provide support for the plant body
Cell membrane
The cell membrane surrounds the cytoplasm. It is part of the protoplasm, which is the
living part of the cell. The cell membrane consists mostly of lipid and protein
molecules. It is semi-permeable and controls the movement of substances into and
out of the cells.
The fluid mosaic model is a commonly accepted model that describes the arrangement
of lipid and protein molecules in cell membranes.
Diffusion
Diffusion is the meovement of particles from an area of high concentration to an area
of low concentration down a concentration gradient. Diffusion will continue untill all
molecules are spread out evely and a state of equilibrium is reached.
Diffusion occurs in living and non-living systems and is an example of passive
transport – no energy is needed.
Osmosis
Osmosis is the movement of water molecules across a selectively permeable
membrane from an area of high water potential to an area of low waterpotential, down
a water potential gradient until iquilobrium is reached. Pure water has the highest
water potential because there are no solutes present to lower the kinetic energy of the
water molecules.
Active transport
Active transport is the movement of substances through a semi-permeable membrane
in living cells against a concentration gradient. Energy in the form of ATP is needed.
Nucleus
The nucleus is the largest organelle in the cell and contains all the cell’s genetic
information in the form of DNA. The presence of a nucleus is the primary factor
that distinguishes eukaryotes from prokaryotes.
Cytoplasm
The cytoplasm is the jelly-like substance that fills the cell. It consists of up to
90% water. It also contains dissolved nutrients and waste products. Its main
function is to hold together the organelles which make up the cytoplasm. It also
nourishes the cell by supplying it with salts and sugars and provides a medium
for metabolic reactions to occur.
WEEK 9: TOPIC: Cells: The basic unit of life
Mitochondrion
Structure
Mitochondria are rod-shaped, cylindrical organelles.
A double membrane surrounds each mitochondrion’s fluid-filled matrix.
The outer membrane is smooth, and the inner membrane is folded inwards to
form finger-like projections called cristae.
Mitochondria contain their own DNA.
Functions
1. Cellular respiration – produces energy in the form of ATP
Ribosomes
Structure
Ribosomes are very small grain-like structures present in all kinds of plant and
animal cells, as well as in bacteria.
Each ribosome is about 15-20nm (nanometer) in diameter.
At higher magnifications ribosomes can be seen to consist of two parts,
namely a smaller and larger subunit.
They occur on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), in the cytoplasm, plastids and
in mitochondria.
Ribosomes may also occur singly or as free clusters in the cytoplasm.
When ribosomes occur in clusters in the cytoplasm, they are called
polyribosomes or polysomes.
Each ribosome is made up of protein and ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
Functions
1. Ribosomes are the sites of protein synthesis.
During this process, amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) are linked together
to form long polypeptide chains. The poly peptide chains are proteins.
Endoplasmic reticulum
Structure
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a system of tubes enclosed by membranes.
It is found in plants and animals.
The membranes appear to be continuous with the cell membrane and the
nuclear membrane.
There are two types of ER, i.e. rough ER (has ribosomes attached to it) and
smooth ER (has no ribosomes attached to it).
Functions
Golgi apparatus(bodies)
Structure
The Golgi apparatus is a stack of flattened sacs, called cisternae and many
spherical vesicles which have been broken off from the cisternae.
It is found in found in both plants and animal cells.
They measure 7 nm (nanometers) across.
Golgi apparatus has the same stricter as smooth ER.
Golgi bodies are found mostly in gland cells that secrete substances e.g.
goblet cells of the alimentary canal.
Functions
Ribosomes are the sites of protein synthesis and carry out carry out this work by
assembling amino acids in the appropriate sequence, as dictated by the mRNA
(messenger RNA). These organelles are most commonly found embedded in the
endoplasmic reticulum. Large scale protein synthesis is possible due to the very large
surface area offered by the endoplasmic reticulum to the ribosomes. The main function
of the endoplasmic reticulum is to transport the newly synthesized proteins over to the
Golgi apparatus. The primary role of Golgi apparatus is to modify the proteins and
encase them into vesicles. From here they are transported to the various parts of the
cell.
Hence the three cell organelles are related in their functions of protein synthesis and
transport.
WEEK 10: TOPIC: Cells: The basic unit of life
SUB-TOPIC: Plastids, Vacuoles & difference between plant and animal cells
Plastids
Structure
Structurally, plastids are double membrane-bounded as they have an outer
and inner membrane.
They are found only in plant cells.
There are 3 types of plastids: chloroplast, leucoplast and chromoplast.
Chloroplast
Vacuoles
Each plant cell usually has one large vacuole that takes up most of the cell’s volume.
Structure
Vacuoles are fluid-filled organelles that occur in the cytoplasm of most plant
cells.
A selectively permeable single membrane, the tonoplast, surrounds the
vacuole.
The vacuole contains cell sap, which is a liquid that consists of water, mineral
salts, sugars and amino acids.
Functions