Lecture Two

Main topics

• Cellular organization.

• Prokaryotic cells versus eukaryotic cells.

• General features of the cell:

1. Cell size.
 Cellular organization
➢ Early studies described the cell as consisting of protoplasm
(=primary or essential substance) containing a nucleus and
surrounded by a delicate membrane known as cell or plasma
membrane.
➢ The protoplasm surrounding the cell became known as
cytoplasm while that of the nucleus is referred to as
nucleoplasm.
➢ EM revealed two basic plans of cellular organization:
1. Prokaryotes (before nucleus): simpler, with no nuclear
envelope or compartmentalization.
2. Eukaryotes (true nucleus): more complex, with nuclear
envelope and compartments known as organelles.
 nucleoid (DNA)

ribosomes

food granule

prokaryotic
flagellum

plasma membrane
cytoplasm cell wall
 PROKARYOTIC CELLS

 Haveno membrane-bound
organelles
 Include true bacteria
 On earth 3.8 million years
 Found nearly everywhere
 Spores in each breath;
intestines
 Naturally in soil, air, hot
springs
 EUKARYOTIC CELL

 larger than prokaryotic one and has a large number of

distinct membrane-bound organelles.

 Has a well-developed nuclear membrane.

 Presence of nucleoli, micro tubules, actin filaments,

intermediate filaments and the 9+2 arrangement of their

cilia, and flagella.

 The respiratory site is the mitochondrion.

 Division involves both mitosis and meiosis

 EUKARYOTIC CELLS

 Have numerous internal structures

 Various types & forms

 Plants, animals, fungi, protists

 Multicellular organisms
Eukaryotic Cell
(plant)
 nuclear pore
chromatin (DNA) nucleus
nucleolus
nuclear envelope
flagellum
intermediate
filaments

cytoplasm plasma
rough endoplasmic membrane
reticulum

ribosome
lysosome

microtubules
smooth endoplasmic
reticulum
Golgi
complex
free ribosome
vesicle
mitochondrion

vesicle
ANIMAL CELL VS. PLANT CELL
 Venn Diagrams

Compare and Contrast

Animal Cells Plant Cells

Cell membrane
Ribosomes
Nucleus
Endoplasmic Cell Wall
Centrioles reticulum Chloroplasts
Golgi apparatus
Lysosomes
Vacuoles
Mitochondria
Cytoskeleton
PROKARYOTIC VS. EUKARYOTIC
Prokaryotes Eukaryotes

Nucleus
Cell membrane Endoplasmic reticulum
Contain DNA Golgi apparatus
Ribosomes Lysosomes
Cytoplasm Mitochondria
Vacuoles Cytoskeleton
COMPARISON OF PROK. AND EUKAR.
CELLS
Feature Prok. Euk. (Animal)
Plasama membrane Yes Yes
Cell wall Yes No
Endoplasmic retic. No Yes
Golgi complex No Yes
Lysosomes No Yes
Peroxisomes No Yes
Nuclear envelope No Yes
Nucleolus No Yes
Mitochondria No Yes
9 + 2 cilia/flagella No Yes
Microtubules No Yes
Actin filaments No Yes
Intermediate filam. No Yes
Ribosomes Yes Yes
 Cell size
• Minute (bacteria 1µm).
• Large
e.g: egg cells of Ostrich 170*135 mm).
nerve cells 3-3.5 feet
• This variation in cell size due to difference in
the amount of nonliving material contained,
such as yolk and cellular excretions.
 Why most cells are small
Communication:
The difference regions of a cell need to communicate with one
another to function effectively.
• Proteins and organelles are being synthesized and
materials are continually entering and leaving the
cell.
• Diffusion of substances at some point, and the
larger a cell is, the longer it takes for substances to
diffuse from the plasma membrane to cell center.
 Why most cells are small
• An organism made up of many relatively small cells has
an advantage over one composed of fewer, larger cells.
• As cell size increases, its volume increases much more
rapidly than its surface area.
• Cell surface provides its only opportunity for interaction
with the environment, as all substances enter and exit a
cell via cell membrane.
• Cell membrane plays a key role in controlling cell
function.
• Due to small cells have more surface area per unit of
volume than large ones, the control is more effective
when cells are relatively small.
 Why most cells are small
• Although most cells are small, some cells are nonetheless
quite large and have apparently overcome the surface
area to volume problem by one or more adaptive
mechanisms:
For example:
• Some cells have more than one nucleus, allowing genetic
information to be spread around a large cell.
• Some large cells actively move material around their
cytoplasm so that diffusion is not a limiting factor.
• Some large own neurons, are long and skinny so that any
given point in the cytoplasm is close to cell membrane,
and thus diffusion between the inside and outside of the
cell can still be rapid.