Ultrastructure of Eukaryotic Cells

Lesson Objectives: Keywords:

ultrastructure
• 3.1 Know that all living organisms are made of cells,
nucleolus
sharing some common features.
mitochondrion
• 3.2 Know the ultrastructure of eukaryotic cells, smooth ER
including nucleus, nucleolus, ribosomes, rough and rough ER
smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria,
Golgi apparatus
centrioles, lysosomes, and Golgi apparatus.
centrioles /
• 3.5 Be able to recognise the organelles in 3.2 from centrosome
electron microscope (EM) images. lysosome
Starter: GCSE recap
1. Draw an animal cell – Label the
organelles
2. Identify the levels of organisation
in a living organisms
 Smallest
Cell
A group of
cells

A group of
Tissue tissues
Biggest
A group of
Organ
organs

Organ System
(circulatory
system)
 Definitions
• Tissue: A group of cells with similar structure and
function that work together to perform a particular
job
• Organ: A part of an animal or plant made up of
several tissues working together to do a specific
job.
• Organ System: A group of organs working together
to perform a particular function
 Light Microscope
• Previously we have only ever used light microscopes to
view cells.
• These are not as powerful as other microscopes and so
we could not see all the smaller structures present in the
cell.
Light Microscope
images

Onion skin showing cell

walls and nuclei.

Cheek cells showing cell

membranes and nuclei.
 Microscope Improvements
However microscopes have improved significantly
allowing for higher magnifications and resolutions
providing more detail within cells.
Scanning Electron
Microscope images

SEM of a plant cell featuring many more

organelles.

SEM of an animal cell featuring

many more organelles.
 The structure of animal cells
ribosome
smooth ER
mitochondrion
nucleolus
centriole
nucleus

cytoplasm
rough ER
cell
Golgi membrane
apparatus lysosome
Task: Using the information provided complete the
following table
Organelle Description Function
Nucleus and nucleolus

Mitochondrion
Centrioles
Ribosomes
Cell Membrane
Rough Endoplasmic
Reticulum
Smooth Endoplasmic
Reticulum

Golgi Apparatus
Lysosome
 Nucleus and nucleolus
nucleus
nucleolus • Enclosed in an envelope
composed of two membranes,
nuclear perforated by pores
pore • Contains chromosomes and a
nucleolus
nuclear
membrane nucleolus
where ribosomes are made
nucleoplasm chromosomes
 Nucleus and nucleolus
nucleus
nucleolus • Enclosed in an envelope
composed of two membranes,
nuclear perforated by pores
pore • Contains chromosomes and a
nucleolus
nuclear
membrane nucleolus
where ribosomes are made
nucleoplasm chromosomes
 Mitochondria
mitochondrion (-a)
outer membrane • site of aerobic respiration
• double membrane
• inner membrane folded into
cristae
outer membrane
matrix

inner
membrane

matrix

inner
membrane
 Centrioles
centrioles
centrioles • Hollow cylinders made from a ring of
9 protein microtubules – polymers of
globular proteins arranged into a
helix to form a hollow tube
• form the mitotic spindle
• 2 per cell (pair = centrosome)
centrosome
 Ribosomes
ribosomes
large subunit • where protein synthesis takes
tRNA place (binds to mRNA and tRNAs)
binding • made of rRNA and protein
sites • free in cytoplasm or bound to ER

mRNA small subunit

 Cell membrane
cell membrane
phospholipid • controls movement of molecules
in and out of cell
• lipid bilayer
• Contains proteins and other
molecules
• Partially permeable membrane

phospholipid bilayer
 Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (rER)
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
smooth ER • system of interconnected
membrane bound, flattened sacs
nucleus
(cisternae)
• synthesis of membrane-bound
or secreted proteins
• covered with ribosomes

nucleus

rough ER ribosome

rough ER ribosome
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (sER)
smooth ER
smooth ER
• synthesis of lipids + hormones
 Golgi apparatus
cisternae
Golgi apparatus
• modification and packaging of
proteins for transport
Golgi • stack of 4-5 flattened membrane-
bound sacs (cisternae) formed by
fusion of vesicles from the ER
vesicle • vesicles (small membrane sacs)
moving between Golgi cisternae
cisternae

Golgi

vesicle
 Lysosome
lysosome lysosome
• breakdown of material in cell or
whole cells
• single membrane
• Spherical sacs containing
digestive enzymes

lysosome