Essentials of Cellular Biology

For. Romualdo B. De Guzman, Jr., MSA, MBio

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR V

Chapter 4
Cell Structure and Function
 Cell Dicovery

Robert Brown (1831) a British botanist.

identify the central part of the cell and called it the
nucleus and also described the cytoplasm as the
grayish fluid that suspend inside the cell.
Dujardin (1835) a French biologist.
observed that cells are composed of fluid filled with
thick, jelly-like fluids the surround the cells and
called them protoplasm.
Cell Dicovery

Robert Hooked (1665)a British scientist.

He discovered tiny cubical shape mass from the
slice cork on his self-constructed microscope and
named it “cells”.
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek (1674) Dutch scientist.
made discoveries concerning protozoa, red blood
cells, capillary systems and the life cycle of the
insects out of his modified compound microscope.
Cell Dicovery

Matthias Schleiden (1838) and Theodore Schwann

(1839) a botanist and zoologist.
concluded that plants and animals are composed of
cells and developed the theory about cell.
Rudolf Vichow1858 by a German pathologist.
theory was basis of statement that, “all cells must
come only from pre-existing cells which become the
interest of other scientific studies about cell.”
 Cell Dicovery

German Engineer Max Knoll and Ernst Ruska in 1932.

 built and developed the first transmission
electron microscope that gives more detail in
discovering the different organelles inside the cell.
James Watson, American biochemist and Francis Crick,
British biophysicist in 1953.
 significant discovery about cells is the DNA structure.
 gave way to the science of molecular biology and it is
used in advance study like, genetics, molecular
systematic, organic chemistry, biochemistry and others.
Cell Defined as:

it is the basic fundamental unit of all living

organisms capable of duplication and
multiplication.
Types of Cells
1. Prokaryotic cells (Greek pro, before, and
Karyon, nucleus).
type of cell has no nucleus common characteristic
of bacteria with a size ranging from (1 to 10
microns).
outer part is composed of cell wall & plasma
membrane.
The cytoplasm contains ribosome, thylakoids and
innumerable enzyme.
nucleoid contain single chromosome consist of the
DNA.
 Types of Cells
2. Eukaryotic cells (Greek eu, true and karyon, nucleus).
 a true nucleus common characteristic of protists
(unicellular cell), fungi, plants and animals.
 consist plasma membrane, cytoplasm and a central
nucleus.
 nucleus is membrane bounded containing multiple
chromatin and DNA inside it.
 plasma membrane made of phospholipids bi-
layer .
 Cytoplasm contains organelles for control, synthesis and
metabolic processes inside the cell.
 Cells and Tissues – C, O, H, N

 Carry out all chemical activities needed

to sustain life.
 Cells are the building blocks of all living
things
 Tissues are groups of cells that are
similar in structure and function
 Structure reflects function
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.1
 Anatomy of the Generalized Cell
 Cells are not all the same
 All cells share general structures
 Cells are organized into three main
regions
 Nucleus
 Cytoplasm
 Plasma membrane

Figure 3.1a
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Slide 3.2
Cummings
 The Nucleus
 Control center
of the cell
 Contains genetic
material (DNA)
 Three regions
 Nuclear
membrane
 Nucleolus
 Chromatin
Figure 3.1b

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.3
 Nuclear Membrane – double
membrane or envelope
 Barrier of nucleus
 Consists of a double phospholipid
membrane
 Contain nuclear pores that allow for
exchange of material with the rest of the
cell – selectively permeable

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.4
 Nucleoli

 Nucleus contains one or more nucleoli

 Sites of ribosome production
 Ribosomes then migrate to the
cytoplasm through nuclear pores

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.5
 Chromatin (when not dividing)

 Composed of DNA and protein

 Scattered throughout the nucleus
 Chromatin condenses to form
chromosomes when the cell divides

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.6
 Plasma Membrane
 Barrier for cell contents
 Double phospholipid layer (fat – water)
 Hydrophilic heads
 Hydrophobic tails
 Other materials in plasma membrane
 Protein
 Cholesterol
 Glycoproteins
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.7a
 Plasma Membrane

Figure 3.2
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 Cytoplasm

 Material outside the nucleus and inside

the plasma membrane
 Cytosol
 Fluid that suspends other elements
 Organelles
 Metabolic machinery of the cell
 Inclusions
 Non-functioning units – fat, pigments…..
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 Cytoplasmic Organelles

Figure 3.4

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 Cytoplasmic Organelles

 Ribosomes
 Made of protein and RNA
 Sites of protein synthesis
 Found at two locations
 Free in the cytoplasm
 Attached to rough endoplasmic reticulum

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.11
 Cytoplasmic Organelles
 Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
 Fluid-filled tubules for carrying substances
 Two types of ER
 Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
 Studded with ribosomes
 Site where building materials of cellular
membrane are formed
 Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
 Functions in cholesterol synthesis and
breakdown, fat metabolism, and detoxification
of drugs
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.12
 Cytoplasmic Organelles

 Golgi apparatus
 Modifies and packages proteins

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.13a
 Cytoplasmic Organelles

Figure 3.5

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 Cytoplasmic Organelles

 Mitochondria
 “Powerhouses” of the cell
 Change shape continuously
 Carry out reactions where oxygen is used
to break down food
 Provides ATP for cellular energy

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.15
 Cytoplasmic Organelles

 Cytoskeleton
 Network of protein structures that extend
throughout the cytoplasm
 Provides the cell with an internal
framework

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.16a
 Cytoplasmic Organelles

 Cytoskeleton
 Three different types
 Microfilaments
 Intermediate
filaments
 Microtubule
s
Figure 3.6

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.16b
 Cytoplasmic Organelles

 Centrioles
 Rod-shaped bodies made of microtubules
 Direct formation of mitotic spindle during
cell division

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.17
 Other Cell Parts Found in Plants
• Cell wall.
as support structure of the cell and protects the
protoplasm within.
the middle lamella composed of sticky,
gelatinous carbohydrates called as pectic substance.
It is capable of absorbing and holding substances
in large quantities through its perforation called as
plasmodesmata.

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.17
 Other Cell Parts Found in Plants
• Protoplasm.
as the living substance and sometimes almost
as fluid as water.
composed of salts and organic compound.
bulk of the protoplasm is the cytoplasm & in
the nucleus is the nucleoplasm.

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.17
 Other Cell Parts Found in Plants
• Vacuoles.
 bulk of most mature cells of higher plants.
fluid-filled sac with enlarge spaces between
two layers of endoplasmic reticulum and a
membrane bound droplet.
contains water w/ dissolved pigment.
main water storage of the cells and turgor
keeps cells, tissues and organs firm.

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.17
 Other Cell Parts Found in Plants
Plastids.
common to plants and usually contain
photosynthetic pigment.
flattened and ellipsoid in shape.
contains grana that is like short stock of coins
that is composed of protein and fatty
substances.
Green plastids or with green pigment
(chlorophyll) are called as
chloroplast.
Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.17
Other Cell Parts Found in Plants
 Other Cell Parts Found in Plants
Plastids.
 Yellow or red pigment plastids are called as
chromoplast
found in carrot as carotene
tomatoes as lycopene.
Colorless plastids are called as leucoplast.
Other store starch (amyloplast) or oil (elioplast).

Copyright © 2003 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Slide 3.17