The Fundamental

Unit of Life –
Cell !
 CELL
∙ The word cell is derived from the Latin word ‘cellula’ which
means a little room.

∙ Human body is composed of more than 200 different kinds of

cells, each specialized for distinctive functions as memory, sight,
movement and digestion.
 CELL
∙ A cell is the structural and functional unit of life.
∙ Cell is the building block of which all living
organisms are made.
∙ It is the smallest unit of life capable of all the living
functions.
LEVEL OF ORGANISATION
 DISCOVERY OF
CELL
∙ In 1665, Robert Hooke saw the cork resembled the structure
of honey comb consisting of many little compartments.
∙ Cork is obtained from the bark of a tree.
∙ He observed it through a self designed microscope
 DISCOVERY OF CELL
∙ Hooke observed cork’s honeycombed or porous structure.
∙ Hooke found porous structure of cork to resemble with monasteries
and called the units, cells.
∙ He published his work in a book ‘Micrographia’ in 1665.

Robert Hooke’s Dead Cork cells by Robert

microscope Hooke
 ANTON VON LEEUWENHOEK
∙ He made an improved microscope.
∙ He discovered sperm cells of humans, dogs, rabbits, frogs,
fish & insects.
 CELL THEORY
∙ In 1838, Jakob Matthias Schleiden, a German botanist proposed
the idea that all plants consist of cells.

∙ In 1839, Theodor Schwann, a German zoologist, proposed the idea

that all animals
consist of cells.
 OMNIS CELLULAE A
CELLULA
The cell theory was refined further in 1855, when another
German biologist, R. Virchow presented the idea that all cells
arise from pre-existing cells.
 CELL THEORY
1. All organisms are composed of cells and cell products (e.g.,
secretions).

2. All metabolic reactions take place in cells. Thus, cells are structural
and functional
units of life.
3. All cells arise from pre-existing cells only. No cell can originate
spontaneously or de novo (anew) but comes into being only
by division of already existing cells.

4. Every organism starts its life as a single cell. Viruses are an

exception to cell theory.
 INSTRUMENTS FOR STUDYING
CELLS
1. Light or Compound Microscope
∙ The simple student’s microscope which is often used in schools
is called
compound microscope.

∙ Many lenses are combined together and their magnification

power range from 300 to 1500 times.
∙ It uses glass lenses.

∙ It uses a beam of light illuminate the object.

∙ Internal vacuum is not essential.

 INSTRUMENTS FOR STUDYING
CELLS
2. Electron Microscope
∙ An electron microscope is a very large instrument that uses
electromagnets for
magnification and electrons for illumination.

∙ It uses very high voltage electricity.

∙ It uses electromagnets.

∙ It uses a beam of electrons instead of light.

∙ Internal vacuum is essential.

CELLS OF ONION
PEEL
 ROBERT BROWN
∙ Discovered nucleus in
plant cells

Nucleo
Nuclear us
pore Nucleopla
sm

Nuclear
envelope
 PURKINJE
In 1839, he coined the term Protoplasm.

Protoplasm : It is the living fluid substance present

inside the cell.
 PROTOPLASM
The contents of a living cell, contained within the plasma
membrane, form protoplasm. Protoplasm is usually differentiated
into the nucleus and cytoplasm.

Cytoplas
m
+
Nucleus
Protoplas
m
 GENE
∙ It is a distinct unit of hereditary information. Gene is inherited
from one generation to next and determines an observable
characteristic or trait of an organism.
∙ Genes have to carry coded information of parents to their children
or progeny, so that children remain exactly like their parents.
Generally a gene is made of DNA molecule, but sometimes it is
made of RNA molecule as observed in Tobacco mosaic Virus (TMV)
Non Cellular Organisms
∙ Lack any membrane

∙ Do not show characteristics of

life until they enter a living
body.

∙ They use host’s machinery to

reproduce

BACTERIOPH
AGE
(VIRUS)
 CELLULAR ORGANISMS

PROKARYOTIC EUKARYOTIC
CELLS CELL
 PROKARYOTIC
∙ CELL
Nucleolus is absent.
∙ Membrane bound cell organelles are absent.

∙ Cell division takes place by fission or budding

(no mitosis.)
 PROKARYOTIC
∙ CELLsmall (1-10 mm)
Size of a cell is generally

∙ Nucleus is absent (Nuclear region or nucleoid is not surrounded

by a nuclear membrane).
∙ It contains single chromosome.
 EUKARYOTIC
∙ CELL
Size of a cell is generally large (5-10 mm)
∙ Nucleus is present (Nuclear material is surrounded by a
nuclear membrane).
∙ It contains more than one chromosome.
 EUKARYOTIC
∙ CELL
Nucleolus is present.

∙ Membrane bound cell organelles such as mitochondria,

plastids, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus,
∙ Cell division occurs by mitotic or meiotic cell division.
 EUKARYOTIC CELL

Nucleus Nucleoid
It is larger in size. It is comparatively smaller in
size.
It has a covering of A covering membrane is
double m embrane absent. It lies free in the
envelope. cytoplasm.
Nucleolus is present in it. Nucleolus is absent it.
Complete DNA is present Single DNA molecule is
present.
DNA has histone proteins. Histones are absent.
 UNICELLULAR ORGANISMS
∙ ‘Uni’ means one, ‘cellular’ means cell.

∙ One cell performs all the activities of

organism.

∙ No division of labour
 UNICELLULAR ORGANISMS
∙ Only visible under the microscope.

∙ Their life span is short

∙ Examples – Amoeba, Chlamydomonas,

Paramoecium
 MULTICELLULAR ORGANISMS
∙ ‘Multi’ means many, ‘cellular means cell

∙ A single cell performs one or few activities of the

organism.
∙ Division of labour with in cells.
 MULTICELLULAR ORGANISMS
∙ These organisms are visible to the
naked eyes.
∙ Their life span is long

∙ Examples – Fungus, Plants and

Animals
 ORGANELLES
∙ There are components of cell to perform special
function.
∙ All cells have same organelles, no matter what their
function is.
∙ Eg. Endoplasmic reticulum, Mitochondria,
chloroplast etc.
There are 3 parts of
a cell
❑ Plasma
Membrane
❑ Cytoplasm

❑ Nucleus
 PLASMA MEMBRANE OR CELL
❑ It MEMBRANE
is thin, elastic and delicate living
membrane.
❑ It is present on the inner side of the cell wall,
in plants .
❑ It is made up of two
layers of lipid
molecules along with
protein molecules
embedded in it.
 PLASMA MEMBRANE OR CELL
MEMBRANE
❑ Also called as SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE MEMBRANE, because it
allows entry and exit of only few substances.

❑ It gives shape and rigidity to the cell.

Not Viruses do not have any

e: membranes.
 FUNCTIONS OF PLASMA MEMBRANE
❑ It gives definite shape to the cell.

❑ It provides protection to internal contents of the

cell.

❑ It regulates entry and exit of substances in and out

of the cell.
 FUNCTIONS OF PLASMA MEMBRANE
❑ The useful molecules enter the cell.

❑ Secretions and wastes leave the cell.

❑ Selective permeability of the cellular membranes enables the

cell to maintain homeostasis, i.e., a constant internal
environment inspite of the changes outside it.
 CELL WALL
❑ It is thick, nonliving and rigid.

❑ It is permeable and made up of cellulose and present in

plant cells only.
 FUNCTIONS OF CELL
❑ It determines WALL
the shape of the plant cell.
❑ It prevents drying up of cells.

❑ It protects plasma membrane & internal structures

of the cell.
 PROTOPLASM
❑ All the components of a living cell including the cell
membrane is known as Protoplasm

CYTOPLASM
❑ The Protoplasm which surrounds the nucleus
is called as Cytoplasm.
 DIFFUSION
❑ The spontaneous movement of a substance from a
region of high concentration to low concentration is
called diffusion.
❑ It plays an important role in gaseous exchange between the
cells as well as
the cells and its external environment.
 OSMOSIS
❑ The movement of water molecules from a region of high a
concentration to low concentration or from a region of
low solute concentration to high solute concentration
is called Osmosis.
 ENDOCYTOSIS
❑ It is the ingestion of material by the cells through the plasma
memebrane.
 PHAGOCYTOSI
S which means ‘cell
❑ It is a type of endocytosis
eating’.
❑ It is seen in protozoans like amoeba and in
some sponges.
 NUCLEUS
The nucleus is a large sphere inside the cell

❑ Nuclear Envelope → It is the outer and porous covering

of Nucleus.

❑ Nucleoplasm → It is the liquid substance inside the

Nucleus

❑ Nucleolus → It is present in
Nucleoplasm and has proteins.

❑ Chromatin → It is a thread like

genetic
material present inside the
Nucleus.
 ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
❑ It is a large network of membrane-bound tubes and sheets

❑ Some are connected to the nuclear membrane

❑ They serve as channels for the transport of materials

between various regions of cytoplasm.
❑ They function as a cytoplasmic framework to provide surface
for some of the biochemical activities of the cell.
 ROUGH ENDOPLASMIC
RETICULUM (RER)
❑ It has ribosomes attached to it.

❑ Their main function is to synthesize proteins.

❑ It is abundant in exocrine pancreatic cells and antibodies

secreting plasma
cells.
❑ It contains flattened sacs called cisternae.
 SMOOTH ENDOPLASMIC
RETICULUM (SER)
❑ It does not have any ribosomes attached to it

❑ Their main function is to manufacture proteins, lipids and

fats.

❑ SER also detoxify poisons and drugs from the liver cells
of vertebrate.

❑ It is abundant in liver and the testicular cells.

❑ It is mainly formed of vesicles and tubules.

 MEMBRANE BIOGENESIS
❑ The process of building the cell membrane with the help of
proteins and
lipids is called membrane Biogenesis.
 RIBOSOMES
❑ They can occur freely or some may remain attached to
Endoplasmic
Reticulum (RER).

❑ Their main function is to synthesize proteins.

❑ They are not bounded by membrane.

GOLGI APPARATUS
 GOLGI APPARATUS
❑ It was first described by Camilio Golgi.

❑ It consists of a system of membrane bound vesicles.

❑ These vesicles are parallel to eachother and are

called Cisterns.
 VACUOLES
❑ Vacuoles are storage sacs for solid or liquid contents.

❑ Vacuoles are small in animal cells & very large in plant cell (50-90%
of cell volume)
❑ In plants, vacuoles provide turgidity and rigidity to the cell
and also stores substances like amino acids, sugars, organic
acids, and some proteins.

Vacuole
Tonoplas
ts
 VACUOLES
❑ Covering of vacuole is called Tonoplast.
❑ Helps to maintain the osmotic pressure in a cell
(Osmoregulation).
 Animal Cell Plant Cell
Animal cells are generally small in Plant cells are larger than animal cells.
size.
Cell wall is absent. Cell wall is made up of Cellulose.
Except the protozoan Euglena, Plastids are present.
no animal cell has plastids.
Vacuoles are small and large in Large central vacuole is present.
number
Has complex and Simple units of Golgi apparatus are
prominent Golgi apparatus. present (Dictyosomes).