Vince Emmanuel M. Amandoron Gen.
Bio Grade 12 – Stem D
Cells Parts and it Functions
Plasma membrane- The membrane enclosing a cell
is made up of two lipid layers called a "bilipid"
membrane. The lipids that are present in the plasma
membrane are called "phospholipids."
These lipid layers are made up of a number of fatty
acid building blocks. The fatty acid that makes up this
membrane has two different parts to it- a small water
loving head- hydrophilic head. Hydro stands for water
and philic means liking or loving. The other part of this
fatty acid is a long water-repelling or water hating tail.
This tail is hydrophobic- Hydro stands for water
and phobic means fear. The plasma membrane is
arranged in such a way so that the tails face each
other on the inside and the heads face towards the
outside of the membrane.
Channels/pores- A channel in the cell's plasma
membrane. This channel is made up of
certain proteins that control the movement of
molecules, including food and water, into the cell.
Nucleus- The nucleus is the control center of the cell.
It is the largest organelle in the cell and it contains the
DNA of the cell.
DNA and Nucleolus
DNA(Deoxyribonucleic Acid) contains all the
information for cells to live, perform their functions
and reproduce.
Inside the nucleus is another organelle called
the nucleolus. The nucleolus is responsible for
making ribosomes.
The circles on the surface of the nucleus are the
nuclear pores. These are where ribosomes, and other
materials move in and out of the nucleus.
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)- It is a network of
membranes throughout the cytoplasm of the cell.
There are two types of ER.
When ribosomes are attached it is called rough ER
and smooth ER when there are no ribosomes
attached.
The rough endoplasmic reticulum is where most
protein synthesis occurs in the cell. The function of
the smooth endoplasmic reticulum is to synthesize
lipids in the cell. The smooth ER also helps in the
detoxification of harmful substances in the cell.
Ribosomes- Organelles that help in the synthesis of
proteins. Ribosomes are made up of two parts, called
subunits.
Ribosomes are made of one large and one small
subunit.
They get their names from their size. One unit is
larger than the other so they are called large and
small subunits.
Both these subunits are necessary for protein
synthesis in the cell. When the two units are docked
together with a special information unit called
messenger RNA, they make proteins.
Some ribosomes are found in the cytoplasm, but most
are attached to the endoplasmic reticulum. While
attached to the ER, ribosomes make proteins that the
cell needs and also ones to be exported from the cell
for work elsewhere in the body.
Golgi complex- It is the organelle in the cell that is
responsible for sorting and correctly shipping the
proteins produced in the ER. Just like our postal
packages, which should have a correct shipping
address, the proteins produced in the ER should be
correctly sent to their respective address. It is a very
important step in protein synthesis. If the Golgi
complex makes a mistake in shipping the proteins to
the right address, certain functions in the cell may
stop.
This organelle was named after an Italian
physician, Camillo Golgi. He was the first person to
describe this organelle in the cell. It is also the only
organelle that is capitalized.
Mitochondrion- This is the cell’s powerhouse. This
organelle packages the energy from the food you eat
into ATP molecules.
Every type of cell has a different amount of
mitochondria (plural). There are more mitochondria in
cells that have to perform lots of work, for example-
your leg muscle cells, heart muscle cells etc. Other
cells need less energy to do their work and have less
mitochondria.
Chloroplast- This is the organelle in
which photosynthesis takes place. In this organelle
the light energy of the sun is converted into chemical
energy.
Chloroplasts are found only in plant cells not animal
cells. The chemical energy that is produced by
chloroplasts is finally used to make carbohydrates like
starch that get stored in the plant.
Chloroplasts contain tiny pigments called chlorophylls.
Chlorophylls are responsible for trapping the light
energy from the sun.
Vesicles- This term literally means "small vessel".
This organelle helps store and transport products
produced by the cell.
The vesicles are the transport and delivery vehicles
like our mail and Federal Express trucks. Some
vesicles deliver materials to parts of the cell and
others transport materials outside the cell in a process
called exocytosis.
Vacuole- Plant cells have what looks like a very large
empty space in the middle. This space is called the
vacuole.
Don't be fooled, the vacuole contains large amounts
of water and stores other important materials such as
sugars, ions and pigments.
Cytoplasm- A term for all the contents of a cell other
than the nucleus. Even though the cartoon drawings
do not look like it, the cytoplasm contains mostly
water.
Some fun facts about water and the human body:
Adult bodies are about 50 to 65 percent water.
A child’s body has a little more water at 75
percent.
The human brain is about 75 percent water.
Cell wall and Plasmodesmata- In addition to cell
membranes, plants have cell walls. Cell walls provide
protection and support for plants. In land plants, the
cell wall is mostly made of cellulose.
Unlike cell membranes, materials cannot get through
cell walls. This would be a problem for plant cells if
not for special openings called plasmodesmata.
These openings are used to communicate and
transport materials between plant cells because the
cell membranes are able to touch and therefore
exchange needed materials.
Peroxisomes- These collect and safely break down
chemicals that are toxic to the cell.
Centrioles- These are found only in animal cells and
come into action when the cells divide, helping with
the organization of chromosomes.
Lysosomes- Created by the Golgi apparatus, these
help break down large molecules into smaller pieces
that the cell can use.
Cytoskeleton- Made up of filaments and tubules, it
helps shape and support the cell. It also helps things
move around in the cell. For artistic purposes, the
cytoskeleton is shown in just one place when in reality
it is found throughout the entire cell.
