Topic: Cell structure and levels of organisation

Learning Objectives:

1.Describe and compare the structure of a

plant cell with an animal cell, limited to
cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm,
chloroplasts, ribosomes, mitochondria
vacuoles.
Topic : Cells
• Cell Structure:
• All living organisms are made of cells.
• Cells are very small, so large organisms contain millions of cells.
• Some organisms are unicellular, which means that they are made of
just single cell.
• Bacteria and yeast are examples of single-celled organisms.
Topic: Cells
• Cells can be defined as the basic structural and functional unit of all
living organisms.

• Cells are the basic building blocks of life. They are the simplest units
that have all the characteristics of life.
Topic : Cells
• Cells are formed from different molecules organized in a specific
manner.
• Many chemical reactions occur continuously inside our cells in order
to keep us alive.
• Cells are like chemical factories. They take in raw materials and
process these materials to make new molecules.
• Cells can only be seen under microscope.
Topic: Cells
Cell structure and organization
(cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms and adapted cells)

Cell: It is the organization of molecules which can exist independently

and exhibit characteristics of life. It is the smallest unit of life.

The living matter, inside the cell, is referred to as protoplasm.

Protoplasm includes the cell membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus.
Types of cells
• There are two fundamental types of cells
• Prokaryotic cells: cells without a nucleus or any other membrane
bound organelles e.g. cells of bacteria (only example).
• Eukaryotic cells: cells with the nucleus and other membrane bound
organelles e.g. cells of all organisms other than bacteria. Eukaryotic
cells are also, generally identified as plant and animal cells.
Differences between Prokaryotic and
Eukaryotic cells
Prokaryotic cells Eukaryotic cells
• For example all bacteria. • All higher plants and animals
• Nucleus absent • Nucleus absent
• DNA is naked(without proteins or any • Membrane and non membrane bound
other type of molecules)in form of loop. organelles are present.
• In addition of that naked circular DNA • Linear double stranded helical DNA
called plasmids may or may not be molecules wrapped around protein
present,but if present plasmids are only molecules called
in prokaryotes. chromatin/chromosomes
• Membrane bounded organelles e.g present,enclosed in nucleus.
mitochondria etc are absent. • Plasmids are absent
• Non membrane bounded organelles are • Naked DNApresent in mitochondria and
present e.g. Ribosomes. chloroplast of eukarotic cells.
Bacteria
Bacterial cell (e.g. prokaryotic cell)
Animal cell

• Animal cell is also called protoplasm as it is composed of cell

membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus.
Plant cell
• Whereas a plant cell or any other cell wall containing cells(fungus
and algae) are protoplasm + cell wall. The cell wall is not included in
living matter but is non-living part of the cell.
Eukaryotic cell
Details of Eukaryotic Cells: Animal and Plant Cells

1. Cell Wall: It forms the outer most layer of the

plant cell. It is completely permeable and
allows water molecules and dissolved
substances to pass through it without
classification/sorting.
It forms the hard, inflexible, rigid and thick
layer.
Cell wall
• It maintains the shape of the plant cell.
The cell wall can tolerate/withstand turgor
pressure(force or pressure exerted by the cell
membrane onto the cell wall due to the
inward movement of water).
The cell wall is made up of cellulose, an
insoluble and complex carbohydrate.
Plant cell
Longitudnal section(L.S)
Cellulose fibres from plant cell wall
Cellulose fibres under scanning electron microscope(SEM)
Cell Membrane
• It is composed of 60% proteins and 40% lipids or fats. Proteins can be
enzymes, transporter/carrier/receptor proteins.
Transporter/carrier/receptor proteins facilitate active and bulk transport.
While through lipid(fat) part diffusion of particles occur.
• The cell membrane is also called the unit or
plasma membrane because this is the
membrane which is also to form membranes
of different organelles.
• It is flexible and elastic in nature just like
plasma i.e. neither hard nor soft(not solid or
liquid).
Functions of cell Membrane
1.The cell membrane is partially or selectively
permeable and only allows certain molecules
to pass through while restricts others.
2.Cell membranes are sites of diffusion ,osmosis,
facilitated diffusion and active transport and
bulk transport
3.It controls the active transport and bulk
transport of the cell.
Functions of cell Membrane
4.The cell membrane isolates the inner contents
of the cell from its outer contents,allowing
only the required molecules to enter,or those
which match the pore size of the membrane.
5.It forms the outer most boundary of animal
cells and present in the inner part of the cell
wall,in plant cells.
Functions of cell Membrane
6.The cell membrane along with the tonoplast
(the membrane of the vacuole of plant cells)
creates Turgor pressure due to endosmosis
(inward movement of water molecules) in the
plant cell.
Cytoplasm
Cytoplasm is a jelly like fluid present in between the cell membrane
and nucleus.
Cytoplasm is composed of 70% to 90% water and 30% to 10% solutes.
The organelles(subunits within cells,for specific functions) are also
present in cytoplasm.
Cytoplasm is transparent fluid that shows streming movements due to
which solutes get distributed,evenly,within the cell.
Cytoplasm
Organelles can also change their positions within the cell due to the
streaming movement of cytoplasm.
These solutes include glucose,amino acids,soluble proteins like
enzymes,salts and vitamins.
Many chemical reactions takes place in the cytoplasm.
Cell Organelles
The cell organelles in the cell include both membrane bound and non-
membrane bound organalles (organelle means little organ):
Membrane bound organelles:
1.Mitochondria
2.Chloroplast
3.Vacuoles
4.Endoplasmic Reticulum
5. Goli bodies
Cell Organelles
Non- membrane bound organelles Include: 1.Centrioles
2.Ribosomes
3.Cilia
4.Flagella
5.Microvilli
6.Root hair
Mitochondria
1. Mitochondria:
It is oval shaped,double membrane bounded
organelle.
The inner membrane,Cristae,is folded.
The cristae increases the surface area to
volume ratio,to accommodate more
molecules that are required for respiration.
Mitochondria
Mitochondria are considered as the power house of cells as along side
cytoplasm ,it is the site for aerobic respiration.
Releasing energy and producing ATP molecules which are
unstable,energy rich compounds,that decompose/breakdown readily
to release energy for work to be done.
Mitochondria
Mitochondria
Mitochondria
Chloroplast
Present only in photosynthetic plant cells.Absent in animal cells.
It is double membrane bounded organelle.Both membranes are
smooth.
In fluid filled space of chloroplast,stacks of small membranous packets
are present called granum,containing green pigment chlorophyll in
them to absorb light energy for photosynthesis.
It is oval in shape.
Site for photosynthesis.
Chloroplasts
Structure of chloroplast
Chloroplasts
Structure of chloroplast
Vacuoles
Animal cell:
There can be few to many vacuoles or vesicles present in an
animal cell.
They store contents e.g secretions which needs to be
isolated from cytoplasm as they are not needed at that time
or needs to be transported outside the cell e.g enzymes.
These vacuoles are not permanent,rather they are
temporary and they keep on appearing and disappearing.
They are small in size.A small vacuole is called vesicle.
Vesicles are visible only under Electron microscope
Vacuoles
Animal cell:

Cell sap is absent in the vacuoles of animal cells.

Tonoplast is also absent.
What is cell Sap?
The liquid found inside the plant cell vacuole referred to as
the cell sap is a dilute fluid consisting of water, amino
acids, glucose and salts.

Cell sap serves as the storage of materials and provides

mechanical support, especially in non-woody plants. It has also
a vital role in plant cell osmosis.
Vacuoles
Plant cell:
One or two vacuoles are present.
The vacuole is large enough to be visible under a light microscope.
The vacuoles present in plant cells are permanent.
Cell sap is present in plant cells.It is dilute solution of salts,sugar and
water.
Vacuoles
Plant Cell:
• Tonoplast is present and allow water and salts and glucose to come
inside.
• Tonoplast is the membrane of the vacuole,enclosing space,which is
filled by cell sap.
• Vacuoles in plant cells contribute in creating turgor pressure along
with the cell membrane by filling itself with excess water.
Vacuoles
Plant cell:
• The pressure exerted by the water on the cell wall is called turgor
pressure.
Eukaryotic cell
Vacuoles present in plant and animal cell
Endoplasmic Reticulum(ER)
These are single membrane bounded tubular structures which form the
transport system of the cell.
There are two types of ER:
Smooth E.R(S.E.R):It is involved in metabolism of fats.Ribosomes are
not attached with them.
Rough E.R(R.E.R):It is involved in the metabolism of proteins and
ribosomes are attched with them as small circular structures,due to
which it appears rough.
Endoplasmic Reticulum(ER)
• The E.R extend from the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope
Endoplasmic reticulum
Golgi bodies
Stack of small tubules and golgi vesicles.
Together called golgi apparatus /gogi bodies
Produce secretions e.g. secretions,hormones,antibodies and
neurotransmitters, mucus and enzymes.
Golgi bodies
Golgi bodies
Ribosomes (non membrane bound organelles
They are small non membrane bounded organelles composed of two
units,one large and one small.
Ribosomes help in protein synthesis by providing site to join amino
acids in a particular sequence to make a specific type of protein in cell
cytoplasm.
Ribosomal subunits are synthesized in the nucleolus and cross
over the nuclear membrane to the cytoplasm through nuclear
pores.
Non membrane bound structures on RER
Help in protein synthesis
They are providing just the site for joining amino acids
DNA Rna and riosomes
Ribosomes
Protein synthesis
Centrioles(non membrane bound organelle)
• Centrioles are two in number and cylindrical in shape.
• They are present near the nucleus and are involved in cell division.
• Both centrioles are present in pairs at right angle to each other.
• They are present in only in animal cells but not
absent in plant cell and have a role to play in
cell division.
Centrioles