Cells

Chapter 3 Cells

3-1 At the Boundary of the Cell

Cells: The Smallest Vessels of Life

n  Smallest unit that can carry out all the activities necessary for life.

n  Your body is composed of trillions of cells.

n  Cells are microscopic

Leewenhoek

n  1st person to observe & describe microscopic organisms & living cells.

n  Made the 1st microscope

Robert Hooke

n  Examined dead cork cells

Schleiden

n  Observed and studied plant cells in 1838.

Theodor Schwann

n  Reported in 1839 that animals were made of cells.

Cell Theory

n  All organisms are composed of cells

n  Cells are the basic unit of organization of life.

n  All cells come from other cells.

Cell Membrane

n  It is the outer covering of a cell.

n  Controls substances enterring and leaving a cell.

n  The cell membrane encloses the contents of the cell, allows materials to enter and leave the cell, and is selectively permeable.

Measurements of a cell

n  Surface area of a cell is a measurement of the exterior.

n  Volume is a measurement of the internal contents.

n  When the volume of a cell increases, its surface area increases at a slower rate.

n  As a cell size increases, the surface-area-to-volume ratio decreases.

n  The size to which a cell can grow is limited by its surface area.

n  Surface area is an important factor in limiting cell growth because the cell may become too large to take in food & remove waste.

n  All cells are surrounded by water.

n  Water is also present inside a cell.

n  Membrane is shaped by the water found inside & outside the cell.

Polar molecule

n  A molecule that has a partial negative charge on one side & a partial positive charge on the other side.

Hydrogen bond

n  Linkage formed when a hydrogen atom in one molecule makes an additional bond to an atom in another molecule.

n  “water” “born”

nonpolar molecules

n  There is no negative & positive poles.

n  Polar & nonpolar substances, like oil & water, will separate after being mixed.

3-2 Membrane Architecture

n  Basic building block of a cell membrane is a kind of lipid molecule called a phospholipid.

Phospholipids

n  Contain phosphate & nitrogen

n  have nonpolar tails & polar heads

n  form the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane

Lipid bilayer

n  Double layer of phospholipids found in cell membranes & organelles.

2 characteristics of lipid bilayers

n  Most polar molecules can’t go across a cell membrane.

n  Their phospholipid & protein molecules are not rigidly fixed in place.

Channels

n  Proteins act as passageways through which only certain molecules can pass.

n  Most of the food & waste pass through

Receptors

n  Proteins transmit information into the cell by reacting to certain other molecules.

Markers

n  Proteins are the “name tags” of cells giving each an identity.

n  Protein that fits into the cell membrane has two polar ends that are attracted by water, floats, & has a nonpolar middle section.

Protein structure is variable

n  Page 49

n  3 basic sections in figure 3-11

3-3 Inside the Cell

n  Two categories of cells are eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.

n  Refer to table 3-1

Eukaryotic cells

n  Large complex cell that contains a nucleus.

n  Organisms with these types of cells are called eukaryotes.

Eukaryotic Cell

n  Well defined nucleus surrounded by a nuclear envelope.

n  Scientist think they evolved 1.5 billion years ago.

n  Eukaryotic cells have a system of internal membranes.

n  Eukaryotic cells contain specialized structures called organelles.

n  Eukaryotic cells are the only cells with membrane-bound organelles.

Prokaryotic cells

n  Very small, simple cell that lacks a nucleus.

n  “before nucleus”

n  organisms are called prokaryotes “ancient life forms”

n  Bacteria is an example

Cytoplasm

n  The fluid that surrounds all organelles inside the cell.

Ribosome

n  Structures on which proteins are made.

Cytosol

n  Cytoplasm consists of an aqueous space.

Organelle

n  A specialized compartment that carries out one or more specific functions.

Cell functions

n  Use energy

n  maintain homeostasis

n  reproduce

Nucleus

n  Directs cell activities

n  serves as the storage center for the cell’s DNA, which contains heredity information.

n  Nucleus is encased in a double membrane called the nuclear envelope.

n  Cell’s activities are regulated by molecules that pass through the nuclear envelope.

Mitochondria

n  Energy that drives a cells activities are produced here.

n  Powerhouse of a cell.

Chloroplasts

n  Found in plant cells and make chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis.

n  Chloroplasts & mitochondria contain their own DNA.

Endoplasmic Reticulum

n  Helps maintain homeostasis by moving substances from one part of a cell to another.

n  The cell manufactures many proteins and lipids on the surface of the ER.

n  Rough ER-present of ribosome's

n  Smooth-absent of ribosome's.

Golgi Apparatus

n  Cell’s packaging & distribution center.

Cytoskeleton

n  Mesh-like network of protein fibers that supports the shape of a cell.

Function of the Golgi Apparatus

n  Receives proteins & lipids from the ER.

n  Packages molecules made in the ER.

n  Involve in the distribution of proteins.

Cell Wall

n  Only in plant cell’s.

n  gives the cell strength and rigidity.

n  Contains carbohydrates, cellulose, and protein.

Vacuole

n  Found in animal & plant cells, but are more highly developed in plant cells.

n  Store waste, nutrients, & water.

Cell Theory

n  Cell’s arise from existing cells.

Magnification

n  Ability to make an object appear larger.

n  Objective lens x ocular lens.

n  Most powerful microscope is about 2,000 X

Resolution

n  Is its capacity to distinguish different objects that are close to one another.

n  Fuzzy images are due to poor resolution.

Light Microscope

n  Light passes through one or more lenses to produce an enlarged image of a specimen.

Compound Microscope

n  Uses two lenses to magnify cells.

n  A light microscope.

Micrograph

n  Image produced by a microscope.

Electron Microscope

n  Have higher magnifying power than light microscopes.

n  Can’t be used to view living organisms.

Scanning Microscope

n  STM used to see living organisms.