Chapter 4

Cells and Cell Theory

Page 1

  • Historical Observations

    • Robert Hooke (1665): First to observe cells using a microscope.

    • Mathias Schleiden (1838) and Theodor Schwann (1839): Proposed the Cell Theory.

  • Cell Theory Principles

    1. Organisms are composed of one or more cells where heredity and metabolism occur.

    2. Cells are the smallest living things and the basic unit of an organism.

    3. Cells arise only from the division of previous cells.


Cell Size and Structure

Page 2

  • Cell Size Limitations

  • Cell size: 1 unit= radius surface area=12.57

    • Most cells are small and round due to diffusion reliance.

  • Factors Affecting Diffusion Rate

    • Surface area

    • Temperature

    • Concentration gradient

    • Distance

  • Nonpolar materials can pass freely inside the cell

  • Cells are semi permeable

Page 3

  • Surface Area-to-Volume Ratio

    • Small round cells have advantages over larger cells.

    • As cell size increases, volume increases faster than surface area, slowing diffusion.

    • Some large cells adapt by having multiple nuclei (e.g., muscle cells) or elongated shapes (e.g., neurons).


Microscopy

Page 4

  • Visibility of Cells

    • Most cells are less than 50 μm in diameter; not visible to the naked eye.

  • Resolution

    • It’s the minimal distance of two points apart that can be two separate points

      • Minimum distance for the naked eye to distinguish two points is 100 μm.

Page 5

  • Types of Microscopes

    • Light Microscopes

      • Use visible light and two magnifying lenses.

      • Resolve structures 200 nm apart.

      • Limited resolution

    • Electron Microscopes

      • Use electron beams.

      • Resolve structures 0.2 nm apart.

      • Types include Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopes.


Cellular Components

Page 6

  • Size Scale of Cellular Components

    • Most cells are microscopic; cell membranes are 5 nm thick.

    • Light microscopes resolve structures 200 nm apart; electron microscopes resolve 0.2 nm.

Page 7

  • Basic Structural Similarities in All Cells

    1. Nucleoid or nucleus (where DNA is located).

    2. Cytoplasm (semifluid matrix of organelles and cytosol).

    3. Ribosomes (synthesize proteins).

    4. Plasma membrane (phospholipid bilayer with proteins).


Prokaryotic Cells

Page 8

  • Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells

    • Simplest organisms with a wall and membrane covering the cytoplasm.

    • Two domains: Archaea and Bacteria.

      • Archaea has sugar and proteins

      • Bacteria is made with peptidoglycan susceptible to antibiotics

    • Lack a membrane-bound nucleus, DNA in nucleoid.

    • has ribosomes

Page 9

  • Organelles in Prokaryotes

    • Some contain organelles like magnetosomes for navigation found in magnetotactic bacteria

    • May have infoldings of the plasma membrane for reaction aggregation.

Page 10

  • Bacterial Microcompartments (BMCs)

    • Cellular compartments bounded by a semipermeable protein shell.

    • Functions include isolating metabolic processes and storage.

Page 11

  • Cytoskeletons in Prokaryotes

    • Possess molecules related to actin and tubulin influencing cell shape.

    • Cell wall determines strength and shape.

Page 12

  • General Prokaryotic Cell Structure

    • Nucleoid visible as a dense region.

    • Some have pili and flagella for movement, rotating it using the power of a proton gradient.

  • Bacteria cell walls

    • Composed of peptidoglycan, different glom plants

    • Maintain shape and prevent excessive uptake or loss of water

  • Archaea cells

    • Lack peptidoglycan

    • Thermally protected by hydrocarbons attaching to glycerol at both ends


Eukaryotic Cells

Page 16

  • Animal vs. Plant Cells

    • Animal Cells

      • Have plasma membrane, cytoskeleton, and most organelles.

      • No cell wall, chloroplasts, or large vacuoles.

    • Plant Cells

      • Have plasma membrane, cell wall, chloroplasts, and large vacuoles.

      • Thylakoids is the sit for light driven atp

      • Glyoxysome is fat to sugar conversion though glyoxylate cycle

Page 19

  • Nucleus Structure

    • Repository of genetic information.

    • Contains nucleolus for ribosomal RNA synthesis.

    • Surrounded by a nuclear envelope with pores for material movement.

Page 22

  • Endomembrane System

    • Largest internal membrane

    • Comprises the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus.

    • Rough ER synthesizes proteins

      • SER (Smooth ER)

        • no bound ribosomes

        • most membrane lipids are formed here

        • Ca2+ is stored here

        • performs modification of substances

Page 24

  • Golgi Apparatus

    • Stacks of membranes for sorting and distributing proteins and lipids.

      • Cis face (front) and trans face (back) membranes have different compositions

      • protiens are made in the SER/RER in cis and converted to glycoprotiens/lipids by carb additions and rhen pinched off trans face

Page 25

  • Lysosomes

    • Organelles containing hydrolytic enzymes for degrading cellular debris.

    • activated by fusing with phagcytosis or a worn our organelle

      • this activated the lysosomal membrane

      • low pH activates the hydroltyic enzymes

Page 26

  • Peroxisomes

    • Contain enzymes for fatty acid oxidation and detoxification.

Page 27

  • Vacuoles

    • Membrane-bound structures for storage and maintaining osmotic pressure.


Cellular Processes

Page 30

  • Mitochondria

    • Semiautonomous organelles involved in sugar metabolism and ATP production.

Page 31

  • Chloroplasts

    • Organelles in plants for photosynthesis, containing thylakoids with chlorophyll.

Page 32

  • Endosymbiosis Theory

    • Proposes that eukaryotic organelles evolved from symbiotic prokaryotes.


Cytoskeleton and Cell Movement

Page 33

  • Cytoskeleton

    • Network of protein fibers (actin, microtubules, intermediate filaments) for support and movement.

Page 34

  • Centrioles

    • Organelles involved in microtubule organization during cell division.


Cell Interactions

Page 44

  • Cell-to-Cell Interactions

    • Surface proteins allow cells to identify and communicate with each other.

Page 45

  • Types of Cell Connections

    1. Adhesive junctions: Mechanically attach cells.

    2. Tight junctions: Prevent leakage between cells.

    3. Communicating junctions: Allow signal passage between cells.


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