cells and organelles

  • cells are the basic building blocks of life

    • they can replicate independently

    • they are the cells that make up an organism

  • there are multiple types of cells including

    • animal and plant cells

      • organelles are

        • cell membrane

          • control what goes inside and outside of the cell

          • a semi-permeable phospholipid bilayer

        • nucleus

          • contains the genetic material / dna of the cell

        • cytoplasm

          • a jelly like substance where the other organelles sit inside of

          • where the chemical reactions take place

        • mitochondria

          • provide cells with the energy needed to function

          • they break down sugars or glucose in aerobic respiration

        • ribosomes

          • site where protein is synthesised inside the cell

      • extra organelles in plant cells

        • cell wall

          • a hard wall around the cell made up of a material called cellulose

          • provides support and structure

        • vacuole

          • a sac inside the cell that contains cell sap (sugars, salts and water)

          • also found in the animal cell but in smaller proportions

        • chloroplasts

          • where photosynthesis happens

          • it produces a green substance called chlorophyll to absorb light energy

        • perixisome

          • the break down fatty acides and detoxify harmful substances

        • amyloplast

          • the synthesise and store large amounts of starch granules

        • granules

          • these primarily storage organelles

        • golgi vesicle

          • these bud off the golgi apparatus to modify, package, and transport proteins and lipids

      • extra organelles in the animal cells

        • lysosome

          • the are membrane-bound organelles that contain hydrolysis enzymes / acid hydrolase

          • the break down macromolecules

        • endoplasmic reticulum

          • rough

            • it is studded with ribosomes

            • it synthesises and folds proteins destined for secretion, cell membrane insertion, or lysosomes

          • smooth

            • lacks ribosomes

            • functions in lipid synthesis, steroid hormone production, detoxification and carbohydrate metabolisation

        • golgi apparatus

          • it modifies, sorts and packages proteins and lipids received from the endoplasmic reticulum into vesicles for delivery to lysosomes

        • nuclear membrane

          • it protects a eukaryotic cell’s genetic material by separating it from the cell membrane

        • centriole

          • organises microtubules during cell division to form mitosis spindle for chromosome seperation

        • centrosome

          • to organise the microtubules

        • microtubules

          • the provide structural support for intercellular transport of vesicles and organelles

    • bacterial cells

      • they are prokaryotic cells

        • this means they do not have a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles

      • the organelles are covered by the cell envelope (multiple layers of walls)

        • cell wall

          • protect the bacteria

          • it consists of peptidoglycan, which differentiates if bacteria is gram positive or gram negative

            • gram positive have a single thick layer of peptidoglycan above their cell membrane which allows the to retain staining dye

            • gram negative has a thin layer between the cell membrane and the plasma membrane

          • it also helps maintain the shape of the bacteria

            • the round bacteria is cocci, the rod shaped ones are called bacilli, appealed ones are spirilla and the ones with multiple forms are called pleomorphic

        • capsule

          • protects the bacteria against phagocytosis

          • it helps the bacteria adhere to surfaces

          • it is an important virulence factor (the power of a pathogen to cause disease)

        • plasma membrane

          • it encloses the cytoplasm (water, cell components, enzymes, molecules)

          • without the plasma membrane, the cell’s contents spill out

          • it acquires nutrients, eliminate waste and maintains constant organised state

          • it is selectively permeable, helps in respiration, photosynthesis and synthesis of lipids and cell wall components

        • ribosomes

          • sites of protein synthesis

          • they produce proteins that are destined to remain inside the cell

          • they can either be in the cytoplasm or attached to the plasma membrane

        • nucleoid

          • contains the cell’s chromosomes

            • the chromosomes are usually a single circle of double stranded DNA

            • some have a linear or more than one chromosome

        • plasmids

          • these are small double stranded DNA molecules that can exist independent of any chromosomes

          • they can be circular or linear

          • they have few genes and their genetic information is not important to the bacteria

          • the contain genes that can confer selective advantage to the bacterium (antibiotic resistance)

        • pili/fimbriae

          • these help the bacteria attach to surfaces

          • they are hair like structures on the bacteria’s body

          • when they are shorter they are called fimbriae, when they are longer pili

        • flagella

          • whip like protrusions that allow the bacteria to move


specialised cells

  • specialised cells are cells that have a structure that suits their function

  • the most common types of specialised cells are

    • the ciliated cells

      • these have hair-like projections called cilia that assisst in movement and transport

      • they move substances like mucus in the trachea and bronchi, ova in the fallopian tubes and cerebrospinal fluid in the brain

      • they have cilia, cell membrane, nucleus, mucus, cytoplasm and, mitochondria

    • root hair cells

      • these are epidermal cells at root tips with long, thin extensions that absorb water (osmosis) and mineral ions (active transport)

      • they lack chloroplasts, have a large vacuole and contain various mitochondria

      • they have a vacuole, mitochondria, nucleus, ribosomes, cytoplasm, root hair, cell wall and, cell membrane

    • palisade mesophyll cells

      • they are located on the upper epidermis of leaves

      • they have a high concentration of chloroplasts to assist in photosynthesis

        • the are oriented vertically to maximise light absorption and convert the light to carbohydrate

      • has a cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, vacuole and, chloroplasts

    • neurones

      • they are the cells responsible for receiving sensory inputs and for transforming and relaying the electrical signals

      • has a cell membrane, cell body, dendrites, axon hillock, myelin sheath, node of tannery, synaptic and bulbs, axon terminal, oligodendrocyte

    • red blood cells

      • they transport oxygen from lungs to body tissues

      • they contain haemoglobin that helps to transport oxygen

      • has a biconcave disc, cell membrane and haemoglobin

    • gametes

      • gametes are haploid cells that help in reproduction

        • sperm cells

          • the male gamete

          • it moves through substances using it’s flagellum

          • has a head, neck, nucleus and, flagellum

        • egg cells

          • the female gamete

          • fuses with the sperm cell to form an embryo

          • contains the corona, radiata, zona, pellucida, cytoplasm, and nucleus


definitions

  • cell - this is the smallest unit of all living organisms

  • tissue - a group of similar cells and extracellular matrix from the same origin that work together to perform specific functions in multicellular organisms

  • organ - it is a group of specialised tissues that work together as a functional unit to perform specific tasks in the body

  • organ system - a group of functionally related organs that work together to perform bodily functions

  • organism - any living thing that functions as an individual


size of specimens

  • to calculate magnification, you have to divide the observed size by the actual size of the specimen

  • to calculate the actual size of the specimen, you change the formula so you divide the image size by magnification

  • micrometers = 1000 millimetres, 10,000 centimetres, 1,000,000 metre