MORPHOLOGY & PHYSIOLOGY Of LIVING THINGS

By

Balarabe Musa H.

PREAMBLE Morphology & physiology of living things/organims (as a branch of Biology) is as old as Biology itself. The pre-historic bases for morphologic & physiologic classification of living things was brought about from the efforts of past Biologists in the 15th century (such as Andreas Vesalius -1514/64; & Williams Harvey1564/16280). However, it was in the 17th century that such scientist like (Carl Linnaeus & George-Louis Buffon --- 1700/1890 ) significantly proved that there had been an existence significant morphologic & physiologic changes amongst living things/organims right from the onset of Earth creation; which in 19th century,(Charles Darwin, Georges Curvier & Jean Larmark) postulated that the alterations/changes seen in the morphologic & physiologic characteristics of living things/organims are due to the living organisms ability to adjust & adapt to either a conducive or severe environmental conditions as the case may be. Congruent upon this, in the 19th /20th century, Gregor Mendels theory on heredity (long forgotten since 1822/84) was revisited as more scientists tried to explore the potentials of nature influence on the genes of living organisms/things, as regards reproduction so as to appreciate the effect of pollution from one country to another & its resultant effect on morphologic & physiologic characteristics of living organisms.

FOREWORDS
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Morphology is a branch of Biology concerns with the study of the forms & structures of living things/organims. It deals significantly with the study of the understanding of both living organisms structure; forms as well as that of their component body parts as it aid living organisms adaptation to their immediate environment for survival & reproducibility. While Physiology is a branch of Biology concerns with the study of the normal functioning of living organisms component parts, chemical factors as well as processes involved. It deals significantly with the understanding of what the living body & its component parts do (i.e. function) & how it does it (i.e. functions), to sustain an organims. NOTE:It is important to know however that, just as the anatomists & morphologists relies mostly on body examination, so also the physiologists rely more on experimentation. Thus it is often than not difficult to separate the threesome in Biological Sciences.

MODES OF STUDYING BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

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In the past, pre-historic men observed living organisms/things that lived around them; drew pictures of these living organisms/things that lived around them, & from experience knew which of these living organisms were useful or harmful to them. However, with the passage of time, those general observations (made by pre-historic men) was what led to the scientific study of the structures & manner in which the structures of living organisms/things functions; as well as how they evolved, their interrelationships & adaptability to their immediate environment otherwise known as General Biology (i.e. Biological Science), which is classified into Four major broadly based categories to include:-(Morphological, Physiological, Distributory & past life categories respectively). Morphological category:This category of Biological science is based on the understanding of the physical shape & sizes of both the external & internal features of living organisms/things. In this division are such areas as;1) Embryology: -- Dealing with the study of the physical origin & growth (i.e. subsequent structural differentiations that results from developmental changes in living organisms body component parts as organisms developed from fertilization to death). 2) Cytology: - Deals with the study of the physical origin & growth of cellular structures in living thing/organisms. Physiological category:This division is based on the significant understanding of the functional/working processes involved in living things/organisms body & its component parts. In this category are such areas as:1) Psychology: ----- Deals with the study of the processes involved in the exhibited behaviour of living things/organisms. 2) Pathology: --- Deals with the study of the trait, causes & effects of diseases as seen in the structural components of living things/organisms. Distributory category:This category is based on the understanding of how various living thing/organims are being spread over a period of transformation time from place to place as well as how they interact in a given environment. In this division are such areas as:1) Taxonomy: --- Deals with a systematic classification of living organims/things (on the basis of their natural relationships) in order to give them appropriate names. 2) Ecology: --- Deals with the study of the existing interactive relationship & its influence amongst living organisms in a given environment.

Past life category:4

This Biological Science category is based on the understanding of the past lives of living things/organisms, influenced by significant exchange of genetic traits/heredity materials from one offspring to another. In this division are such areas as:1) Genetics: --- Deals with the study of principle of inheritance as well the mechanisms of heredity in which traits are passed from parents to offspring. 2) Evolution: -- Deals with the study of the origin & continuation of living things/organisms species. GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING THINGS As Biology is a term derived from 2 Greek words (i.e. Biolife & Logystudy of); which when put together simply means study of life, is a broadly based scientific field that not only deals with study of humans, but that of living organims, with so many broadly based & diverse sub-branches. In biological science, living organims are broadly classified as either plants & or animals, in which some are morphologically subdivided into either eukaryotic (living things/organisms whose cells are characterized with the presence of a distinct nucleus) or prokaryotic (living things/organisms whose cells lack the characteristic presence of a distinct nucleus) organisms. CONCEPT OF MORPHOLOGY& PHYSIOLOGY OF LIVING THINGS It can be traced as far back to early Egyptian civilization (based on their belief that only gods linked with living things/organims i.e. plants & animals) that influences lives. This belief was the epitome of the study of morphology & physiology of living things/organisms; which made a Greek great philosopher (Aristotle) then taught the importance of studying the morphologic & physiologic characteristics of living things/organisms, in an attempt to classify them based on the significant values attached to them. THE LIVING CELL This is the smallest structural (i.e. morphologic & physiologic unit) of living things/organisms that can exist independently on its own (Jenny et al 2006). Cells are the significant microscopic factory of all living things/organisms, where thousands of chemical reactions happen in a carefully & sequentially controlled way (i.e. physiologic activitiesthat enables the cells perform all tasks involved in being alive). Although, all living organisms are made up of cells, however, animal & plant cells have significant characteristic differences in so many ways. These differences are brought about due to the presence of dissimilar inclusions (i.e. internal components which determines physiologic activities in an organism), & consequently influence the characteristics physical, structural /morphological presentation of an organism (i.e. external components dimension).
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NOTE;- It is important to know that;1)

compound microscope used to examine cells of living organisms. 2) Robert Hooke(1635/1703)--- English scientist was the 1st scientist to utilize a microscope to examine slices from part of a living organism (i.e. plant) & identify box-like structure that were later on referred to as cells. 3) Theodor Schwann (1810/82) & Jakob Mathias Schleiden (1804/81) --- German scientist were the first to suggest that all living organisms are made of cells & there must me a pre-existing cell before other cells are formed (i.e. all cells are derived from other pre-existing cells in living things/organisms). 4) Edouard Chatton (1937)--- French biologist was the 1st scientist to identified that though all living things/organisms are made of cells, however some living organisms are without a distinct cell nucleus (i.e. prokaryotic), while others have a distinct nucleus (i.e. Eukaryotic). CLASSIFICATION & TYPES OF LIVING CELLS All living cells are broadly classified as either plant or animal cells, of which could as well be either (prokaryotic without a distinct nucleus; or eukaryotic- with a distinct nucleus). Animal Cells:An animal cell is like a tiny, fluid-filled, squashy bag, which is held together by a thin, flexible semi-permeable layer as it only permits selective passage of some chemicals through it (i.e. plasma membrane).In this plasma membrane are contained all the inclusions/organelles responsible for the characteristic physiologic function of animal cells, which subsequently influence its morphologic inclination.
Diagrammatic Illustration of an animal cell;-

Zacharias Janssen (1590) --- Dutch optician was the 1st scientist to invent a

Plant Cells:-

Unlike the animal cell, a plant cell is different in two important ways, in the sense that a plant cell posses a stiff/rigid/inflexible/fixed cell wall, with large vacuoles that are lacking in animal cells. Also, a plant cell wilts when it lacks water, unlike an animal cell that shrinks.
Diagrammatic Illustration of a plant cell;-

LIVING CELLS INCLUSIONS/ORGANELLES Living cells inclusions/organelles are those microscopic structures or features that significantly & jointly facilitates proper & aggregate morphological & physiological functioning of living things/organisms various component parts. These organelles/inclusions are:- (Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum; Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum; Golgi Apparatus; Lysosomes; Perixozomes/microbodies; Centrisomes/ centrioles; Mitochondrion; Ribosomes; Cytoskeleton; Nucleus & etc). 1) Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum: - These are vesicular/tubular in nature, that help synthesizes protein as well as degrade worn out tissues. 2) Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum: - Are smooth unvesicular/atubular in nature (called agranular/atubular reticulum) that help synthesizes lipids, steroids, store & metabolizes Calcium as well as degrade toxic substances. 3) Golgi apparatus:- Are made of membranous sacs (flattened cistarnae) near the cell membrane, responsible for processing, packaging, labeling & delivery of lipids & proteins. 4) Lysosomes:- Are pinched off small vesicles (as thickest covering membrane) formed by the golgi apparatus responsible for degradation of macromolecules, worn out organelles & secretion of inflammatory mediators (such as T-lymphocytes, natural killer-NK cells etc).
Perixozomes/microbodies: - They are inclusions found in the cells of living things/ 7

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organisms containing such enzymes as (catalase, urate, oxidase & D-amino acid oxidase) responsible for the physiologic breaking down of excess fatty acid, as well as acceleration of gluconogenesis from fat, degradation of purin to uric acid & myelin/bile acid formation. 6) Centrisomes/centrioles: - They are morphologic cylindrical shaped organelles near the center of the cells, close to nucleus, responsible for chromosomes movement/transportation in animal cell. 7) Ribosomes: - Are granular & small dot structures found attached to RER or free in the cells cytoplasm responsible for protein synthesis. 8) Mitochondrion: - These are morphologically oval shaped organelles containing various enzyme (e.g. Acetyl Co. A Synthetase & Glycerolphosphate Acetyl Transferase), responsible for energy production, ATP synthesis & apoptosis. 9) Cytoskeleton: - It is a complex morphologic network of various sizes present through out the cell cytoplasm of plant cells, structurally made up of microtubules & microfilaments responsible for cell shape determination, stabilization & control of movement. 10) Nucleus:- This is a spherical structure which could either divide to produce enzymes as it controls cell activities, synthesizes RNA, forms ribosome units, control cell division as well as store heredity information in genes.

Assignment;a) b) c) d) e)

Write short note on all the mechanisms involved in Lysosomes functions. Define gene & itemize the structural composition of RNA. List & discuss all the types of RNA. Define transcription & translocation. How is transcription & translocation physiologically achieved in living things cells?

COMPOSITION OF LIVING CELLS

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