CELL THEORY, STRUCTURE AND

FUNCTIONS

By: PENUTE, VENZER JAY PUA

Objectives

1.Explain the Postulates of the cell theory

2.Described the Structure and Function
of the cell
Cell
 the Basic Unit of life
composed of
molecules: DNA,
RNA, Proteins and
Lipids
Cell theory
 Cells are the Basic unit of Structure in every
Living thing
 Cells are formed from Pre-existing cells
 Cell is the fundamental Structure of function and
organization of all living things
Postulates of cell theory
1. Robert Hooked first described the existence of
the cell
2. Theodore Schwann and Matthias Schleiden –
Cell is a Morphological unit of all living things, that
all Living things are composed of cells or their
Secretion Products
3. Rudolf Virchow – Every Cells is derived from
previous cells
Credit for developing cell theory
1.Theodor Schwann
2.Matthias Jakob Schlieden
3.Rudolf Virchow

1858- Rudolf Virchow Concluded that all cells come

from Pre-existing cells
Cell Structure and Functions

Cell may be defined as a unit of protoplasm

bounded by a plasma membrane and possessing a
nucleus.

Protoplasm- life giving substance includes

cytoplasm and nucleus
Cytoplasm has in it organelles
1.Ribosomes
2.Mitochondria
3.Golgi Bodies
4.Plastids
5.Lysosomes
6.Endoplasmic Reticulum
Three Major Components of Cells
1.Plasma Membrane
2.Cytoplasm
3.DNA
Cell Membrane (Plasma Membrane)
Boundary
Outer Most in animal cells
Next to cell wall in plant cells

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Amoeba
Fold in (as a food vacuoles of amoeba)
Fold out (as formation of pseudopodia of
amoeba)
Plasma Membrane
Made up of Proteins and Lipids
Proposed by Singer and Nicholson (1972) Fluid
Mosaic Model

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Fluid Mosaic Model
Plasma membrane is composed of lipid bilayer of
phospholipid molecules into which a variety of
globular proteins are embedded
Each Phospholipid molecule has two ends, an
outer head hydrophilic and the inner tail Pointing
centrally Hydrophobic water repelling
The protein molecules are arranged in two
different ways
Fluid Mosaic Model
a.Peripheral Proteins or extrinsic Proteins-
present on the outer and inner Surfaces of
lipid Bilayer
b.Integral Proteins or Intrinsic Proteins-
these Proteins penetrate lipid bilayer
partially or wholly
Functions
1.The Plasma Membrane encloses the cell Contents
2.Provides cell shape (in animal cells)
Ex. The Characteristics shape of red Blood
Cells, Nerve Cells, Bone Cells
3. Allows transport of certain substances into and
out of the cell but not all substance, so its termed
Selectively Permeable
Small molecules can be transported by any of the following
methods
1. Diffusion- molecules of Substances from their Region of
higher Concentration to the region of lower Concentration.
This does not require energy
Ex. Absorption of glucose in a cell
2. Osmosis –Movement of water molecules from the region of
their higher concentration to the region of lower
concentration through a semipermeable membrane(not
require energy)
3. Active transport –Movement of molecules is opposite that
diffusion, Region of lower concentration towards the region
of their higher concentration. Its requires energy (ATP)
Adenosine Triphosphate
Transport of Large Molecules
(Bulk Transport)
1.Endocytosis ( Taking the Substance In)
2.Exocytosis (Passing the Substance out
2 types Endocytosis
1.Phagocytosis
-Intake of Solid Particles
-Membrane folds outgoing round the Particle,
forming a cavity and thus engulfing the
particle
2. Pinocytosis
-Intake of fluid Particles
-Membrane folds in and forms a cup like
structure sucks in the droplets
Cell wall
-outer most cell cover (Bacteria, Plant cell, animal cell)
Structure
 Outermost non-living layer present in all plant cells
 Secreted by the cell it self
 Plant made of cellulose but may also contain other
chemical substance such Pectin and Lignin
 Substances constituting the cell is not simply
homogenous but it consist of fine threads or fibres
 It may be thin (1Micron) and transparent as in the cells of
onion peel. In some cases it is very thick as in the cells of
wood.
Functions
 the cell wall protects the delicate inner Parts of the cell
 Being rigid, It gives shape to the cell
 Being rigid, it does not allow distension of the cell ,thus leading to
turgidity of the cell that is useful in many ways
 It freely allows the passage of water another chemicals into and
out of the cells
 There are breaks in the primary wall of the adjacent cells through
which cytoplasm of one cell remains connected with the other one
are known as Plasmodesmata
 Walls of two adjacent cells are firmly joined by a cementing
material called middle lamella made of calcium Pectate.
The Cytoplasm and the cell Organelles
1.Those that trap and release energy ex.
Mitochondria and chloroplasts
2.Those that are secretory or involved in synthesis
and transport ex. Golgi and ribosomes and
endoplasmic reticulum
3.The organelle for motility- Ex. Cilia and flagella
4.The Suicidal bags ex. Lysosomes
5.The nucleus which controls all activities of the
cell and the carries the hereditary material
Mitochondria and chloroplast-the energy
Transformers
-Mitochondria (Found in plant and animal
cells) - are the energy releasers and chloroplast
(Found only in green Plant cells) are the trappers
Mitochondria (Singular=Mitochondrion):
-Appear as tiny thread like structure under light
microscope
-Approximately 0.5-1.00 microns
Number Hundred or thousand/cell
Observed: Electron Microscope
1.Wall made of double membrane
2.The inner membrane is folded inside to
form projections called cristae which
projects into the inner compartment
called matrix
Function
1. Oxidizes Pyruvic acid which gets Stored in the form of
ATP (Cellular Respiration)

In Cytoplasm. Glucose enters Broken into two Pyruvic acid

cells (Containing 6 atoms of In Mitochondria Oxidised
molecules (Containing 3 atoms
carbon into CO2, H2O and ATP
of carbon)
Plastids
-are found only in a plant cell.
 Leucoplast- white or colorless
 Chromoplast-blue, red,yellow etc
 Chloroplast-green
Chloroplast
 Found in all green plant cells in the cytoplasm
 Shape: Usually disc-shaped or Spherical as in most
plants around you.
 Ribbon shape as in alga spirogyra
 Cup shaped as in another alga chlamydomonas
Structure:
Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Golgi body and
Ribosomes

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

 ER- is a network of membrane bound tubular
structures in the cytoplasm
 extends from cell membrane to nuclear
membrane
 exists as flattened sacs called cisternae,
unbranched tubules and oval vesicles
There are two types of ER
1. Rough ER : It has 80s ribosomes on its
surface
2. Smooth ER: it does not have ribosomes
Image of ER
Functions
It helps in intracellular transportation
It provides mechanical support to
cytoplasmic matrix
It helps in the formation of nuclear
membrane and Golgi complex
It helps in detoxification of metabolic
wastes
It is the store house of lipids and
carbohydrates
GOLGI BODIES

Golgi complex -has a group of curved,

flattened plate like compartments called
Cisternae.
Functions
They pack enzymes, proteins,
Carbohydrates etc. in their vesicles, hence
called packaging centres
They produce lysosomes
They secrete various enzymes, hormones
and cell wall material
They help in phragmoplast formation
Ribosomes
 are the places where the proteins are made
 has a small sub unit and large sub unit

Attached to a Messenger RNA called

Polyribosomes or polysome
THE MICROBODIES
-Sac like Structures bounded by their membranes
1.Lysosomes
2.Peroxisomes
3.glyoxysomes
Lysosomes
 (Lysis=breaking down: Soma=Body
Present in almost all animal cells and some non-green
plant cells. They perform intracellular digestion

Main Features of Lysosomes

 Membranous sacs budded off from Golgi body
 May be in hundreds in single cell
 Contain several enzymes (about 40 in number)
 Materials to be acted upon by enzymes enter the lysosomes
Importance of Intracellular Digestions by the
lysosomes
 Help in nutrition of the cell by digesting food, as they rich in various enzymes
which enable them to digest almost all major chemical constituents of the living
cell
 Help in defense by digesting germs, as in white blood cells
 Help in cleaning up the cell by digesting damaged material of the cell
 Provide energy during cell starvation by digestion of the cells own parts(
autophagic, Auto: Self, Phagos: Eat Up)
 Help sperm cells in entering the egg by breaking through (Digesting) the egg
membrane
 In Plant cells, Mature Xylem cells lose all cellular contents by lysosome activity
 When cells are old, disease or injured, Lysosomes attack their cell Organelles
and digest them.
PEROXISOMES
 Present in Plant and animal cell
 Participate in Oxidation of Substances (H2O2)
 That often contain central core of crystalline material
called nucleoid composed of urate oxidase crystals
 These bodies are mostly spherical or ovoid and about
the size of mitochondria and lysosomes
 They are usually closely associated with E.R
 They are involved in with photorespiration in plant cells
 They bring fat metabolism in cells
Glyoxysomes
The micro bodies present in plant cells and
morphologically similar to peroxisome
Found in the cell of yeast and certain fungi and
oil rich seeds in plants
Functionally they contain enzyme of fatty acid
metabolism involved in the conversion of lipids
to carbohydrates during germination
CILIA AND FLAGELLA (The Organelles for Mobility)
 Present in Paramecium and Euglena swim in water with the help of
cilia and flagella
 Multicellular organism some living tissues(epithelial tissues) have
cilia
 They beat and create a current in the fluid in order to move in a
given direction ex. In the wind pipe (Trachea) to push out the
mucus an dust particles.
 cilia beat like tiny oars or pedals ( as in a boat) and flagella bring
about whip like lashing movement
 Both are made up of contractile protein tubulin in the form of
microtubules
 CILIA
Shorter 5-10 micron
Several 100 per cell structure: Protoplasmic pro jection and
membrane bound
Consist of 9 sets of peripheral microtubules and 1 set of
tubules in the centre

FLAGELLA
Longer (15Micron)
Usually 1 0r 2 in most
cells
Same as in cilia
 CENTRIOLE
Present in all animal cells ( But not in amoeba)
Location: Outside the Nucleus
Cylindrical in shape
0.5 micron in length
9 set of peripheral tubules but none in the center
Each set has three tubules
It has own DNA and RNA
FUNCTION
Centrioles are involved in cell division
Helps the formation of Mitotic Spindle during cell
division
 NUCLEUS ( The Hereditary Organelle)
General Structure of Nucleus
Largest organelle seen clearly when the cell is not
dividing
It stains deeply, is mostly spherical, WBC have lobed
Nuclei
It is mostly one in each cell (Uninucleate, some cells have
many Nuclei; (multinucleate)
Double Layered nuclear membrane enclosing
nucleoplasm which contains chromatin network and
nucleolus
Functions
Maintains the cell in a working order
Coordinates the activities of organelles
Take care of repair work
Participates directly in cell division to produce
genetically identical daughter cells this division is
called MITOSIS
Participates in production of gametes through
another type of cell division called meiosis. The
part of nucleus are given here
Nuclear Membrane
Doubled layer membrane is Interrupted by large
Number of Pores
Membrane is made of lipids and protiens (Like
Plasma Membrane) and has ribosomes attached on
the outer membrane which make the outer
membrane rough
The pores allow the transport of large molecules in
and out of nucleus and the membranes keep the
hereditary material in contact with the rest of the
cell
 Chromatin
 With in the nuclear membrane there is Jelly like substance
(Karyolymph or Nucleoplasm )
 In the Karyolyph, Fibrillar structures form a network called
chromatin fibrils, which gets condensed to form distinct bodies
called chromosomes during cell division . On staining the
chromosomes the regions can b identified in the chromatin material
heterochromatin dark and autromatin which has more DNA and
genetically more active
 Number of chromosomes is fixed in an organism. During cell division
chromosomes divide in a manner that the daughter cells receive
identical amounts of hereditary matter
 Nucleolus
 Membrane less, spheroidal bodies present in all
eukaryotic cells except in sperms and in some
algae
 It has DNA and RNA and Proteins
 Store house of RNA and Proteins; it dis appears
during cell division and reappears in daughter
cells
 Regulates the synthetic activity of the nucleus