Structure of cell – its

componentsn and their

functions

Seema Mehdi
Dept of Pharmacology
JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysuru
About 200 different types of specialized cells carry out a multitude of functions
that help each system contribute to the homeostasis of the entire body. At the
same time, all cells share key structures and functions that support their intense
activity.
CELLS—living structural and functional units enclosed by a membrane.
All cells arise from existing cells by the process of cell division.
Different types of cells fulfil unique roles that support homeostasis and
contribute to the many functional capabilities of the human organism.
For ease of study, we divide the cell into three main parts:

➢ Plasma membrane,

➢ Cytoplasm

➢ Nucleus.
1. The plasma membrane forms the cell’s flexible outer surface, separating the
cell’s internal environment (inside the cell) from the external environment
(outside the cell).
• It is a selective barrier that regulates the flow of materials into and out of a cell.
• This selectivity helps establish and maintain the appropriate environment for
normal cellular activities.
• The plasma membrane also plays a key role in communication among cells and
between
cells and their external environment.
Plasma Membrane

protein
molecules

phospholipid
bilayer
Structure of the Plasma Membrane
The Lipid Bilayer
The basic structural framework of the plasma membrane is the lipid bilayer, two
back-to-back layers made up of three types of lipid molecules—
• Phospholipids
• Cholesterol
• Glycolipids
About 75% of the membrane lipids are phospholipids, lipids that contain
phosphorus. Present in smaller amounts are cholesterol (about 20%), a steroid
with an attached !OH (hydroxyl) group, and various glycolipids (about
5%), lipids with attached carbohydrate groups.
2. The cytoplasm (SI ¯-to ¯-plasm; -plasm -formed or molded)
consists of all the cellular contents between the plasma membrane and the
nucleus.
This compartment has two components: CYTOSOL and ORGANELLES.

• Cytosol (SI ¯-to ¯-sol), the fluid portion of cytoplasm, contains water,
dissolved solutes, and suspended particles.
• Surrounded by cytosol are several different types of organelles (or-ga-NELZ
little organs). Each type of organelle has a characteristic shape and specific
functions.
• Examples : Include the cytoskeleton, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum,
Golgi complex, lysosomes, peroxisomes, and mitochondria.
3. The nucleus is a large organelle that houses most of a cell’s DNA.
Within the nucleus, each chromosome (chromo- colored), a single
molecule of DNA associated with several proteins, contains thousands
of hereditary units called genes that control most aspects of cellular
structure and function.
CYTOSOL

• The cytosol (intracellular fluid) is the fluid portion of the

cytoplasm that surrounds organelles and constitutes about 55% of
total cell volume.
• Although it varies in composition and consistency from one part of a
cell to another,
cytosol is 75–90% water plus various dissolved and suspended
components.
• Among these are different types of ions, glucose, amino acids, fatty
acids, proteins, lipids, ATP, and waste products,
Organelles:

The Cytoskeleton

• The cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments that extends throughout the

cytosol.
• Three types of filamentous proteins contribute to the cytoskeleton’s structure,
as well as the structure of other organelles.

1. MICROFILAMENTS
These are the thinnest elements of the cytoskeleton. They are composed of the
protein actin, and are most greatly increase the surface area of the cell, microvilli
are abundant on cells involved in absorption, such as the epithelial cells that line
the small intestine.
INTERMEDIATE FILAMENTS

• As their name suggests, these filaments are thicker than microfilaments but
thinner than microtubules.
• Several different proteins can compose intermediate filaments, which are
exceptionally strong.
• They are found in parts of cells subject to mechanical stress, help stabilize the
position of organelles such as the nucleus, and help attach cells to one another.

MICROTUBULES These are the largest of the cytoskeletal components and are
long, unbranched hollow tubes composed mainly of the protein tubulin. The
assembly of microtubules begins in an organelle called the centrosome
Functions
1. Serves as a scaffold ( support) that helps to determine a cell’s shape and to
organize the cellular contents.

2. Aids movement of organelles within the cell, of chromosomes during cell

division, and of whole cells such as phagocytes.
RIBOSOMES

• Ribosomes are the sites of protein synthesis.

• The name of these tiny organelles reflects their high content of one type of ribonucleic acid,
ribosomal RNA (rRNA), but each one also includes more than 50 proteins.
• Structurally, a ribosome consists of two subunits, one about half the size of the other.
• The large and small subunits are made separately in the nucleolus, a spherical body inside
the nucleus. Once produced, the large and small subunits exit the nucleus separately, then
come together in the cytoplasm.
Functions

1. Ribosomes associated with endoplasmic reticulum synthesize proteins destined for

insertion in the plasma membrane or secretion from the cell.

2. Free ribosomes synthesize proteins used in the cytosol.

Endoplasmic Reticulum
• The endoplasmic reticulum or ER is a network of membranes in the form of flattened sacs or
tubules.
• The ER extends from the nuclear envelope to which it is connected, throughout the
cytoplasm.
• The ER is so extensive that it constitutes more than half of the membranous surfaces within
the cytoplasm of most cells.
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

ribosomes nuclear envelope

rough
endoplasmic
reticulum

smooth
endoplasmic
reticulum

0.08 m
© R. Bolender & D. Fawcett/Visuals Unlimited

2
2
Functions
1. Rough ER synthesizes glycoproteins and phospholipids that
are transferred into cellular organelles, inserted into the
plasma membrane, or secreted during exocytosis.
2. Smooth ER synthesizes fatty acids and steroids, such as
estrogens and testosterone; inactivates or detoxifies drugs and
other potentially harmful substances; removes the phosphate
group from glucose-6-phosphate; and stores and releases
calcium ions that trigger contraction in muscle cells.
Golgi Complex

• Most of the proteins synthesized by ribosomes attached to rough ER are ultimately

transported to other regions of the cell.
• The first step in the transport pathway is through an organelle called the Golgi complex. It
consists of 3 to 20 cisternae (sis-TER-ne cavities; singular is cisterna), small, flattened
membranous sacs with bulging edges
• The cisternae are often curved, giving the Golgi complex a cuplike shape. Most cells have
several Golgi complexes and Golgi complexes are more extensive in cells that secrete
proteins.
Golgi Complex
Lysosomes

• Lysosomes ( lyso- dissolving bodies) are membrane-enclosed vesicles that form from the
Golgi complex. Inside, as many as 60 kinds of powerful digestive and hydrolytic enzymes
can break down a wide variety of molecules once lysosomes fuse with vesicles formed
during endocytosis.
• The lysosomal membrane also includes transporters that move the final products of
digestion, such as glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids, into the cytosol.
• Lysosomal enzymes also help recycle worn-out cell structures. A lysosome can engulf
another organelle, digest it, and return the digested components to the cytosol for reuse. In
this way, old organelles are continually replaced. The process by which entire worn-out

organelles are digested is called autophagy

 Functions
1. Digest substances that enter a cell via endocytosis and transport final
products of digestion into cytosol.
2. Carry out autophagy, the digestion of worn-out organelles.
3. Carry out autolysis, the digestion of entire cell.
4. Carry out extracellular digestion.

Digestive enzymes
Mitochondria
• Because they generate most of the ATP through aerobic (oxygen requiring)
respiration, mitochondria are referred to as the “powerhouses” of the cell. A
cell may have as few as a hundred or as many as several thousand
mitochondria, depending on the activity of the cell.
• Active cells, such as those found in the muscles, liver, and kidneys, which use
ATP at a high rate, have a large number of mitochondria.
Mitochondria
• Aerobic respiration occurs in the mitochondria
• Energy production
• Energy used to perform cell activities such as growth and
reproduction
MITOCHONDRIA

Function
Generate ATP through reactions of aerobic
cellular respiration
NUCLEUS

• The nucleus is a spherical or oval-shaped structure that usually is the most prominent
feature of a cell. Most cells have a single nucleus.
• A double membrane called the nuclear envelope separates the nucleus from the
cytoplasm. Both layers of the nuclear envelope are lipid bilayers similar to the plasma
membrane.
• The outer membrane of the nuclear envelope is continuous with rough ER and resembles
it in structure.
• Many openings called nuclear pores extend through the nuclear envelope.

Functions
• 1. Controls cellular structure.
• 2. Directs cellular activities.
• 3. Produces ribosomes in nucleoli.
Pop Quiz!
Label and identify the diagram

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A
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