CBSE Quick Revision Notes (Class-11 Biology)

CHAPTER-08 CELL: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS

• Study of form, structure, and composition of cell is called cytology.

• Cell is the structural and functional unit of life. In unicellular organism (amoeba,
paramecium, yeast bacteria) , single cell perform the all essential functions of life.
• In multicellular organism, different kinds of tissues perform different function and have
division of labour.
• Melthias Schleiden and Theodore Schwann( 1938) proposed the cell theory-
a. All living organisms are composed of cells and products of cells.
b. All cells arise from pre-existing cells.

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Prokaryotic cells Eukaryotic cells
(i) Membrane bound nucleus is absent. (i) Membrane bound nucleus is present.
(ii) Cells are smaller in size. (ii) Cells are larger in size.

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(iii) Single chromosome is present. (iii) More than one chromosome is
(iv) Membrane bound organelles are absent. present.
(iv) Membrane bound organelles are
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present.
Shape and size of cells varies greatly according to their position and function. Mycoplasma
is the smallest cell and largest isolated cell is the ostrich egg. The shape of cell may be
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cuboid, columnar, polygonal, thread like or irregular.
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Prokaryotic Cells
Prokaryotic cells are represented by Bacteria, Blue green algae, Mycoplasma and PPLO.
They multiply rapidly and vary in size greatly.
Bacterial cells may be Bacillus (rod shaped), Coccus (spherical), Vibrio (comma-shaped)
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and Spirillum (spiral).

All prokaryotic cells have cell wall surrounding the cell membrane except in Mycoplasma.
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Genetic material is naked.

The plasmid DNA, in some bacteria provides some special features like resistance to
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antibiotic.
Cell organelles like Mitochondria,
Golgi bodies etc. are absent in
prokaryotes. A specialized
differentiated cell membrane
called Mesosome is the
characteristic of prokaryotes.
In bacterial cell a chemically
complex cell envelope is present,
which consist of three layers. The outermost is Glycocalyx, middle one cell wall and inner
innermost is the cell membrane.
 Glycocalyax may be as loose sheath in some bacteria called slime layer. In some other
bacteria Glycocalyx may be thick and tough called capsule.
Plasma membrane is semi-permeable having mesosome in form of vesicles, tubules and
lamellae. They help in cell wall formation, DNA replication and distribution to daughter
cells.
Motile bacterial cell contain flagella, which is composed of filament, hook and basal body.
Pili and fimbriae are the other surface structure that help the bacteria in attach with host
and other substance.
In prokaryotes, ribosome are attached with cell membrane having two sub-units – 50S and
30S to form together 70S prokaryotic ribosomes.
Ribosomes are site of protein synthesis. Ribosomes attached with mRNA to form a chain

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called polyribosomes.
Reserved materials in prokaryotic cells are present in cytoplasm as cell inclusion bodies,
which may contain phosphate, granules, glycogen granules etc.

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Gas vacuoles are found in blue green algae and purple and green photosynthetic bacteria.
Eukaryotic Cell
Eukaryotic cells are present in Protista, plants, Animals and Fungi. Cytoplasm is divided
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into compartments due to presence of membrane bounded organelles.
The cells contain well organized nucleus with nuclear membrane. The genetic materials are
arranged in chromosomes.
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Plants cells differ in having cell wall, plastids and large central vacuole as compared to
animal cells. Animal cells have centrioles, which are absent in plant cells.
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Plant cell
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Animal cell

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Cell membrane is composed of lipids and that are arranged in bilayer. A lipid component
is mainly composed on phosphoglycerides. Later it was found that protein is also present in
cell membrane. Ratio of protein and lipids varies in different cells.
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Membrane protein may be integral or peripheral. Integral protein remains buried in
membrane but peripheral protein lies of surface.
Singer and Nicholson (1972) proposed fluid mosaic model. According to this model the
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quasi-fluid nature of lipid enables lateral movement of within the bilayer of lipids.
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The main function of plasma membrane is the transport of molecules across it.
Active Transport Passive Transport
a. The transport involves an a. The cells do not spend energy in
expenditure of energy by the cells. passive transport.
b. It occurs against the concentration b. It transport is always along the
gradient. concentration gradient.
c. It is a rapid process. c. It is comparatively slow process.
The movement of water from higher concentration to lower concentration by diffusion is
called osmosis.
 Cell wall is present in plant cells and fungi. Algae have cell wall made up of cellulose,
galactans and minerals like calcium carbonate. In other plants it consists of cellulose,
hemicellulose, pectin and proteins.
Primary cell wall of young plant is capable of growth, which diminish in mature cells.
Secondary cell wall is formed on inner side of the cells.
Plasmodesmata connect the cytoplasm of neighboring cells.
Endomembrane system of cell includes endoplasmic reticulum, golgi complex, lysosomes
and vacuoles.
Endoplasmic Reticulum are the tubular
scattered structure scattered in the cytoplasm.
(i) Rough endoplasmic reticulum bears ribosomes

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on its surface. RER is involved in protein
synthesis and secretion.
(ii) Smooth endoplasmic reticulum does not bear

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ribosomes on its surface. SER is involved in lipid
synthesis and steroidal hormones. ID
Golgi apparatus was first observed by Camillo
Golgi in 1898 near nucleus. They consists of many
flat, disc-shaped sacs or cisternae staked parallel
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to each other.
Golgi apparatus performs the function of
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packaging of materials and its transportation. A

number of protein synthesized by ribosomes are
modified in cisternae of golgi apparatus. Golgi
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apparatus is the site for synthesis of

Glycoprotiens and glycolipids.
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Lysosomes are membrane bound vesicular

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structure formed by process of packaging in the

Golgi apparatus. They are rich in hydrolytic
enzyme- lipase, protease, carbohydrases active at
acidic PH. These enzymes are capable of digesting
carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids.
Vacuoles are membrane bound space found in
cytoplasm water, sap and excretory product
bounded by single membrane. They form
contractile vacuole and food vacuole in many
organisms.
Mitochondria double membrane bound structure
with the outer membrane and inner membrane
dividing its lumen in two compartments. The inner
 membrane forms a number of infoldings called cristae towards the matrix.

Two membranes have own specific

enzyme.
Mitochondria are sites for aerobic
respiration. They produce cellular
energy in form of ATP so, they are called
power house of the cells. The matrix of
mitochondria also contain circular DNA
molecules, a few RNA molecules,
ribosomes and components of protein

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synthesis.
Plastids are found only in plant cells and Eugleoids having specific pigments to provide
colours to plants parts.

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Plastids
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Chloroplast Chromoplast Leucoplast
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(contain chlorophyll and (contain carotene and
caratenoids) xanthophylls) (colourless plastids)
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Chloroplast contains chlorophyll that traps solar energy for photosynthesis. Chromoplast
provides yellow, orange and red colours to different parts of plants.
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Leucoplasts are colourless plastids that store food, amyloplasts (carbohydrates),

elaioplasts (oils) and aleuroplasts (proteins).
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Chloroplasts are double membrane structure. The space limited by inner membrane is
called stroma. Thylakoids are present in stroma as stacks like the piles of coins called
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grana.
Stroma contain enzyme for synthesis of
protein and carbohydrates. Double strand
circular DNA and ribosomes are also
present in stroma.

Ribosomes are granular structure of 80S.

Centrosomes is an organelles containing
two cylindrical structures called centrioles. Each centrioles is made up of 9 fibrils of tubulin
protein. Central parts of centriole is called hub and peripheral fibrils are called spokes .
Nucleus has highly extended, elaborate nucleoprotein fibres called chromatin, nuclear
matrix and nucleoli. The outer membrane is continuous with endoplasmic reticulum and
bears ribosomes.
The chromatin materials change into
chromosome during active cell division
consists of DNA and histone proteins.
Every chromosome has a primary constriction
or the centromere, on the sides of which disc
shaped kinetochores are present.
On the basis of position of centromere
chromosomes are of following types-

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Metacentric Sub-metacentric Acrocentric Telocentric.
Some chromosomes have non-staining secondary contraction at certain location. This give
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a small fragment called satellite.
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