BIO 101; GENERAL BIOLOGY (3 UNITS)

THE CONCEPT OF CELL

- CELL;- Is the basic structural and functional unit of life

BRIEF HISTORY OF CELL DISCOVERY BY SCIENTISTS

Robert Hooke
- In 1665, Robert Hooke, a British scientist, examined thin slices of cork tissues under the
crude (Home made) microscope he discovered small room or boxes he called them
cells.

Dujardin
- In 1835, Dujardin, a French Biologist, examined thin slice of living plant under much
more improved microscope and discovered that the cells have living contents and he
named them sarcode, later it was named protoplasm by Purkinje in 1839, and Von Mohl
in 1846

Mathias Schleiden
- In 1838, Mathias Schleiden, a German Botanist, carried our an extensive study on the
structures of plants and concluded that plants were composed of cells

Theodor Schwaan
- In 1839, Theodor Schwaan, a German Zoologist examined bits of animals under a
microscope and observed that animals were composed of cells.
- Based on the discoveries by these scientists that result to postulation of cell theory

THE MODERN CELL THEORY

- All living things are made up of cell or cells
- The cell is the structural unit of all living things
- The cell is the functional unit of all living things
- New cells arises from pre-existing cells by cell division
- The information about a cell it is contain in the nucleic acid
- There is no life without the life of the cell

THE CELL
- The cell consist of cytoplasm and nucleus, the cytoplasm is semi fluid and consist of
living materials outside the nucleus such as endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, golgi
bodies, centriole, vacuole, mitochondria, plastids and ribosome’s all bounded by cell
membrane or plasma membrane.
ULTRA-STRUCTURE OF EUKARYOTIC CELL (PLANT CELLS)

ULTRA-STRUCTURE OF EUKARYOTIC CELL (ANIMAL CELL)

FUNCTIONS OF CELLULAR ORGANELLES

Cell wall
- Is the non–living outer boundary of cell and found only in plant cell
Functions
- It gives rigidity to cell and the plant as a whole
- It allows free passage of materials in and out of the cell

Cell membrane or plasma membrane

- This is a thin and flexible living layer that surrounds the entire cytoplasm and separates
the cell from neighboring cells
Functions
- It regulates the movement of materials in and out of the cell
- It protect the cytoplasm
- It delimits the contents of the cells

Endoplasmic reticulum
- Is a system of canals found abundantly in the cytoplasm, it is believed that the organelles
are interconnected by endoplasmic reticulum,
- If ribosome’s are attached to it is called rough endoplasmic reticulum, but ribosome are
not attached to it is called smooth endoplasmic reticulum
Functions
- They provide surface for the attachment of ribosome’s
- They transport metabolic products within cytoplasm or between the cytoplasm and
nucleus
- They helps in the formation of enzymes and proteins

Ribosomes
- These are minute and roughly spherical structures attached to endoplasmic reticulum or
suspended in the cytoplasm. They contains a large amount of Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
Function
- They are responsible for protein synthesis

Mitochondria
- These are tiny rod-shaped bodies or granules in the cytoplasm; they are more
concentrated in very active cells such as the liver cells.
Functions
- They are the center of cellular respiration in which food substances are oxidized to
release energy for the activities of the cells.
- This is the reasons why mitochondria is referred to as power house of the cells
- Mitochondria contain enzymes that carryout oxidative phosphorylation of adenosine
diphosphate (ADP) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
- Mitochondria contain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that helps to code the synthesis of
proteins in mitochondria membranes.
Lysosomes
- These are minute and rounded bodies containing enzymes found in animals cells
Functions
- They destroy worn out parts of cells by discharging enzymes into them and thereby
clearing the area for a new healthy cell to grow
- Lysosome’s discharge enzymes to degenerate tissues causing breaking down of the cells
- Enzymes release by liposome’s destroy bacteria and cells

Golgi bodies
- They are found in a group as flat tubs or threads, they are absent in mature sperm cells
and red blood cells.
Functions
- May help to distribute proteins made by cell
- May help in the manufacture of lysosomes
- May help in the formation of membranes of endoplasmic reticulum and production of
cellulose of plant cells

Centrioles
- These are usually two small dark, cylindrical bodies found near the nucleus of animals
cells only, the two Centrioles are place right angle to each other.
Functions
- They provides spindle fibbers to which chromosomes are attached during cell division
- They help in the formation of cilia and flagella.

Plastids
- Plastids are found only in plant cells which can be chloroplast, leucoplast, chromoplast
found in green plants
Functions
- Chloroplast;- It is the seat of photosynthesis where organic foods are synthesized
- Leucoplast;- These are colourless plastids mainly for storage of starch or lipids
- Chromoplast;- These plastids may contains different colours , such as colour of petals of
flower are due to these plastids

Contractile Vacuoles
- Is filled with water, mineral salts, sugars and pigments called cell sap and it is surrounded
by membrane called tonoplast.
Functions
- The cell sap is osmotic in function (i.e regulate amount of water in the cell)
- It stores nutrients and wastes products

Nucleus
- The nucleus is bounded by a thin living nuclear membrane which separate from
cytoplasm, within the nucleus is a small spherical body called nucleolus.
Functions
- The nucleus controls directly or indirectly most of the activities of the cell, the removal of
the nucleus result to the death of the cell
 - The nucleus carries chromosomes on which hereditary materials (genes) are coded
- The DNA in chromosomes gives information for the manufacture of proteins in the cell
- The nucleus produces several kind of RNA (Ribonucleic acid) which are passed out of
the nucleus to the cytoplasm to manufacture proteins

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS

S/ PLANT CELL ANIMAL CELL
N

1. - Has a dead cellulose cell wall - Cell wall is absent, but has only living cell
which gives definite shape to the membrane, hence allow cell to change shape
cell
2. - Chloroplast present for - Chloroplast absent
photosynthesis
3. - Large permanent central vacuole - Vacuoles usually absent but if present are
present small and temporary
4. - Food is stored in as starch - Food is stored as glycogen granules
granules
5. - Centriole absent - Centriole present
6. - Cytoplasm pushed to the cell wall - Cytoplasm spread all over the cell

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS

- Both plant and animal cells are similar because they both possess, Cytoplasm, cell
membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi bodies, mitochondria, ribosomes, nuclear
membrane, nucleus, chromosomes, nucleuoplasm and nucleolus

TYPES OF CELLS
We have two (2) types of cells;-
1. Prokaryotic cells
2. Eukaryotic cells

PROKARYOTIC CELLS AND EUKARYOTIC CELLS

- Prokaryotic Cells;- Are cells without a nucleus but contain only ribosome as cellular
organelle, the DNA is found in the cytoplasm, examples single cell organisms such as
bacteria cell and Archaea

- Eukaryotic Cells;- Are cells that contain a nucleus and other cellular organelles
enclosed within a cell membrane, the DNA is found enclosed within the nuclear
membrane, examples all multicellular organisms such as plants, animals, and fungi
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PROKARYOTIC CELLS AND EUKARYOTIC CELLS
S/N PROKARYOTIC CELLS EUKARYOTIC CELLS
1. Are cells without a nucleus Are cells that contain a nucleus
2. Have only ribosome as the cellular Have other organelles beside the nucleus
organelle apart from nucleus
3. The DNA is found in the cytoplasm The DNA is found enclosed within the
nuclear membrane
4. They are usually smaller They are usually larger
5. They are single celled organisms e.g They are multicellular organism e.g plants,
Bacteria and Archaea animals, and fungi
6. They have less cell specificity They have greater cell specificity

CELL DIVISION
We have two (2) types of cell division
i. Mitosis
ii. Meiosis

MITOSIS
- Somatic or body cells contain the full chromosome number characteristics of organism,
- This is called diploid number (2n)
- Somatic or body cells divide by mitosis, which is a multiplication cell division, and give
rise to two daughter cells each having the same number of chromosomes (diploid) as the
parents cell (2n)
MEIOSIS
- Germs or reproductive cells are specialized kinds of cells found in the gonads (testes
and ovaries) in case of animals (anther and ovaries) in case of plants for the formation
of gamete
- Germ or reproductive cells divide by meiosis, which is a reduction cell division, and
give rise to two daughter cells each having half number of chromosomes (haploid) of
the parent cell (n)
- It take place only during the formation of the sex cell (gamete)

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MITOSIS AND MEIOSIS

 MITOSIS MEIOSIS
-It take place in somatic cells (body cells) -It take place in germ cells (reproductive cells)
-It is a multiplication cell division -It is a reduction cell division
-Only one nuclear division occur -Two nuclear division occur
-There is no exchange of genes -There is an exchange of genes
-No pairing of chromosomes -There is pairing of chromosomes
-It produces two diploid cells from one parent -It produces four haploid cells from one parent
diploid cell haploid cell

ORGANIZATION OF LIFE
- Life exists in an organized form so as to carry out efficiently the characteristics of living
things.
- Every living thing is made up of a cell or a number of cells.
- A single celled organism is called a unicellular organism while many celled organism is
called a multicellular organism.
- Organization of life is therefore the existence of life from a single celled organism to a
multicellular organism with a complex forms that perform different functions.

LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION OF LIFE

We have four (4) levels of organization of life this includes;-
i. Cell
ii. Tissue
iii. Organ
iv. System

CELL
- A cell is a functional and structural unit of protoplasm bounded by a membrane and
containing nuclear and cytoplasmic materials.
- Some living things exist as a single cell capable of carrying out all the characteristics of
living things.
- They have cytoplasmic structures such as pseudopodia, cilia, flagella, vacuoles e.t.c
- Examples are Amoeba, Chlamydomonas, Paramecium and Euglena.

TISSUE
- A tissue is a collection of cells which are similar in structure and perform similar
functions.
- They have the same origin and occupy the same position in the body of the organism.
- Hydra is an example of an animal that is made up of tissues only.
- Other examples of tissues includes;- Epithelial tissue is to forms the skin and the tubes
- Blood tissue is to convey food and oxygen round the body
 - Skeletal tissue is to provide support and movement to the body
- Connective tissue is to bind together other tissues
- Nerve tissue is to coordinate and conducts impulses
- Muscles tissue is for movement of the body parts
- In plant Epithelial tissue is to provide lining and protection of plant surface
- Vascular tissue is for transportation of food and water
- Photosynthetic tissue is to manufacture of food
- Strengthening tissue is to give strength and support to the plant.

ORGAN
- An organ is a collection of different tissues that perform a common function or functions.
- Some organs perform just one function while other organs carry out more than one
function.
- For example kidney gets rid of waste materials from the body and also regulates the
amount of water in the body.
- The heart only performs the functions of pumping of blood round the body.
- In plant; root conduct water and minerals from soil to the plant body.

SYSTEM
- System is made up of different organs each contributing its role to a major function.
- For example, the digestive system is made up of organ such as the mouth, esophagus,
stomach, pancreas, duodenum, illium, large intestine, and anus.
- All these organs contribute to the major function of digestion of food.
- Other examples of system in both plants and animals includes;- Respiratory system,
Nervous system, Excretory system, Skeletal system
- These systems combine to form the full organism that is complex.