General

Biology 1
Presentation by Ms. Neslyn Jane Tolentino
Lesson 1.1

The Cell
(Cell Theory, Structure, and
Function)
Presentation by Ms. Neslyn Jane Tolentino
General Biology
Biology is the science of living matter. It involves the study of the
structure of evolutionary development and functions of plants,
animals, and microorganisms.The majority of biologists are engaged
in research and development.
Learning Objectives:

At the end of discussion, I should be able to:

1. Explain the postulates of the cell theory.
2. Describe the structure and function of major
and subcellular organelles.
 THE HISTORY OF CELL
AND THE CELL THEORY
The discovery of the cell would not have been possible if
not for advancements to the microscope. Interested in
learning more about the microscopic world, scientist
Robert Hooke improved the design of the existing
compound microscope in 1665.
Robert Hooke
He examined a thin slice of cork
under the microscope and observed
that the piece of cork was composed
of many tiny compartments which
resembled little rooms with
surrounding wall.

Hooke named these compartments

cells.
Antoine Van Leuwenhoek
In 1674, the Dutch inventor Antoine
Van Leuwenhoek observed red
blood cells, sperms and a myriad of
single-celled organisms in pond
water. He discovered free cells and
observed the nucleus within some
red blood cells.

He discovered mobile organelles in

many subjects, which he called
animalcules.
Robert Brown
Over the next 200 years after Hooke,
another scientist, a Scottish botanist
named Robert Brown, made a
general conclusion in 1831. He
discovered the nucleus and
theorized that this structure is a
fundamental and a constant
component of the cell
 (b) Epidermal peel of Cymbidium
(a) Microscope used by Robert Brown
Matthias Schleiden & Theodore
Schwann
In 1838, Matthias Schleiden, a
German botanist, stated that all
plants are composed of cells. After
him, in 1839, Theodore Schwann, a
German zoologist, concluded that
all animals are composed of cells.

Jointly, Schleiden and Schwann

came out with the theory that all
living things are composed of cells.
Rudolph Virchow
Twenty years later, in 1858, a
German biologist, Rudolph Virchow,
theorized that all living cells come
from pre-existing living cells. His
conclusion arose from observing
dividing cells while he was at work.
 Cell Theory
These observations became the major components of
the cell theory. The cell theory states that:

1. All living things are composed of one

or more cells and cell products.
2. All living cells come from other living
cells by the process of cell division.
3. Cells are the basic units of structure
and function of organism
Cell Structure
and Function
Three Major Parts of the Cell
The principal parts of a cell are:
1. Cell membrane - a semi-permeable membrane that
facilitate the movement of molecules inside and outside the
plant or animal cell.
2. Cytoplasm - a viscous fluid or jelly like material where
organelles are embedded.
3. Nucleus - often called the “control center” of the cell
because it contains DNA.
Cell Membrane
- It is the outer boundary of the cell.
- It separates the cell from its
surroundings and acts as a selective
barrier to the passage of substances in
and out of the cell.
- Semi-permeable: allows some
materials to pass through but not all
- Phospholipid molecules are polar or
amphiphatic, meaning the two ends
have different properties in water.
Cell Membrane
- The phosphate head is
hydrophilic or soluble in water.
- The tail end is hydrophobic or
insoluble in water.
- The transport of materials
depends on electrochemical
gradient or difference between
the concentration of the
substances or by the presence of
ion charges.
Cytoplasm
- It includes everything between the cell
membrane and the nucleus. It consists of
two main parts namely cytosol and
organelles.

- Cytosol – refers to the viscous colloidal

substance of the cytoplasm where the
organelles are suspended. It is the site of
major biological processes particularly
with regard to cellular respiration.
 Organelles
Nucleus
– Continuation of cytoplasm but only
separated by nuclear membrane.
- Directs all cell activities "Brain or
Control Center of the eukaryotic cell“.
- This is where the DNA (hereditary
material of the cell) is kept and RNA is
transcribed.
- It is surrounded by a double-layered
membrane called the nuclear envelope.
 Organelles
Nucleus
- Nucleoli are associated with the
synthesis of ribosome, the organelles
which in turn, build proteins.
- It acts as storage of genetic
information and transfers such
information during cell division to
the resulting daughter cells, thus
transmitting traits from one generation
to the next.
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)
- It has ribosomes attached on its surface.
- RER is associated with two main functions.
a. to make more membranes.
b. to transport within a cell the proteins
synthesized and secreted by the cell.

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)

- It is continuous with RER but lack ribosomes.
- One of its main functions is to synthesize lipids,
such as fatty acids, phospholipids, and steroids.
- The types of lipids the SER makes depend on
the type of cell where it is found.

Ex. In mammals, steroid sex hormones are synthesized

by the SER found in the cells of ovaries and testes.
Golgi Apparatus
- It consists of a series of flat,
membrane-bound sacs arranged
parallel to each other. These sacs
are not interconnected, unlike the
folds of the ER.
- It packages and secretes products
of the Endoplasmic Reticulum. One
side of its stack receives from the ER
the transport vesicles containing
newly synthesized proteins and
lipids.
Lysosome
- These organelles are formed from the
enzymes and membranes produced by
the ER, which are then chemically
modified by the Golgi apparatus, to
release them as mature lysosomes.
- This organelle digests waste materials
and food within the cell, breaking down
molecules into their base components
with strong digestive enzymes.
Mitochodrion
- It is described as "powerhouse of the cell" as it breaks down sugar
molecules to release energy in the form of ATP.
- It is the site of cellular respiration.
- It contains double membrane, self-replicating, contains own DNA,
cristae, which increase the membrane’s surface area, thus enhancing the
mitochondrion’s ability to produce Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP).
Vacuoles
- It is described as "Storage tanks”
which are fluid-filled cavities in
the cytoplasm containing crystal,
inorganic salts, sugars, insoluble
particles, and excess water.
- They are more developed in
plant cells than in animal cells
(vesicle).
- Generally, they act as storage
organelles inside the cell.
Cellular Inclusions
– these are structures inside the cells that are not membrane-bounded
but have specific and vital role in the cell.

Ribosomes - They can be found

attached to the endoplasmic
reticulum or free in the cytoplasm;
- Ribosomes are the sites of protein
synthesis, where RNA is translated
into protein.
Cytoskeleton
– is transparent in standard light and electron microscope preparations, and is
therefore invisible. It is usually left out of drawings of the cell, but it is an important,
complex, and dynamic cell component.
- The cytoskeleton maintains the cell's shape, anchors organelles in place, and moves
parts of the cell in processes of growth and motility.
- Consists of microtubules, microfilament and intermediate filament
Centrosome and Centrioles
- Centrosome is called the microtubule organizing center. It contains
a pair of centrioles which are barrel-shaped structures.
- The centrioles produce and organize microtubules.
- They play a vital role in animal cell division.
Cell Wall

- Rigid outer layer surrounding the cell

membrane that supports and protects
the cell (plant, fungi, and bacterial
cells)
- The rigidity of the cell provides
mechanical strength and accounts for
the definite shapes of plant cells.
Chloroplast

- A special plastid that contains

chlorophyll a pigment that captures
the sun's energy to produce glucose in
a process called photosynthesis.
- These organelles are the site
of photosynthesis in plants and other
photosynthesizing organisms. They
also have a double membrane.
 Activity 1:
Cell as a School
Directions: Identify the function of the following parts of the cell. Then,
identify which person does the same job (or a place like it) in the school. The
first one is done for you as an example to follow.
Lesson 1.1

The Cell
(Cell Theory, Structure, and
Function)
Presentation by Ms. Neslyn Jane Tolentino