CELL – STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS NOTES

THE CELL

Cells are the structural and functional units of living organisms and the basic units of life. The word ‘cell’ in
Latin means ‘compartment’.

Both, bricks in a building and cells in the living organisms, are basic structural units. The buildings, though
built of similar bricks, have different designs, shapes and sizes. Similarly, in the living world, organisms
differ from one another but all are made up of cells. Cells in the living organisms are complex living
structures unlike non-living bricks.

DISCOVERY OF THE CELL

Robert Hooke discovered the cell in the year 1665 from a thin section of cork under a self-made
microscope.

Cork is a part of the bark of a tree. He took thin slices of cork and observed them under a microscope. He
noticed partitioned boxes or compartments in the cork slice. These boxes appeared like a honeycomb. He
also noticed that one box was separated from the other by a wall or partition. Hooke coined the term ‘cell’
for each box.

In 1674, Anton Van Leeuwenhoek made a microscope with improved magnification power and observed
many cells like red blood cells, unicellular organisms in pond water, bacteria, frog, fish etc.

CELL THEORY

In 1838, Matthias Schleiden, a German Botanist, announced that all plants are made up of cells. In 1839,
Theodor Schwann, a German Zoologist, concluded that all animals are made up cells. In 1858, Rudolph
Virchow, made an addition to cell theory by saying that all cells come from existing cells.

POSTULATES OF CELL THEORY

1. All living things are made up of cells.

2. Cells are the basic unit of structure and function in all living things.

3. New cells arise from pre-existing cells.

CELL NUMBER, SIZE AND SHAPE

Depending on the number of cells in a living body, an organism can be classified as unicellular or
multicellular. Unicellular organisms are made up of only one cell. Eg: Amoeba, paramoecium, bacteria etc.
Multicellular organisms are made up of several cells and perform different functions. Eg: Human being,
rose plant etc.

The size of cells may vary from 0.1µm to 170mm. The following are the sizes of various cells.

• Bacteria – 0.1µm to 0.5µm

• Mycoplasma – 0.1µm (Smallest cell)

• Ostrich egg – 170mm x 130mm (Largest cell)

• Neuron - 1m (Longest cell)

Note: 1µm = 0.000001 m

1mm = 0.001 m
Cells vary in shape based on their functions.

1. Muscle cell: It is spindle shaped and pointed at the ends. It helps in movement.

2. Neuron: It is long and branched. It helps in carrying messages within the body.

3. White blood corpuscle (Leucocytes): It is amoeboid (irregular) in shape. It helps in fighting foreign
particles that enter the body.

4. Red blood corpuscles (Erythrocytes): It is disc shaped with shallow centre. It helps carrying
oxygen and for exchange of gases.

Draw the diagrams on left side (plain sheet). Use pencil only.

Neuron (Nerve cell) WBC

Draw the diagrams on left side (plain sheet). Use pencil only.
 Draw the nucleus diagram on left side (plain sheet) wherever you are writing about nucleus.
Use pencil only.

DIFFUSION – The movement of molecules (solutes / particles) from a region of higher concentration to a
region of lower concentration.

In this process:

• No energy needed to move molecules

• Occurs in both gases and liquids
• Does not require a semi permeable membrane to occur
• Occurs faster as temperature increases

Examples of diffusion:

• Oxygen and carbon dioxide entering and leaving the lungs

• Nutrients moving across the small intestine into blood (absorption)
• Nutrients and waste materials moving across placenta in a pregnant mother’s womb

OSMOSIS – The movement of water molecules from a region of higher water concentration to a region of
lower water concentration.

In this process:
 • No energy needed to move molecules
• Requires a semi permeable membrane to occur
• Occurs faster as temperature increases

Examples of osmosis:

• Water from the soil entering the plant roots

• Water moving across the walls of nephrons in the kidney
• Water moving across the small intestines into blood

PARTS OF THE CELL

SL.NO PARTS OF A MAIN CHARACTERISTICS CHIEF FUNCTIONS

CELL
1. Cell wall i. Cell wall is the outermost layer of i. It provides protection and shape to
(plant cells only) the plant cell and is a non-living the cell.
layer. ii. It allows substances to enter and
Ii. It surrounds the cell membrane leave the cell freely.
and is composed of cellulose. iii. It gives a rigid structure to plant
iii. It is freely permeable. cells and that is why they can
withstand the stress of high-velocity
wind, rain, high temperature etc.

2. Cell membrane i. It is the outermost layer of an i. The cell membrane separates cells
(plasma animal cell. from one another and also the
membrane) ii. It is a living layer which is semi- internal contents from the
permeable and made up of lipo- surrounding medium.
proteins. ii. It is porous and allows the
movement of substances or materials
both inward and outward.
iii. It gives shape and protects the
cell.

3. Cytoplasm i. It is a jelly like fluid that fills up the i. All the metabolic activities occur
space between nucleus and the cell here.
membrane. ii. It contains different cell organelles
ii. It contains many dissolved organic that perform specific functions
substances, water and cell
organelles.

4. Endoplasmic i. It is an irregular network of tubular i. It provides a supporting framework

Reticulum (ER) double membrane organelle and it to the cell.
extends from the nuclear membrane ii. Rough endoplasmic reticulum has
to the cell membrane. ribosomes for synthesis of protein.
ii. The Endoplasmic Reticulum is iii. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum is
divided into two types based on their involved in the synthesis of fats and
physical and functional properties as also helps in the transportation of
Smooth and Rough Endoplasmic substances.
Reticulum.

5. Mitochondria i. Mitochondria is a double i. Mitochondria are the sites of

membrane-bound sausage shaped aerobic respiration in the cell and it
organelle. produces energy in the form of ATP.
ii. Also known as ‘powerhouse of ii. It stores energy and synthesizes
the cell’. respiratory enzymes.
iii. The inner membrane is thrown
into number of folds called Cristae
 and is filled with a fluid called matrix.

6. Golgi apparatus i. Golgi apparatus also termed as i. Its main function is to modify
(animal cell) Golgi complex. proteins.
Dictyosomes (plant ii. It is in the form of stacks of ii. These modified proteins are placed
cell) membranous sacs. in Golgi so that it can transport
iii. It consists of tubules and elsewhere in the cell when required.
vesicles. iii. In plant cells it is called
dictyosomes which helps in the
synthesis of cell wall.
iv. It synthesizes and secretes
enzymes and hormones which help
in the formation of acrosomes in
sperms.

7. Ribosomes i. They are small granules that may i. Synthesis of proteins.

be found scattered in the cytoplasm
or attached to endoplasmic
reticulum.
ii. They are single- walled, spherical
in shape and are composed of RNA
(Ribo Nucleic Acid)

8. Lysosomes i. Lysosomes are small membrane- i. They help in the intercellular

bound sac like structure. digestion.
ii. They are present only in animal ii. They contain digestive enzymes
cells. that digest the worn out cell
iii. They contain 40 types of organelles, food particles, virus and
enzymes. bacteria. Therefore, they are called
iv. They are formed from the golgi as the Suicide bag/ sac of the cell.
apparatus.

9. Centrosomes i. It is found only in animal cell. i. Initiates and regulates cell division.
(animal cell only) ii. It is located near the nucleus. ii. It forms spindle fibres along with
iii. It contains one or two centrioles the help of asters.
and each centriole is surrounded by
microtubules.

10. Plastids (plant cells i. Plant cells have tiny, coloured i. Leucoplasts store the starch.
only) structures called plastids. ii. Chromoplast consists of
ii. Plastids carry pigments of various
colours like orange, red, green and a. Xanthophyll (yellow carotene,
even colourless. orange, red)
iii. They are of three types b. Anthocyanin – pigment dissolved
in cytoplasm (violet, blue).
c. Chloroplast consists of a green
colour pigment called chlorophyll
which traps sunlight for
photosynthesis.

11. Nucleus i. It is the largest cell structure and is i. It is the control centre of all
generally spherical in shape and is activities of the cell.
dense. ii. It is involved in the cell divisions
ii. It is separated from the cytoplasm and
by the nuclear membrane (nuclear helps in regulating the cell
envelope) which has pores that functions.
allow movement of substances iii. It contains Chromosomes – the
between the cytoplasm and nucleus. carrier of genes.
iii. The nucleus contains Nucleolus Iv. If the nucleus is removed the cell
and chromatin fibres (network of dies.
 thread like structures with DNA)
Chromosomes : The nucleus
contains thread-like structures called
chromosomes. These
carry genes and help in inheritance
or transfer of characters from the
parents to the offspring.
Chromosomes are composed
of DNA in the form of Chromatin and
protein. Chromosomes contain
information for the inheritance of
features from parents to next
generation in the form of DNA
molecules.

DNA molecules contain the

information necessary for
constructing and organizing cells.
Functional segments of DNA are
called genes. Eg: Colour of eye, hair,
complexion etc.

12. Vacuoles i. Vacuoles are found in both plant i. It stores water, food substances,
and animal cells and is larger in pigments, waste products etc.
plant cell. ii. It provides turgidity to the cell.
ii. Vacuoles are storage bubbles of
irregular shapes.
iii. It is a non-living organelle that is
filled with water and other
substances.
iv. Its outer layer is called tonoplast.

13. Peroxisomes i. Single membrane bound i. In plants, peroxisome converts

organelles. stored oil into molecules that can be
used for energy.
ii. This organelle is responsible for
protecting the cell from its own
production of toxic hydrogen
peroxide.

Eg: WBC – WBC produces hydrogen

peroxide to kill bacteria. Peroxisome
secrets oxidative enzymes which
breaks down the hydrogen peroxide
into Hydrogen and Oxygen. Hereby,
preventing it from attacking the cell.

Difference between plant cell and animal cell

Sl No PLANT CELL ANIMAL CELL

1 They are usually larger with distinct They are usually smaller with less distinct
outlines. outlines.

2 Cell wall is present. Cell wall is absent.

3 In plant cell, the cytoplasm is not so In an animal cell, the cytoplasm is denser and
dense. has a lot of granules.

4 It doesn’t have centrosome and It has centrosome and lysosome.

lysosome.

5 There are large and few vacuoles Small vacuoles are present here.
present.

6 Plastids are present. Plastids are absent.

7 Dictysosomes are present. Golgi apparatus is present here.

8 Nucleus is found towards the periphery Nucleus is located in the centre of the cell.
side.

Difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes

Sl No PROKARYOTIC CELL EUKARYOTIC CELL

1 Most prokaryotes are unicellular. Most eukaryotes are multicellular.

2 The nucleus is not well defined and known as a The nucleus is well defined and surrounded by
nucleoid. a nuclear membrane. The nucleolus is present
in the nucleus.

3 Single, circular chromosome. Possesses more than one and linear

chromosome.

4 Membrane-bound organelles absent. It contains cell organelles such as plastids,

mitochondria, Golgi bodies, etc.

5 Eg: Bacterial cell. Eg: Fungi, plant, and animal cells