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The Fundamental Unit of Life (Edustudy Point)

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25 views5 pages

The Fundamental Unit of Life (Edustudy Point)

Uploaded by

nipunguptatagore
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Fundamental Unit of

Life

DESIGNED

By

Edustudy point
Cells: Every organism in this universe are made of tiny basic structural units called cells.
• Cells were discovered by Robert Hooke in 1665.
• Cells are the building blocks of an element that cannot be seen with naked eyes but can be
seen under a microscope.
• Organisms can be classified into unicellular and multicellular organisms.

Unicellular organisms: Unicellular organisms are composed of single cell.

• The single cell constitutes the structure and entire function of the
organism.

• Example:- Amoeba, Chlamydomonas and Paramecium.

Multicellular organisms: Multicellular organisms are composed of many cells.

• The labour of performing different functions is divided between the various cells in these
organisms.
• Example:- Human beings.

Structure of cell: Cells are made up of components called cell organelles.


• A cell is capable to live and perform all their respective functions due to the presence of
cell organelles.
• The parts of cell are as follows:

• Cell wall

• Plasma membrane or cell membrane

• Nucleus

• Cytoplasm

• Endoplasmic Reticulum

• Golgi Apparatus

• Lysosomes

• Mitochondria
Fig. Animal cell
• Plastids

• Vacuole
➢ Plasma membrane: Plasma membrane is the outermost layer in cells.
• It separates the content of cell from their external environment.
• It controls the entry and exit of materials in and out of cell and hence it is called
selectively permeable membrane.
• Gases move in or out from high concentration to low concentration in a cell through the cell
membrane by the process of diffusion.
• The movement of water in and out of the cell depending upon the concentration outside
the cell by the process of osmosis.

➢ Cell wall: Cell Wall is found in plant cells outside the plasma membrane.
• It is a rigid covering made up of cellulose
which a complex substance is providing
structural support to the plants.

➢ Cytoplasm: A thick solution composed of water,


salts, and proteins that fills the cell is called
cytoplasm.
• It is surrounded by cell membrane.

➢ Nucleus: The nucleus is small, round and


membrane bound structure found in cell.
• It controls the cell’s growth and reproduction
because it contains cell's hereditary
information. Fig. plant cell
• It is covered by dual layer called nuclear membrane.
• The nucleus contains some thread like structures called chromatin.
• The chromatin contains DNA (Deoxy-ribo nucleic acid), RNA (Ribo Nucleic acid) and
proteins.
• The nucleus contains some rod shaped structures in a cell that contains the hereditary
information. They are called chromosome.
• Chromosomes contain DNA and nuclear proteins. Genes are the functional segments of
DNA.
• Human body has 23 pairs of sex chromosomes. A boy has one X chromosome and one Y
chromosome whereas a girl has two X chromosomes.
• The nucleus of cell divides itself to give rise to new offsprings.

➢ Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER): The large network of membranous sheets and tubes is called
endoplasmic reticulum.
• It transports materials between the cytoplasm and nucleus.
• It also provides a surface for some biochemical activities of cell.
• It can be classified into two types:
1) RER (Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum): The RER appears rough under a microscope as it is
lined with ribosomes.

2) SER (Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum): The SER appears smooth under microscope due
to absence of ribosomes.

➢ Golgi apparatus: The stacks of flattened membranous vesicles are called Golgi apparatus.
• It packs and transports the materials synthesised in Endoplasmic Reticulum to different
targets inside and outside the cell.

➢ Lysosomes: The sac-like structures in a cell surrounded by membrane are called lysosomes.
• They keep the cells clean by digesting and breaking the outside materials like bacteria,
food entering the cell or worn-out cell organelles into small pieces.
• lysosome is also known as a suicide sac.

➢ Mitochondria: The mitochondria is powerhouse of the cell.


• It is surrounded by two membranes.
• The outer membrane is porous where the inner
membrane has deep folds that provides a large
surface to perform the chemical reactions required
for the generation of ATP.
• Mitochondria have their own DNA and ribosomes and
are hence capable to produce some of their required
Fig. Structure of mitochondria
proteins all by themselves.

➢ Plastids: Plastids refer to the double membrane bound organelles found in plant cells.
• They are found in the cytoplasm.
• Plants make and store food in plastids.
• They have their own DNA and Ribosomes.
• They can be classified into two types:
1) Chloroplast: Chloroplasts are the plastids containing the green pigment called
chlorophyll. They are necessary to carry the process of photosynthesis.
• Chloroplasts also contain orange and yellow pigments.

2) Leucoplast: Leucoplast stores starch, oils and protein granules.

• Plastids have many membranous layers embedded in surface called stroma.


➢ Vacuoles: Vacuoles are fluid filled organelles surrounded by a membrane.
• Animal cells have small sized vacuoles whereas plant cells have large vacuoles.
• It provides turbidity and rigidity to the plant cell.
• It acts as storage sacs of cell and stores food, water, sugar, minerals and waste products
of the cell.

Prokaryotes and eukaryotes:


Prokaryotes Eukaryotes

Nuclear Membrane is absent. Nuclear Membrane is present.

Membrane-bound cell organelles are absent. Membrane-bound cell organelles are present.

Mitochondria are absent. Mitochondria are present.

Golgi apparatus is absent. Golgi apparatus is absent.

The concentration of DNA is low. DNA is found in nucleus, plastids, and mitochondria.

Sexual reproduction is absent. Sexual reproduction is generally present.

Cell division: The process by which new cells are made is called is called cell division. There
are two types of cell division.

1) Mitosis: The process of cell division by which most of the cells divide for growth is called
mitosis.
• In this process each cell called mother cell divides to form two identical daughter cells.
• The daughter cells have the same no. of chromosomes as mother cell.

2) Meiosis: The process where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half
the original amount of genetic information.
• The new cells only have half no. of chromosomes than that of the mother cells.

KHATAM

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