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5 Cell structure and functions

The document provides an overview of cell structure and function, detailing various organelles such as the cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, mitochondria, and vacuoles. It explains the roles of these organelles, including their composition, functions, and differences between plant and animal cells. Additionally, it includes practical demonstrations of osmosis and assessments related to cell biology concepts.

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16 views

5 Cell structure and functions

The document provides an overview of cell structure and function, detailing various organelles such as the cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, mitochondria, and vacuoles. It explains the roles of these organelles, including their composition, functions, and differences between plant and animal cells. Additionally, it includes practical demonstrations of osmosis and assessments related to cell biology concepts.

Uploaded by

nxumalonicole7
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 PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Cell structure

and function:
roles of
organelles
Cell wall
A cell wall surrounds all
plant cells
The cell wall is thick, rigid
and non-living
The cell wall consist of
cellulose micro fibrils
• There are spaces between
the micro fibrils making it
fully permeable to even
large molecules
Cell wall
Functions of the cell wall
1.Gives shape to plant cells, gives
strength and rigidity.
2.It is fully permeable allowing
most substances to pass through it
Cell membrane
Function: allows movement of certain substances across the membrane
Cell membrane/ plasmalemma/ plasma membrane
The cell membrane is very thin (± 7 nm)
The membrane is made up of a double layer – the two dark layers in
the previous slide.
A phospholipid molecule has a head which faces the outside of the
cell. The head is hydrophilic (attracted to water). It can be seen as
the dark layer on the micrograph.
The tail of the phospholipid molecules point inwards, facing each
other and forming a non-polar hydrophobic (water repelling)interior.
This is the light interior as seen in the micrograph.
The structure of the cell membrane is best explained in
terms of the fluid mosaic model
1. Diffusion
Diffusion is the
movement of
molecules of a
substance from
an area of high
concentration to
regions of low
concentration of
that particular
substance.
2. Osmosis is the movement of water through a
differentially permeable membrane from a solution
with a high water concentration to a solution with a
low water concentration.
A practical demonstration of osmosis
1. Movement of water when there is a difference in concentration
 Place a salt solution inside a hollowed out potato, inside a thistle funnel or inside a dialysis tubing. Colour the salt solution with eosin or food colouring. Mark the level of
the solution.

 Coloured salt water


 Thistle funnel
 Dialysis tubing









Method
1. Set your experiment up as indicated by either of the diagrams.
 Observe the level of the sucrose solution in the potato over several hours and record your observation.
Daily assessment
1. Study the following practical demonstration of osmosis and
answer the questions following it:
1.1 Name any TWO household
products which contain starch
and which can be placed inside
the dialysis sac. (2)
1.2 Discuss the characteristics of
a dialysis sac. (3)
1.3 Why is iodine used in this
investigation? (2)
1.4 What will you observe after a
period of time? (2)
1.5 Explain your observations
mentioned in 1.4 (3)
Daily assessment
2. Study the following diagram and
answer the questions following it:
2.1 Mention the process by which A. Water
substances will be transported at: molecules
A
B
C (3) B

2.2 Explain the characteristics of D (4)

D
The Nucleus
1. The nucleus is
surrounded by a double
nuclear membrane with
nuclear pores. Material
enter and leave the
nucleus through these
pores.
2. The chromatin
network is suspended in
the jelly-like
nucleoplasm. The
nucleolus is made up of
protein and a
substances called RNA.
3. The chromatin
network, which is made
up of DNA appears as
fine elongated strands
throughout the
nucleoplasm
The chromatin network
will change into
chromosomes when they
divide by mitosis (cell
division)

The chromosomes is the


centre for hereditary
characteristics and
controls the activities of
the cell
The cytoplasm
The cytoplasm consists of all the organelles in the cell suspended in the
cytosol ((liquid medium of the cell). The cytosol is mostly composed of
water, fat globules, starch grains, salt , sugar , O 2 and CO2
Mitochondria
Mitochondria store energy in the form of ATP. The number of mitochondria
in a cell can vary from 50 to 2500. More active cells carry more
mitochondria.
9. Mitochondria
A mitochondrion is
surrounded by two
membranes, the
outer smooth
membrane and the
inner folded
membrane. The
folds enlarge the
surface area for
the attachment of
enzymes used
during cellular
respiration.
• Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the “canal system” of the cell. ER
is often continuous with the nuclear membrane and the cell
membrane and it forms an extensive network of canals and sacs in
the cytoplasm. There are two types of ER:
smooth ER with no ribosomes
Rough ER with ribosomes attached to the membranes.
Electron micrograph indicating ER
Golgi apparatus is a stack of flattened sacks and many spherical
vesicles which have been broken off.
Golgi apparatus makes and processes secretions, such as saliva and
mucous.
Golgi body
Plastids

Plastids are surrounded by a double membrane and are only


found in plant cells. Three types of plastids are found:
chloroplasts – photosynthesis takes place in chloroplasts
chromoplasts – store colour pigments in flowers and fruit
leucoplasts – store food and are colourless. Found in bulbs
and tubers, e.g. in a potato tuber.
Chloroplast
Vacuole
Plant cells normally
have large vacuoles, in
animal cells vacuoles
are normally small.
Vacuoles are
surrounded by a single
membrane called the
tonoplast. The fluid
inside the vacuole is
called the cell sap. Cell
sap consists mainly of
water and solutes like
sugars and salts.
Functions of the vacuole:
1. Vacuoles maintain the turgidity of plant cells. It absorbs water which
makes the cells to swell up.
2. Vacuoles may contain pigments which give the blue, violet, purple or dark
red colour to fruit and flowers.
3. In unicellular organisms like Amoeba, vacuoles called contractile vacuoles
control the amount of water in the cell – they are responsible for
osmoregulation.
4. amoeba may also have vacuoles called food vacuoles which are
responsible for food storage.
8 Mitochondria
and lysosomes
Lysosomes are surrounded by a
single membrane. They contain
digestive enzymes.
Function:
Lysosomes are responsible for the
digestion of unwanted structures like
warn out(old) cells.
In white blood cells they digest
bacteria.
The sperm cell has a special
lysosome called the acrosome
which digests a path to the ovum
(egg).
Daily assessment
 3. Study the diagram and answer the questions that
follow.
 3.1 Provide labels for A to F. (6)
 3.2 Give only the letter for the part of
 the cell …
 a) in which cellular respiration occurs.(1)
 b) that forms the spindle fibres during
 cell division. (1)
 c) that controls all cellular metabolism.(1)
 d) that controls the entry and exit of
 substances. (1)
 e) that is involved in protein synthesis. (1)
 [15]

Electron
micrograph of
a plant cell

List FOUR
characteristics
unique to plant
cells.
An electron
micrograph of
an animal cell

List FOUR
characteristics
unique to animal
cells.
Animal cell
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
ANIMAL AND PLANT CELL
PLANT CELLS ANIMAL CELLS
Cell wall present Cell wall is absent
Vacuoles are large Vacuoles are small or absent
Chloroplast present Chloroplast absent
No centrosome present Centrosome is present
Daily assessment
 4. Examine the diagram
 and answer the questions
 that follow.
 4.1 Is this a plant or an animal
 cell? B
 Give THREE reasons for your answer.(4)
 4.2 Calculate the length of the organelle
 labelled A in micrometers (μm). (3) C
D
 4.3 Discuss the structure and functions
 of the following structures:
 B (5)
 C (8)
 D (6)
 [5]

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