Cells
- The most basic unit of life is the cell.
- Organisms are either single celled or multicellular
- All life is cellular
The Cell Theory
- Early microbiologist, Robert Hooke, discovered that the smallest units of life are cells
(1665) and that cells can be seen with a compound microscope.
- Cell theory is that all living things are composed of cells
- Antoni van Leeuwenhoek observed animalcules (late 1600s to early 1700s).
- He observed this through a single-lens microscope on rainwater and material
scraped from his teeth.
- Cell theory explains the relationship between life and properties of the cel
- All organisms consist of one or more cell
- The cell is the basic unit of all organisms
- All cells come from pre-existing, living cells
Common functions of cells
- Bacterial, protozoan, plant, animal
- Duplicate DNA
- Use DNA and RNA to make proteins
- Handle energy transfer
- Regulate exchange of materials
Common structures of cells
- Plasma membrane; outer covering that separates the cells interior from the
environment
- Cytoplasm; material within the cell with other cellular components
- DNA; the genetic material of the cell
- Ribosomes; structures that make proteins
What limits cell size?
- Cells are limited in size despite their shapes
- Cell range; bacteria and archaea, 1-5 micrometres and higher plants and animals, 10-
100 micrometres
- To successfully survive, cells need to exchange gases, nutrients, wastes and other
molecules with their environment and transport material within the cell
Problems for large cells
- Information transfer from the nucleus to the rest of the cell
- Rate of difusion of nutrients and wastes in and out of the cell
- Not enough surface area (e.g surface to volume ratio)
, - A cell that is too large in volume does not have the surface area of plasma
membrane to efectively transport particles in and out of the cell
Solutions to limit size
- Cells remain unicellular but are small and successful, e.g. bacteria
- Organisms become large, multicellular and complex but cells remain small e.g. plants
and animals
Prokaryote vs. Eukaryote
Prokaryote:
- Single celled
- Rapid growth
- Small size, 0.5-3 micrometres
- Does not have a nucleus
- No membrane bound organelles
- Single circular chromosomal DNA
- Small 70S ribosomes
- Cell wall is mostly present
- Cell division is binary fssion
- E.g. Bacteria and archaea
Eukaryote:
- Single or multi celled
- Growth is slow
- Large size, 5-20 micrometres
- Has a nucleus
- Has many membrane bound organelles
- Double linear chromosomal DNA
- Large 80S ribosomes
- Cell wall is present in some
- Cell division by mitosis
- E.g. animals and plants
Animal Cell (Eukaryote)
- Organelles that are membrane bound require membrane fusion events to exchange
materials
- Divide by mitosis – chromosomes replicate and are distributed equally into daughter
cells
Plant Cell (Eukaryote)
- Plant cells have walls containing chitin and large vacuoles
Bacterial Cell (Prokaryote)
- The common bacterial, E.coli has chromosomal material (1300micrometres) longer
than itself so it is folded and packed tightly (nucleoid) to ft inside the cell (1-2
micrometres).
- Division by binary fssion
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller stephjane. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.