PARTS OF ANIMAL AND PLANT CELL
Lysosomes fuse with vesicles (small
Golgi Apparatus: A series (stack) of
flattened, membrane-bound sacs (saccules)
involved in the storage, modification and
secretion of proteins (glycoproteins) and
lipids destined to leave the cell
(extracellular) and for use within the cell
(intracellular). The Golgi apparatus is
abundant in secretory cells, such as cells of
the pancreas.
Golgi Vesicle: A membrane-bound body
that forms by "budding" from the Golgi
apparatus. It contains proteins
(glycoproteins), such as digestive enzymes,
and migrates to the cell (plasma)
membrane. Golgi vesicles fuse with the cell
membrane and discharge their contents into
the exterior of the cell through a process
called exocytosis. Some Golgi vesicles
become lysosomes which are involved in
intracellular digestion.
Lysosome: A membrane-bound organelle
containing hydrolytic (digestive) enzymes.
Lysosomes originate as membrane-bound
vesicles (called Golgi vesicles) that bud from
the Golgi apparatus. They are primarily
involved with intracellular digestion.
vacuoles) formed by endocytosis. The
contents of these vesicles are digested by
lysosomal enzymes. Autodigestion by
lysosomes also occurs during embryonic
development. The fingers of a human
embryo are webbed initially, but are
separated from each other by lysosomal
enzymes. Cells in the tail of a tadpole are
digested by lysosomal enzymes during the
gradual transition into a frog.
Mitochondrion: Membrane-bound organelle
and the site of aerobic respiration and ATP
production. Energy from the step-by-step
oxidation of glucose (called the Krebs or
citric acid cycle) is used to produce
molecules of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
The Krebs cycle starts when a 2-carbon
acetyl group combines with a 4-carbon group
to form a 6-carbon citrate. Including
glycolysis (which occurs outside the
mitochondria), a total of 38 ATP molecules
are generated from one molecule of glucose.
Chloroplast: Membrane-bound organelle
and the site of photosynthesis and ATP
production in autotrophic plant cells. Like
mitochondria, chloroplasts contain their own
circular DNA molecules. In fact, chloroplast
DNA, including the protein-coding RBCL
gene, is often used at the family level to
show the relationships between genera and
species within plant families. Intron regions
from chloroplast DNA are also used to
construct family trees. Introns are sections of
messenger RNA that are removed prior to
translation at the ribosome. Comparative
DNA between different genera and species
of a plant family can be shown with
computer generated evoltionary trees called
cladograms.
Grana: Region of chloroplast composed of
stacks of thylakoid membranes. This is the
site of the "light reactions" where ATP and
NADPH2 are generated. These two products
are utilized in the "dark reactions" where
carbon dioxide is converted ("reduced") to
glucose.
Stroma: Region of the chloroplast where the
"dark reactions" occur. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
is gradually converted into glucose through a
series of reactions called the Calvin cycle.
Endoplasmic Reticulum: A complex
system of membrane-bound channels
extending throughout the cytoplasm of cells.
Like the emergency room of a hospital, the
endoplasmic reticulum is often abbreviated
as ER.
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum: Does
not contain attached ribosomes.
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum: Studded
(dotted) with attached ribosomes on the side
of the membrane that faces the cytoplasm.
Ribosome: Organelle site of protein
synthesis. The ribosome is composed of
large and small subunits separated by a
central groove. A strand of messenger RNA
(m-RNA) fits into the groove and the
ribosome moves along the m-RNA in a 5' to
3' direction. Molecules of cloverleaf-shaped
transfer-RNA (t-RNA), each with a unique
amino acid, temporarily attach to the m-RNA
at the ribosome in a process called
translation. Transfer-RNA anticodons hook up
with m-RNA codons and the amino acids
bond together by dehydration synthesis.
Nucleolus: Dark-staining body within the
nucleus where ribosomal RNA is synthesized.
Plant nuclei in onion root tip cells may have
several nucleoli.
Nucleus: Membrane-bound organelle
containing chromatin, a term applied to all
the chromosomes collectively when they are
in a tenuous (threadlike) stage. During the
prophase of mitosis, the chromosomes
become shorter and thicker, and appear as
distinct doubled bodies called "chromosome
doublets."
Cell (Plasma) Membrane: The living
membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm of
all cells. It is composed of a phospholipid
bilayer with embedded glycoproteins. In the
"sandwich model" the two phospholipid
layers are sandwiched between two layers of
protein. The membranes of organelles are
also composed of a phospholipid bilayer,
including vacuoles, nuclei, mitochondria and
chloroplasts. [Riubosomes are not
membrane-bound.] Embedded glycoproteins
in plasma membranes include membrane
transport "carrier molecules" and cell
recognition antigens. The plasma membrane
is permeable to water molecules by osmosis,
but not to other molecules and ions by
simple diffusion. Ions pass through the
plasma membrane via carrier molecules by
active transport and facilitated diffusion.
Active transport requires ATP.
Cell Wall: A cellulose layer that surrounds
the plasma membrane of plant cells.
Because it is very porous, the cell wall is
permeable to molecules and ions that cannot
pass through the plasma membrane by
simple diffusion. During plasmolysis, the cell
membrane loses water and its contents
shrink up into a ball, while the outer cell wall
remains intact. Shrubs and trees have a
thickened secondary cell wall containing
lignin, a brown phenolic polymer that
imparts great strength and hardness to
wood. Ironwoods such as lignum vitae sink in
water because of the density of their heavy,
thick-walled, lignified cells.
Vacuole: A membrane-bound, fluid-filled sac
inside plant and animal cells. Contractile
vacuoles of protists, such as the
Paramecium, are specialized organelles for
expelling excess water. Food vacuoles of the
Amoeba digest smaller cells captured by
phagocytosis. Plant cells have large central
vacuoles that occupy much of the cell
volume.
Large Central Vacuole: A membrane-
bound, fluid-filled sac that occupies much of
the volume of a plant cell. For this reason,
the chloroplasts, nucleus and other
organelles are displaced to the periphery of
the cytoplasm (around the central vacuole).
Centriole: Nonmembrane-bound organelles
that occur in pairs just outside the nucleus of
animal cells. Each centriole is composed of a
cylinder or ring of 9 sets of microtubule
triplets with none in the middle (9 + 0
pattern). During cell division a pair of
centrioles moves to each end of the cell,
forming the poles of the mitotic spindle.
Centrioles also give rise to basal bodies that
control the origin of cilia and flagella in
motile cells of protists. In cross section,
flagella and cilia have 9 sets of microtubule
doublets surrounding a pair of single
microtubules in the center (9 + 2 pattern).
This characteristic pattern also occurs in
motile cells of higher organisms, such as
human sperm.
Centrosome: The microtubule organizing
center that forms the mitotic spindle in
dividing cells. In animal cells the centrosome
includes a pair of centrioles surrounded by
radiating strands of microtubules called the
aster.
Microtubules: Protein filaments composed
of a polymer called tubulin. The centrosome
of animal cells (including a pair of centrioles
and radiating aster) are composed of
microtubules. Microtubules are involved in
cell movement, cell shape and the formation
of mitotic spindles during cell division
(mitosis). Some cancer chemotherapy drugs
cause the dissolution (depolymerization) of
tubulin in microtubules, thus destroying
mitotic spindles and effectively stopping cell
division in tumor cells.
Cytoplasm: All the contents of a cell within
the plasma membrane. The nucleus and its
contents (nucleoplasm) are generally
excluded from the cytoplasm. The semifluid
medium between the nucleus and the
plasma membrane is called cytosol.