A Tour of the Cell

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What is Biology?
The Science of Life.

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Cells
Overview: The Importance of Cells
All organisms are made of cells

Tissues
Atoms

Organ

Molecules

Cells

Organism

System

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Microscopy
Scientists use microscopes to visualize cells
too small to see with the naked eye

Light microscopes (LMs)

Pass visible light through a specimen
Magnify cellular structures with lenses

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Unaided eye

Different types of microscopes

Can be used to visualize different sized
cellular structures
10 m

Length of some
nerve and
muscle cells
Chicken egg

1 cm

100 m
10 m
1m
100 nm

Frog egg

Most plant
and Animal
cells
Nucleus
Most bacteria
Mitochondrion

Smallest bacteria
Viruses

10 nm

Ribosomes
Proteins

1 nm

Lipids
Small molecules

Figure 6.2

0.1 nm

Atoms

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Electron microscope

1 mm

Electron microscope

0.1 m

Human height

Light microscope

1m

Measurements
1 centimeter (cm) = 102 meter (m) = 0.4 inch
1 millimeter (mm) = 103 m
1 micrometer (m) = 103 mm = 106 m
1 nanometer (nm) = 103 mm = 109 m

10 m
Human height
Length of some
nerve and
muscle cells

0.1 m
Chicken egg

1 cm

Light microscope

1m

Frog egg

Most plant
and Animal cells

10 m
Nucleus
Most bacteria
Mitochondrion

1m

100 nm

Smallest bacteria
Viruses

10 nm

Ribosomes
Proteins

1 nm

Lipids
Small molecules

Figure 6.2

0.1 nm

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Atoms

Electron microscope

100 m

Electron microscope

1 mm

 Electron microscopes (EMs)

Focus a beam of electrons through a specimen
(TEM) or onto its surface (SEM)

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 The scanning electron microscope (SEM)

Provides for detailed study of the surface of a
specimen
TECHNIQUE

RESULTS
1 m

Cilia
(a) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Micrographs taken
with a scanning electron microscope show a 3D image of the
surface of a specimen. This SEM
shows the surface of a cell from a
rabbit trachea (windpipe) covered
with motile organelles called cilia.
Beating of the cilia helps move
inhaled debris upward toward
the throat.

Figure 6.4 (a)

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 The transmission electron microscope (TEM)

Provides for detailed study of the internal
ultrastructure of cells
Longitudinal
section of
cilium
(b) Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A transmission electron
microscope profiles a thin section of a
specimen. Here we see a section through
a tracheal cell, revealing its ultrastructure.
In preparing the TEM, some cilia were cut
along their lengths, creating longitudinal
sections, while other cilia were cut straight
across, creating cross sections.

Figure 6.4 (b)

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Cross section
of cilium

1 m

Cell Theory
1- All organisms are composed of one or
more of cells.
2- Cell is the basic unit of life.
3- The new cell arises only from preexisting cell.
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11

 Two types of cells make up every organism

Prokaryotic
Eukaryotic

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Comparing Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

All cells have several basic features in
common
1. They are bounded by a plasma membrane
2. They contain a semifluid substance called the
cytosol
3. They contain chromosomes
4. They all have ribosomes

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Prokaryotic cells
Do not contain a nucleus
Have their DNA located in a region called
the nucleoid
Do not contain membrane bound organelles
Have one chromosome
Microorganisms (smaller than eukaryotes)

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

Types of Prokaryotes

Prokaryotes
Bacteria
Bacteria
- Exist in most
environments

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Archaea
Archaea
- Exist in extreme
environments (hot and salty)

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Pili: attachment structures on

the surface of some prokaryotes
Nucleoid: region where the
cells DNA is located (not
enclosed by a membrane)
Ribosomes: organelles that
synthesize proteins

Bacterial
chromosome
(a) A typical
rod-shaped bacterium

Plasma membrane: membrane

enclosing the cytoplasm
Cell wall: rigid structure outside
the plasma membrane
Capsule: jelly-like outer coating
of many prokaryotes
0.5 m
Flagella: locomotion
organelles of
some bacteria

Figure 6.6 A, B
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(b) A thin section through the

bacterium Bacillus coagulans
(TEM)

Bacterial Shapes and

Arrangement

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 Eukaryotic cells
Contain a true nucleus, bounded by a
membranous nuclear envelope
Have extensive and elaborately arranged
internal membranes, which form organelles
Have more than one chromosome
Are generally quite a bit bigger than
prokaryotic cells
Unicellular or multicellular
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Prokaryotic cells vs. Eukaryotic cells

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20

Eukaryotic cells
Plant and animal cells
Have most of the same organelles

Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 A animal cell
ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM (ER)

Rough ER

Smooth ER

Nuclear envelope
Nucleolus

NUCLEUS

Chromatin

Flagellum

Plasma membrane

Centrosome

CYTOSKELETON
Microfilaments
Intermediate filaments
Ribosomes

Microtubules
Microvilli

Golgi apparatus
Peroxisome
Figure 6.9

Mitochondrion

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Lysosome

In animal cells but not plant cells:

Lysosomes
Centrioles
Flagella (in some plant sperm)

 A plant cell

Nuclear envelope
Nucleolus
Chromatin

NUCLEUS

Centrosome

Rough
endoplasmic
reticulum Smooth
endoplasmic
reticulum

Ribosomes (small brwon dots)

Central vacuole
Tonoplast

Golgi apparatus

Microfilaments
Intermediate
filaments

CYTOSKELETON

Microtubules

Mitochondrion
Peroxisome
Plasma membrane
Chloroplast

Cell wall
Plasmodesmata
Wall of adjacent cell

Figure 6.9
Copyright 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

In plant cells but not animal cells:

Chloroplasts
Central vacuole and tonoplast
Cell wall
Plasmodesmata

Flagellum

Animal
Cell
Centrioles

Plant
Cell
Chloroplasts

Mitochondria
Golgi
Nucleus
Endoplasmic
Reticulum
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24

Plant
Cell

Animal
Cell
Nucleolus
Ribosomes

Central Vacuole
Smooth E.R.

Cell Wall

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25

Plant cells vs. Animal cells

Feature

Plant Cell

Cell wall

Animal Cell
Absent

Central Vacuole

Absent

Present

Present

Chloroplast (plastids) Absent

Centrioles
Present

Present

Lysosomes

Absent

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present

Absent