Biology - Study of Living Organisms and
Biology - Study of Living Organisms and
Biology - Study of Living Organisms and
• Types of cell
1. Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cell-
2 . Plant cell and animal cell
Plant Animal
cell
Cell wall present. Cell wall absent.
Nucleus usually lies near Nucleus present near the cent
periphery due to vacuole.
Centrosome is usually Usually centrosome is presen
absent from higher plant helps in
cells, except lower motile
cells. formation of spindle fibres.
Plastids are present, Plastids are absent.
except fungi.
Mitochondria is generally Generally tubular in shape.
spherical or oval in shape.
Single large central Many vacuoles occur, which
vacuole is present. smaller in size.
Number of mitochondria Number of mitochondria is
rom approximately
200 – 2000. 1600 – 16000 in liver cells.
Cytoplasm during cell Cytoplasm divides by furrow
division usually divides by cleavage method.
cell plate method.
Plant cells are capable of Animal cells cannot form all t
forming all the amino amino acids, coenzymes and
vitamins.
acids coenzymes and
vitamins.
There is no contractile Contractile vacuole may occu
vacuole. pump excess water.
Sodium chloride is toxic Tissue fluid containing sodium
to plant cells. chloride bathes the animal cel
Plant cells are generally Generally much smaller than
well over 100 micrometer micrometer
long.
Spindle formed during cell Spindle formed during cell di
division is anastral. are amphiastral.
Lysosomes present in less Lysosomes present in more
number. number.
Chromosomes are larger Chromosomes are smaller in
in size.
A Plant Cell
Plasma Memberane -
(1) Definition: Every living cell is externally
covered by a thin transparent electron
microscopic, elastic regenerative and
selective permeable membrane called plasma
membrane.
(2) It is quasi fluid in nature.
(3) According to Singer and Nicolson it is
“protein iceberg in a sea of lipid”.
(4) A cell wall lies external to plasmalemma
in plant cells, many monerans, some protists
and fungal cells.
(5) Membranes also occur inside the cells.
(6) They are collectively called bio-
membranes.
(7) The term cell membrane was given by C.
Nageli and C. Cramer (1855) for outer
membrane covering of the protoplast.
(8) It was replaced by the term plasmalemma
or plasma membrane by Plowe (1931).
Protoplasm
(1) Definition: Protoplasm is a complex,
granular, elastic, viscous and colourless
substance. It is selectively or differentially
permeable.
(2) It is considered as “Polyphasic colloidal
system”.
(3) Discoveries
(i) J. Huxley defined it as “physical basis of
life”.
(ii) Dujardin (1835) discovered it and called
them “sarcode”.
(iii) Purkinje (1837) renamed it as
“Protoplasm”.
(iv) Hugo Von Mohl (1844) gave the
significance of it.
(v) Max Schultz (1861) gave the
protoplasmic theory for plants.
Cytoplasm
The substance occurs around the nucleus and
inside the plasma membrane containing
various organelles and inclusions is called
cytoplasm.
Mitochondria
(1) Definition: (Gk – mito = thread ;
chondrion = granule) Mitochondria are semi
autonomous having hollow sac like structures
present in all eukaryotes except mature RBCs
of mammals and sieve tubes of phloem.
(2) These are absent in all prokaryotes like
bacteria and cyanobacteria.
(3) Mitochondria are also called
chondriosome, chondrioplast, plasmosomes,
plastosomes and plastochondriane.
Plastids -
(1) Definition: Plastids are semiautonomous
organelles having DNA, RNA, Ribosomes
and double membrane envelope which store
or synthesize various types of organic
compounds as ATP and NADPH + H+ etc.
(2) These are largest cell organelles in plant
cell.
(3) History: Haeckel (1865) discovered
plastid, but the term was first time used by
Schimper (1883).
Endoplasmic Reticulum
(1) Definition: It is well developed electron
microscopic network of interconnected
cisternae, tubules and vesicles present
throughout the cytoplasm, especially in the
endoplasm.
(2) Discovery: Garnier (1897) was first to
observe the ergastoplasm in a cell. The ER
was first noted by Porter, Claude, and
Fullman in 1945 as a network. It was named
by Porter in 1953.
Golgi Complex -
(1) Definition: Golgi complex is made up of
various membranous system e.g. cisternae,
vesicles and vacuoles.
(2) These are also called golgi bodies,
golgisomes, lipochondrion, dictyosomes,
Dalton complex, idiosomes or Baker’s body.
(3) These are also called “traffic police” of
the cell.
(4) Discovery: First observed by George
(1867) but it’s morphological details were given by
Camillo Golgi (1898), in nerve cells of barn fowl
&cat.
Nucleus
The nucleus is believed to be the most important
component of the living cell. It is located in the
centre of the cell and is usually spherical in
shape. You can stain the nucleus and see it
clearly by using a microscope. The nucleus is
separated from the cytoplasm by a membrane
known as the nuclear membrane. This membrane
is also porous and allows the moment
of materials between the cytoplasm and the
inside of the nucleus.
If you have a microscope of a higher
magnification, you can see a smaller spherical
body found in the nucleus. This is the nucleolus.
Besides the nucleolus, the nucleus also has
several thread-like structures known as
the chromosomes. The chromosomes carry genes
and support in transfer or inheritance
of characters from the parents to the offspring.
You can only see the chromosomes when the cell
divides.
You can think of genes as CD or memory stick
that is used to carry data or music from one
computer to another. In the similar fashion, genes
carry genetic codes that are responsible for
the unique physical characteristics of an animal
or a plant.
Transport
Cells import the nutrients that are used in the
different chemical process which take place inside
them. As a result of these processes, a waste
product is produced. Cells then work to get rid of
this waste. In this manner, the small molecules
like the such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and
ethanol pass through the cell membrane
by diffusion. This method is known as passive
transport. On the other hand, the larger molecules
like the proteins and polysaccharides, go in and
out of the cell via active transport.
Energy Production
Organisms need energy to perform different
chemical reactions. In plants, the energy comes
from the process of photosynthesis while in the
animals the energy comes via respiration.
Metabolism
Cell is responsible for metabolism that
includes all the chemical reactions that take place
inside an organism to keep it alive.
Reproduction
A cell helps in reproduction by the processes
of mitosis (in more evolved organisms) and
meiosis.