Eukaryotic Cell Structures Notes SV

1Eukaryotic Cell Structures & Functions
Cell surface membrane
The structure of the cell surface membrane – although the structure looks static the
phospholipids and proteins forming the bilayer are constantly in motion
 All cells are surrounded by a cell surface membrane which controls the exchange of
materials between the internal cell environment and the external environment
o The membrane is described as being ‘partially permeable’
 The cell membrane is formed from a phospholipid bilayer of phospholipids spanning
a diameter of around 10 nm
Cell wall
The cell wall is freely permeable to most substances (unlike the plasma membrane)
 Cell walls are formed outside of the cell membrane and offer structural support to cell
 Structural support is provided by the polysaccharide cellulose in plants, and
peptidoglycan in most bacterial cells
 Narrow threads of cytoplasm (surrounded by a cell membrane)
called plasmodesmata connect the cytoplasm of neighbouring plant cells
Nucleus
The nucleus of a cell contains chromatin (a complex of DNA and histone proteins) which
is the genetic material of the cell
 Present in all eukaryotic cells, the nucleus is relatively large and separated from the
cytoplasm by a double membrane (the nuclear envelope) which has many pores
 Nuclear pores are important channels for allowing mRNA and ribosomes to travel out
of the nucleus, as well as allowing enzymes (eg. DNA polymerases) and signalling
molecules to travel in
 The nucleus contains chromatin (the material from which chromosomes are made)
 Usually, at least one or more darkly stained regions can be observed – these regions
are individually termed ‘nucleolus’ and are the sites of ribosome production
Mitochondria
A single mitochondrion is shown – the inner membrane has protein complexes vital for the
later stages of aerobic respiration embedded within it
 The site of aerobic respiration within eukaryotic cells, mitochondria are just visible
with a light microscope
 Surrounded by double-membrane with the inner membrane folded to form cristae
 The matrix formed by the cristae contains enzymes needed for aerobic
respiration, producing ATP
 Small circular pieces of DNA (mitochondrial DNA) and ribosomes are also found in
the matrix (needed for replication)
Chloroplast
Chloroplasts are found in the green parts of a plant – the green colour a result of the
photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll
 Larger than mitochondria, also surrounded by a double-membrane

 Membrane-bound compartments called thylakoids containing chlorophyll stack to
form structures called grana
 Grana are joined together by lamellae (thin and flat thylakoid membranes)
 Chloroplasts are the site of photosynthesis:
o The light-dependent stage takes place in the thylakoids
o The light-independent stage (Calvin Cycle) takes place in the stroma
 Also contain small circular pieces of DNA and ribosomes used to synthesise proteins
needed in chloroplast replication and photosynthesis
Ribosome
Ribosomes are formed in the nucleolus and are composed of almost equal amounts of
RNA and protein
 Found freely in the cytoplasm of all cells or as part of the rough endoplasmic
reticulum in eukaryotic cells
 Each ribosome is a complex of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and proteins
 80S ribosomes (composed of 60S and 40S subunits) are found in eukaryotic cells
 70S (composed of 50S and 30S subunits) ribosomes in prokaryotes, mitochondria
and chloroplasts
 Site of translation (protein synthesis)
Endoplasmic reticulum
The RER and ER are visible under the electron microscope - the presence or absence of
ribosomes helps to distinguish between them
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)
 Surface covered in ribosomes

 Formed from continuous folds of membrane continuous with the nuclear envelope
 Processes proteins made by the ribosomes
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)
 Does not have ribosomes on the surface, its function is distinct to the RER
 Involved in the production, processing and storage of lipids,
carbohydrates and steroids
Golgi apparatus (golgi complex)
The structure of the Golgi apparatus
 Flattened sacs of membrane similar to the smooth endoplasmic reticulum

 Modifies proteins and packages them into vesicles or lysosomes
Large permanent vacuole
The structure of the vacuole
 Sac in plant cells surrounded by the tonoplast, selectively permeable membrane

 Vacuoles in animal cells are not permanent and small
Vesicle
The structure of the vesicle
 Membrane-bound sac for transport and storage
Lysosome
The structure of the lysosome
 Specialist forms of vesicles which contain hydrolytic enzymes (enzymes that break
biological molecules down)
 Break down waste materials such as worn-out organelles, used extensively by cells of
the immune system and in apoptosis (programmed cell death)
Centriole
The structure of the centriole
 Hollow fibres made of microtubules, two centrioles at right angles to each other form
a centrosome, which organises the spindle fibres during cell division
 Not found in flowering plants and fungi
Microtubules
The structure of the microtubule
 Makes up the cytoskeleton of the cell about 25 nm in diameter

 Made of α and β tubulin combined to form dimers, the dimers are then joined into
protofilaments. Thirteen protofilaments in a cylinder make a microtubule
 The cytoskeleton is used to provide support and movement of the cell
Microvilli
The structure of the microvilli
 Cell membrane projections that increase the surface area for absorption
Cilia
The structure of the cilia
 Hair-like projections made from microtubules

 Allows the movement of substances over the cell surface
Flagella
The structure of the flagella
 Similar in structure to cilia, made of longer microtubules

 Contract to provide cell movement for example in sperm cell
The Vital Role of ATP
 All organisms require a constant supply of energy to maintain their cells and
stay alive
 This energy is required:
o In anabolic reactions – building larger molecules from smaller molecules
o To move substances across the cell membrane (active transport) or to
move substances within the cell
o In animals, energy is required:
 For muscle contraction – to coordinate movement at the whole-
organism level
 In the conduction of nerve impulses, as well as many other
cellular processes
 In all known forms of life, ATP from respiration is used to transfer energy in all
energy-requiring processes in cells
 This is why ATP is known as the universal energy currency
 Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is a nucleotide
o The monomers of DNA and RNA are also nucleotides
Key Features of Viruses

 Viruses are non-cellular infectious particles that straddle the boundary
between ‘living’ and ‘non-living’
 They are relatively simple in structure; much smaller than prokaryotic cells (with
diameters between 20 and 300 nm)
 Structurally they have:
o A nucleic acid core (their genomes are either DNA or RNA, and can be
single or double-stranded)
o A protein coat called a ‘capsid’
 Some viruses have an outer layer called an envelope formed usually from
the membrane-phospholipids of a cell they were made in
 All viruses are parasitic in that they can only reproduce by infecting living cells
and using their protein-building machinery (ribosomes) to produce new viral
particles
Viruses are not cellular like prokaryotes and eukaryotes – this is just one example
of a virus structure

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1Eukaryotic Cell Structures & Functions

Cell surface membrane

 Larger than mitochondria, also surrounded by a double-membrane

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)

 Surface covered in ribosomes

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

The structure of the Golgi apparatus

 Flattened sacs of membrane similar to the smooth endoplasmic reticulum

Large permanent vacuole

The structure of the vacuole

 Sac in plant cells surrounded by the tonoplast, selectively permeable membrane

The structure of the vesicle

 Membrane-bound sac for transport and storage

The structure of the lysosome

The structure of the centriole

The structure of the microtubule

 Makes up the cytoskeleton of the cell about 25 nm in diameter

The structure of the microvilli

The structure of the cilia

 Hair-like projections made from microtubules

The structure of the flagella

 Similar in structure to cilia, made of longer microtubules

The Vital Role of ATP

Key Features of Viruses

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