Cells are the fundamental unit of life, capable of independent existence and carrying out essential functions for living organisms. The cell theory, proposed by Schleiden and Schwann, states that all living organisms are composed of cells, which arise from pre-existing cells. Cells can be classified into prokaryotic and eukaryotic types, with distinct structures and functions, including various organelles that perform specific roles within the cell.
Cells are the fundamental unit of life, capable of independent existence and carrying out essential functions for living organisms. The cell theory, proposed by Schleiden and Schwann, states that all living organisms are composed of cells, which arise from pre-existing cells. Cells can be classified into prokaryotic and eukaryotic types, with distinct structures and functions, including various organelles that perform specific roles within the cell.
Cells are the fundamental unit of life, capable of independent existence and carrying out essential functions for living organisms. The cell theory, proposed by Schleiden and Schwann, states that all living organisms are composed of cells, which arise from pre-existing cells. Cells can be classified into prokaryotic and eukaryotic types, with distinct structures and functions, including various organelles that perform specific roles within the cell.
Cells are the fundamental unit of life, capable of independent existence and carrying out essential functions for living organisms. The cell theory, proposed by Schleiden and Schwann, states that all living organisms are composed of cells, which arise from pre-existing cells. Cells can be classified into prokaryotic and eukaryotic types, with distinct structures and functions, including various organelles that perform specific roles within the cell.
All living organisms are composed of cells, which are the fundamental unit of life. A cell is capable of independent existence and can carry out all the functions which are necessary for a living being. Cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all living organisms. It is the smallest part of the body of an organism. The discovery of the cell was made possible through the invention of the microscope. The cell was first discovered and named by English physicist Robert Hooke in the year 1665. The first man who observed a live cell under a microscope was Anton van Leeuwenhoek in 1674 and discovered the cells of algae Spirogyra. Cell Theory Cell theory, states that all living organisms are composed of similar units of organization called cells. The concept was formally articulated by Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann in 1839, and has remained as the foundation of modern biology. Cell theory was proposed by Schleiden and Schwann, and later modified by Rudolf Virchow. Cell theory states that: (i) All living organisms are composed of one or more cells. (ii) The cell is the basic unit of structure and function of living organisms. (iii) Cells arise from pre-existing cell.
In 1885, Rudolf Virchow aptly summarized these observations in the Latin phrase, Omnis cellulae cellua", (cells arise from pre-existing cells). As he explained, "where a cell exists, there must have been a pre-existing cell, just as the animal arises only from an animal and the plant only from a plant". Thus, a significant addition was made to the cell theory. Size of a particular cell is dependent on the surface area/ volume relationship. A small body possesses a relatively large surface area, and vice versa. Since many nutrients enter the cell and wastes leave the cell by diffusion, and the rate of diffusion is directly proportional to the area available, a small cell is more efficient than a larger one. The size of the cell ranges from 1/10th to 1/1000th of a millimetre. Certain cells, like the nerve cell in elephant, has been found to measure 1 m. The smallest cells are those of Mycoplasma gallisepticum, (1/10,000th of a millimetre) an organism intermediate between viruses and bacteria 2. Shape: The different cells in plants and animals are specialised to perform definite tasks. A particular cell can do only one kind of work. For example: (i) Guard cells in plants control the opening and closing of the pores (stomata) that allow gaseous exchange. They also have chloroplasts to harness solar energy for manufacturing their food by the process of photosynthesis. (ii) Sieve cells in plants transport nutrients in plants. (iii) The red blood cells in animals transport respiratory gases. (iv) The nerve cell carries messages from one part of the body to another. Hence, they are very long. (v) Muscle cells contract and relax to allow movement of body parts. (vi) Fat cells store fat permanently, or until needed for energy.
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A cell consists of three parts: the cell membrane, the nucleus, the cytoplasm and cell organelles. Within the cytoplasm the intricate arrangements of fine fibres and hundreds (or even thousands) of minuscule but distinct structures called organelles. A cell carries out nutrition, respiration, excretion, transportation, and reproduction. Cell organelles and their functions: Cell membrane (Found in all cells) – Protect and gives definite shape to the cell. Regulates the movement of substances across the cell. Provides mechanical strength and support to the cell. Makes the cell turgid. Cell Wall (Found only in plant cells) – Cell wall is found in bacterial cell, fungal and plant cell
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Provides mechanical strength and support to the cell.
Makes the cell turgid. Protects cell against pathogen and injury. Nucleus (Control room of the cell) - Stores genetic material. Controls all cellular activities. Helps in Cell Division. Responsible for transmission of characters. Directs protein synthesis. Nucleolus (Factory of Ribosomes) – rRNA synthesis. Ribosome synthesis. Centrosome (Found only in animal cells) – Plays a very important role in cell division. Spindle fibres develop from a centrosome during cell division both in mitosis and meiosis. Helps in organising chromosomes in the correct location during cell division. Ribosomes – Involved in protein synthesis. Endoplasmic reticulum (Transporting channel of the cell) – Provide supporting skeletal framework to cell and acts as intracellular transport system. Involved in synthesis and transport of lipid and protein. Golgi apparatus (Packaging and dispatching unit of the cell) – Packages materials synthesized in cell and dispatches from cell across plasma membrane. Secretion of mucus, enzyme and hormones. Forms cell wall, Yolk and acrosome of sperm. Mitochondria (Powerhouse of the cell) – Site of cellular respiration. Produces ATP (universal currency of energy) through Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. Lysosome (Digestive bag of the cell) – Contains digestive enzyme that helps in intracellular digestion digest worn out cell organelles and foreign objects. Plastids (i) Leucoplasts – Store starch lipids and proteins. (ii) Chloroplast (Found only in plant cells) (Kitchen of the cell) Site of photosynthesis. Store food in the form of carbohydrate. (iii) Chromoplast – Impart colour to flowers and fruits which help in pollination of the flower and dispersal of seeds. Vacuole (Storage sac of the cell) – Provide turgidity and rigidity to the plant cell. Take part in excretion and osmoregulation. Difference between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cell Prokaryotic cells refers to those containing nucleus and eukaryotic cell means perfectly formed nucleus Prokaryotic cell Eukaryotic cell
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No definite nucleus or nucleolus is present Definite nucleus is present
(nucleoid). A single circular DNA is present DNA inside chromosome is present Membrane bound organelles are absent Membrane bound cell organelles are present E. g. Bacteria, Blue-green algae E.g Plants, animals and fungi. (Cyanobacteria)
Plant and Animal Cells
Structurally, plant and animal cells are very similar because they are both eukaryotic cells. Both the cells contain the cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, ribosomes and golgi bodies. Feature Plant Cells Animal Cells Size Large in size Comparatively smaller in size Cell Wall Present Absent Cytoplasm Not so dense Denser and more granular Arrangement of cytoplasm Only a thin lining of Cytoplasm fills almost the cytoplasm. Most present at entire cell periphery Vacuoles Single large vacuole present Few small vacuoles present Nucleus Lies at one side in peripheral Lies in the centre of the cell cytoplasm Centrioles Absent Present Chloroplast Present Absent except in Euglena
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