General Medical Biology: Lecture 2: The World of Cell

Komar University of Science and Technology
College of Medicine
General Medical Biology
Lecture 2: The World of Cell

❑ cell
▪ All organisms are composed of
structural and functional units of
life called ‘cells’.
▪ The body of some organisms like
bacteria, protozoans and some algae
is made up of a single cell while
the body of fungi, plants and
animals are composed of many
cells.
❑ Cell theory
▪ The development of cell theory has taken hundreds of years
▪ The three main principles of cell theory are:
• All organisms are composed of cells.
• Cell is the structural and functional unit of

life.
• Cells arise from pre-existing cells.

❑ Modern Cell Theory
Modern Cell Theory contains 5 statements, in addition to the original Cell

Theory:
1. The cell contains hereditary information(DNA) which is passed on

from cell to cell during cell division.
2. All cells are basically the same in chemical composition
and metabolic activities.
3. All basic chemical & physiological functions are carried out inside
the cells.
4. Cell activity depends on the activities of sub-cellular structures
within the cell (organelles, nucleus, plasma membrane).
5. In the organisms of similar species, all cells are fundamentally the

❑ Aspects of the Cell Diversities
▪ Note all cells are alike, they are diverse in size, shape and internal organization
1. Size
• Most cells only visible with a microscope (armed eyes).
• A cell must have a high surface area to volume ratio so that nutrients can enter the
cell efficiently
▪ In the human body:
• Sperm cell head measures about 4 micrometers in
length, just slightly smaller than a red blood cell
(RBCs).
•The RBC‘s size was found roughly 5 micrometers.
•The largest cell is the ovum or egg cell in is the
reproductive cell females (20 times bigger than the
sperm cells; 0.1 mm)
•The longest cell in the human body is the nerve cell;

sciatic nerve
2. Shape
Shape of cell is compatible with their function.
• Nerve cells have long extensions (axons and dendrites), which help the neuron pass
signals quickly through the body.
• The shape of the red blood cells or erythrocytes (disc-shaped with a flatter,
concave centre) enable these cells to easily move (squeeze) through tiny capillaries.
3. Internal
organization
▪ Cells contain a variety of internal structures called organelles.
▪ An organelle is a cell component that performs a specific function in that cell.
▪ There are many different cells; however, there are certain features common to all
cells:
• The entire cell is surrounded by a thin cell membrane (plasma membrane).
• Cytoplasm, which is the gel-like material enclosed by the plasma membrane.
• Cytoplasm is composed of cytosol and organelles
▪ Cells are classified by internal organization
• Prokaryotic cells
• Eukaryotic cells
❑ Prokaryotic cells
▪ Prokaryotes are single-celled (unicellular) organism that are not as complex as eukaryotic cells.
▪ They have no true nucleus as the DNA is not contained within a membrane or separated from the
rest of the cell, but is coiled up in a region of the cytoplasm called the nucleoid.
❑ Eukaryotic cells
▪ Eukaryotic cells are cells that contain a nucleus and organelles, and are enclosed by a plasma
membrane. Organisms that have eukaryotic cells include protozoa, fungi, plants and animals.
▪ Eukaryotic cells contain a variety of structures called organelles, which perform various
functions within the cell.
▪ Examples of organelles are;
• Ribosomes, which make proteins,
• Endoplasmic reticulum, which sorts and packages the proteins,
• Mitochondria, which produce the energy molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
• Nucleus, which contains the genetic material DNA and is surrounded by a
nuclear envelope.
▪ The three basic parts of a cell are the plasma membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus.
1. The Nucleus
• This is the largest organelle of the cell often located in the central part of the cytoplasm and enclosed
in a double-layered nuclear membrane.
• The nucleus often referred to as the “brain” of the cell, is the largest and most prominent organelle in
the cell.
• Though there is usually only one nucleus in a eukaryotic cell, certain cells can have more than one
nucleus or no nuclei at all. For example, red blood cells don’t have a nucleus. Meanwhile, the muscle
cells of humans have multiple nuclei.
• The nucleus as the control centre of the cell contains the blueprint for all cellular structure and
activities and in its absence the cell can neither function nor survive.
Parts Of The Nucleus:
The outer membrane of the nucleus is referred to as the nuclear
envelope. The nuclear envelope is a double-layered membrane that
contains all the parts of the nucleus and separates it from the
cytoplasm of the cell.
The nuclear envelope is full of holes called nuclear pores, which
allow molecules to move in and out of the nucleus.
The nucleoplasm is a jelly-like substance that is found within the
nuclear envelope, supporting the nucleus and protecting its contents.
Also found within the nucleus is a substance known as chromatin, a
macromolecule which composes the genetic material of a cell.
Finally, the nucleolus is the largest structure found in the nucleus. It
is very dense, has no membrane, and is composed of chunks of
protein and RNA.
2. Cell
membrane
▪ The cell membrane (also called plasma membrane or
plasmalemma) is a biological structure that separates the
interior of a cell from its outer environment is called the
plasma membrane.
• Isolate cell`s contents from outside environment
• Regulate exchange of substances between inside and
outside of cell
• The cell membrane is involved in communication:
✔ help cell-cell communication
✔ help cell-signaling
✔ Provide anchoring sites for filaments of
cytoskeleton
❑ Cell membrane structure
▪ It is composed mainly of;
• A double layer of phospholipid

molecules
that are held together by chemical attraction.
• These phospholipid molecules have a polar
hydrophilic head and two non- polar
lipophilic tails.
• The membrane is formed as the head face out
and the tails face in forming a bilayer that
act like a fence.

Cell membrane structure
Cholesterol is another molecule that is embedded in the plasma

membrane.
• Cholesterol molecules spaces out the
phospholipid molecules and affects membrane fluidity.
• Decrease membrane permeability
Carbohydrates; The plasma membranes of eukaryotic cells

contain carbohydrates that are covalently linked to both lipid
(glycolipids) and protein (glycoproteins) components.
• Their role is to maintain the stability of the cell membrane
and to facilitate cellular recognition, which is crucial to the
immune response and in the connections that allow cells to
connect to one another to form tissues.
Cell membrane structure
▪ Proteins are also dispersed throughout the membrane and they have several key
roles.
• There are two structural types of membrane proteins, integral and peripheral
proteins.
• Integral proteins are embedded in and extended across the membrane
• It serve as: channel, which permit the passage of selected ions through the
membrane
• Carrier (or transporter). Which translocate substances across the membrane
• Receptors (located on the outside), which bind to specific molecule and
generate a chemical signal initiating intracellular reactions.
• Peripheral proteins are attached to the internal or external surface of the membrane
• It serve as: cell adhesion molecule that anchor to neighbouring cells.
• They also contribute to the cytoskeleton when present on the cytoplasmic
side
3. Cytoplasm
…..

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Komar University of Science and Technology

General Medical Biology

Lecture 2: The World of Cell

▪ The three main principles of cell theory are:

• All organisms are composed of cells.

• Cell is the structural and functional unit of

• Cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Modern Cell Theory contains 5 statements, in addition to the original Cell

1. The cell contains hereditary information(DNA) which is passed on

4. Cell activity depends on the activities of sub-cellular structures

within the cell (organelles, nucleus, plasma membrane).

5. In the organisms of similar species, all cells are fundamentally the

•The longest cell in the human body is the nerve cell;

▪ An organelle is a cell component that performs a specific function in that cell.

• The entire cell is surrounded by a thin cell membrane (plasma membrane).

• Cytoplasm, which is the gel-like material enclosed by the plasma membrane.

• Cytoplasm is composed of cytosol and organelles

▪ Cells are classified by internal organization

▪ It is composed mainly of;

• A double layer of phospholipid

that are held together by chemical attraction.

• These phospholipid molecules have a polar

hydrophilic head and two non- polar

• The membrane is formed as the head face out

and the tails face in forming a bilayer that

act like a fence.

Cholesterol is another molecule that is embedded in the plasma

Carbohydrates; The plasma membranes of eukaryotic cells

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