ENVS 532

Dr Assad Al-Thukair
Associate Professor
 Cell
• Cell Theory :
1- All organisms consist one or more cells.
2- The cell is the smallest unit that retain the
property of life.
3- Each new cell arises from another cells.
 How Do We See Cells ?
Light Microscope : Principe using the light
Scanning Electron Microscope : Principle using electron to scan the surface
Transmission Electron Microscope : Principle using electron to penetrate the specimen
 Cell Sizes and Shape
• Any cell big enough to be seen without the help of
microscope ?
Yolk of bird eggs, watermelon cells, fish eggs and amphibian eggs

Surface to volume ratio (SVR): Metabolic active cells will favor higher SVR
(nutrients will be distributed faster and waster removed quicker in the all cells)
 Basic of Cell Structure
Prokaryot : Without the nucleus.
Nucleoid: DNA of Prokaryot without membrane.
Eukaryot: With nucleus.
Nucleus : DNA of Eukaryot with membrane.
Cytoplasm: Semi-fluid mixture of water with other
solute (ion, sugar, protein…ect).
Cell compartment are suspended in cytoplasm
(ribosome, mitochondria ….ect)
Plasma membrane: Outer membrane of the cell
that separate metabolic activities from outside.
* membrane
* nucleus
*mitochondria
* endoplasmic
reticulum (ER)
*golgi apparatus
* Ribosomes
* chloroplast
 Cellular structure and function
Cell membrane: Consist of double layer of lipids, and organized
with hydrophobic tales sandwiched between
hydrophilic heads .
Function:
1- Protects the cell
2- Control the flow of molecules in and out

Cholesterol in the bilayer

Increases permeability and fluidity

Cholesterol
Membrane characteristics: a “fluid mosaic model (FMM)”…..

FMM because PL (in a bilayer) can drift sideways, spin and wiggle
= membrane is not a static structure, it is dynamic

can drift can spin

Membrane:
Time is in constant rearrangement
= fluid mosaic model

can wiggle
Cellular structure and function (chapter 4.1)

* membrane
* nucleus
*mitochondria
* endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
*golgi apparatus
* Ribosomes
* chloroplast
Nucleus
* Center of the cell
* stores the cell DNA genetic material (in chromosomes)
* Synthesis of RNA (transcription)
Cellular structure and function

* membrane
* nucleus
*mitochondria
•Ribosomes
•Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
*Golgi apparatus
* Chloroplast
Mitochondria
- It is the “Powerhouse”
- Energy formation
* Generate ATP
* ATP: major fuel for cell activities
- Has its own DNA
Ribosomes
a. They are made of rRNA(ribosomal) and a variety of proteins
b. Their role is to synthesise proteins from mRNA (messager)

Gene (secret)= only small part of DNA

DNA
Transcription
Gene
RNA (massager)
Translation Ribosome
Trait
Proteins (enzymes)
secret known