THE FUNDAMENTAL UNIT OF LIFE

Q 1 .State cell theory . Who proposed it?

Two biologists Schleiden and Schwann independently asserted that all animals and plants are
made up of cells.The cell theory was refined further by another bilologist , Virchow by
suggesting that all cells arise from pre existing cells.

The cell theory comprises of the following postulates:

1. All organisms are composed of cells.

2. Cells are the structural and functional unit of life.

3. All cells arise from pre-existing cells

4. Every organism starts its life as a single cell.

Q 2. What is the structural organization of a cell?

All cells have three major functional regions :

1. Plasma membrane ( cell membrane): – the outer boundary of the cell .

Plasma membrane is a living , thin , delicate ,elastic, selectively permeable membrane.
2. The nucleus :- is a centrally located spherical cellular component. It carries the genetic
material of the cell.
3. The cytoplasm:- It is the fluid content between plasma membrane and nuclear envelope.
Cytoplasm contains cytosol ( the soluble part of the cyto plasm) and a variety of cell
organelles .

Q 3 . Explain the function and structure of endoplasmic reticulum.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a network of membrane bound tubules and sheets extending
from outer nuclear membrane to the plasma membrane . It looks like long tubules or round
vesicles . It is present in all the cells except prokaryotes and mammalian RBC s.

There are two types of ER based on the presence or absence of ribosomes on the surface of ER .
They are

1. Smooth ER (SER) – * Endoplasmic reticulum without ribosomes

*Helps in lipid synthesis.

2. Rough ER ( RER) _ *Endoplasmic reticulum with ribosomes

 *Helps in protein synthesis.

Functions of ER :- 1. ER serves as the channel for the transport of materials

between various regions of the cytoplasm and the nucleus.

2. It functions as a cytoplasmic framework providing a surface for biochemical activities of

the cell.
3. In the liver cells of vertebrates SER helps in detoxifying poisons and drugs.
4. RER helps in protein synthesis and SER helps in lipid synthesis .

Q4.Write a note on structure and function of Golgi Bodies .

(discovered by Camillo golgi)
Golgi apparatus consists of three types of elements – cisternae , vacuoles and vesicles. The
smooth, flattened, membrane bound ,sac like cisternae are stacked in parallel rows .
Functions of golgi bodies:
1. The material synthesized near the ER is packaged and dispatched to various targets
inside and outside the cell through golgi apparatus .
2. It helps in storage modification and packaging of products in vesicles.
3. It helps in the formation of complex sugar from simple sugar.
4. It is involved in the formation of lysosome.

Q 5. What are Lysosomes? (scavengers of the cells)

Lysosomes (scavengers of the cells) are a kind of waste disposal system the cell. They are
also known as suicidal bags of the cell .They are small spherical bodies surrounded by a
single membrane and the inner matrix contains powerful digestive enzymes.

Functions of lysosomes:
1. Lysosomes are involved in intracellular digestion of foreign food or microbes (
heterophagy) or reserved food or some organelles ( autophagy) so are called
digestive bags.
2. These are involved in autolysis or self digestion of cells after their death. So they
are called suicidal bags.
3. They digest the foreign materials ( like bacteria , food etc) ,worn out cell organelles
and dead cells and thus act as the waste disposal system of cell.

Q 6. Explain the structure and function of nucleus.

Nucleus is the largest cell structure. It is the spherical or oval prominent structure ,
usually located in the centre of the cell. It has the following important parts:
 i) Nuclear membrane : it is a double layered membrane which separates nucleus
from the cytoplasm. It has pores called nuclear pores which allows the transfer of
materials between nucleus and cytoplasm.
ii) Nucleoplasm : It is the homogenous fluid matrix present inside the nucleus in
which chromatin and nucleolus are present.
iii) Chromatin material: It consists of long coiled network of thread like structures.It
is made up of DNA which is made up of storing and transmitting the hereditary
information from one generation to the other.
iv) Nucleolus :It contains RNA and proteins ND helps in protein synthesis.

Functions of nucleus: * controls all metabolic activities of the cell.

*concerned with the transmission of hereditary traits from parent to offsprings.

Q 7 . In which form does Mitochondria release energy? Write its full form. Write a brief
account on mitochondria.

Mitochondria release energy in the form of ATP. Its full form is adenosine tri phosphate.

Mitochondria are rod shaped structures present in the cytoplasm of all the eukaryotes except
mammalian RBCs. These are also absent in prokaryotes. It has a double membrane of which the
outer membrane is porous while the inner membrane is formed into finger like processes called
cristae.They are self replicating and produce some of their own proteins .Thus they are called
semiautonomous organelles.

Mitochondria are called power house of the cell as these are the sites of synthesis of energy rich
ATP molecules.They contain DNA , RNA and ribosomesto carry out photo synthesis.

Functions : i) mitochondria are sites of cellular respiration.

ii) they provide energy in the form of ATP for the vital activities of living cells.

Q 8 .Name the different types of plastids and explain the structure.

Plastids are found in plant cells only. On the basis of pigments present in them , they are
divided into two types :

i) The colourless leucoplasts : they store starch, oils and protein granules.
ii) The coloured chromoplasts : The most important chromoplasts are chloroplasts (
green coloured- contains chloroplast) which is responsible for photosynthesis.
 Structure of chloroplast: A chloroplast is bounded by double membranes.The inside of
chloroplast is divided into a colourless matrix called stroma and a large number of membrane
bound flattened sacs called grana containing the molecules of chlorophyll . Stroma contains a
variety of enzymes, DNA ,RNA and ribosomes7.

Functions of pastids: *leucoplasts store materials such as starch, oils and proteins.

*chromoplasts impart colour to flowers and fruits.

*chloroplasts trap solar energy for photosynthesis.

Q9.What are vacuoles? Explain

There are fluid filled membrane bound spaces in cytoplasm .In animal cells , they are small
sized and many , but in plant cells a single prominent very large vacuole is seen. The vacuole is
filled with cell sap which is is rich in amino acids , sugars etc

In single celled organisms like amoeba ,the food vacuole contains the food items .

Functions of vacuoles: * expelling excess water and wastes from the body of unicellular
organisms.

*store toxic metabolic by products of plant cells.

*provide turgidity and rigidity to the plant cells.

Q 10 .What is cell membrane or plasma membrane ? mention its functions?

Plasma membrane or cell membrane is the outermost covering of the cell that separates the
contents of the cell from its external environment. It forms the outer boundary of the cytoplasm
.It is seen in prokaryotes and eukaryotes .plasma membrane is made up of lipids and proteins.

Functions of plasma membrane:

1.gives definite shape to the cell

2. separates the contents of the cell from its surroundings

3.regulates the movement of the materials in and out of the cell.

4. protects the internal contents of the cell.

Q 11. What are ribosomes?

Ribosomes are dense ,spherical and granular particles which occur freely in the cytoplasm or
remain attached to the membrane of ER. Ribosomes are sites of protein synthesis and are called
protein factories.

Q12.Differentiate between :

a) Diffusion and osmosis

diffusion osmosis

1. Diffusion takes place in any medium. 1.Osmosis occurs only in liquid medium.

2. It is the movement of a 2. It is the movement of water from the area of

substance from the area of its higher its higher concentration to the area of its lower
concentration to the area of its lower concentration.
concentration.

3. The diffusing molecules may be 3. It involves the movement of solvent

solids , liquids or gases. molecules only.

4.It does not require a semi permeable

membrane 4. It requires a semi permeable membrane.

b) Animal cell and plant cell

 Animal cell
1. Enclosed by cell membrane only. Cell
wall absent.
2. Plastids are absent.
3. Cytoplasm consists of smaller
vacuoles.
4. Nucleus lies in the centre.
5. Possess centrosome and centrioles.
Plant cell
1.plasma membrane is surrounded by a thick
cell wall.
2. plastids are present.
3. cytoplasm is peripheral in position ,
centralspace is occupied by a large vacuole.
4. Nucleus lies on one side .
5. lacks centrosome and centrioles.

C ) prokaryotic cell and eukaryotic cell

Prokaryotic cell Eukaryotic cell

1.size of the cell is generally small
2. nuclear region is poorly defined due to
absence of nuclear membrane and is known
as nucleoid.
3. contains single chromosome.
4.nucleolus absent.
5. membrane bound cell organelles are
absent.
6. cell division takes place by fission or
budding.
Eg: bacteria, blue green algae
1.size of the cell is generally large.
2. nuclear region is welldefined and
surrounded by nuclear membrane.
3. contains more than one chromosome.
4.nucleolus present.
5. Cell organelles are present like
mitochondria , ER, golgibodies etc which
are membrane bound.
6.cell division occurs by mitotic or meiotic
cell division.
Eg: fungi, plant ,animals

Q 13. Define the following :

1.Diffusion: It is the spontaneous movement of a substance from a region of high

concentration to a region of low concentration.
2. Osmosis: It is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration to a region
through a semi permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration.
3.Endocytosis: The flexibility of the cell membrane enables the cell to engulf in food and
other materials from its external environment .Such processes are known as endocytosis.
4.Hypotonic solution : if the medium surrounding the cell has a higher water concentration
than the cell, that is if the solution is very dilute, the cell will gain water by osmosis (the cell
swells up).
 5.Isotonic solution : If the medium surrounding the cell has exactly the same water
concentration as the cell, there will be no net movement of water across the cell membrane .
Such a solution is called isotonic solution.
6 . Hypertonic solution : If the surrounding medium has a lower concentration of water
than the cell, that is if it is a very concentrated solution, the cell will lose water by osmosis (
the cell shrinks ).
7.Plasmolysis : When a living plant cell loses water through osmosis, there is a shrinkage or
contraction of the contents of the cell away from the cell wall. This phenomenon is known
as plasmolysis.
8.Chromosomes: These are thread like several structures which are found in the nucleus of
the plant animal cells .They contain hereditary information in the for m of genes.
Chromosomes are composed of DNA and proteins.
9.Gene : It is the functional unit of chromosome responsible for hereditary information or
specific traits of an organism.
10.Nucleoid : The part of the cell of a bacterium having undefined nuclear region
containing only nucleic acids.

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