THE CELL

Discovery of Cells
Zacharias Janssen
•Dutch lens maker
•Invented one of the
microscope’s prototypes.
 Robert Hooke - 1655
• English Scientist
• Discovered cells while looking at a
thin slice of cork.
• He described the cells as tiny boxes
or a honeycomb.
• He thought that cells only existed in
plants and fungi.
• There was no indication of the
materials within the cells.
Anton van Leuwenhoek-1673
• Used a handmade microscope to
observe pond scum & discovered single-celled organisms
which he called them “animalcules”
• “animalcules” found to be bacteria and protozoans.
• He also observed blood cells from fish, birds, frogs, dogs,
and humans
• Therefore, it was known that cells are found in animals as
well as plants
 150-200 YEAR GAP

• Between Hooke/Leuwenhoek discoveries and the mid

19th century, very little cell advancements were made.
• This is probably due to the widely accepted, traditional
belief in Spontaneous Generation.
• Examples:
-Mice from dirty clothes/corn husks
-Maggots from rotting meat
Lorenz Oken - 1805
•Postulated that all organisms
originate from and consist of
cells.
•This became the initial
statement of the modern cell
theory.
19th CENTURY ADVANCEMENT
 Much doubt existed around Spontaneous Generation
 Conclusively disproved by Louis Pasteur

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=

+
 Development of Cell
Theory
• 1833- Robert Brown, discovered
nucleus as a constant part of the
plant cell.
• Then nuclei were also found and observed in
some animal cells.
• 1835- Felix Dujardin, recognized living substance
within the cell and termed as “sarcode”.
• Jan Evangelista Purkinge, changed the term
“sarcode” to protoplasm.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE
CELL THEORY
• 1838- German Botanist, Matthias
Schleiden, concluded that all plant
parts are made of cells
• 1839- German zoologist, Theodor
Schwann, stated that all animal
tissues are composed of cells.
• They noted that some organisms are
unicellular while others are
multicellular.
 DEVELOPMENT OF THE
CELL THEORY
•1858- Rudolf Virchow,
German physician, after
extensive study of cellular
pathology, concluded that
cells is the basic and
structural unit of life and
cell is formed from a
preexisting cell.
 THE COMPLETE CELL
THEORY
The modern cell theory includes the following
three principles:
• 1. All organisms are composed of one or more cells.
(Schleiden & Schwann)(1838-39)
• 2. The cell is the basic unit of organization of all
organisms (Schleiden & Schwann)(1838-39)
• 3. Cells arise only by division of a previously existing cell.
(Virchow)(1858)
 THE MODERN CELL
THEORY
4 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.(movement, digestion,etc)
4. Cell activity depends on the activities of sub-cellular
structures within the cell(organelles, nucleus, plasma
membrane)
How Has The Cell Theory Been
Used?
•Became the basis for things such as:
• Disease/Health/Medical Research and
Cures(AIDS, Cancer, Vaccines, Cloning, Stem Cell
Research, etc.) THE COMPLETE CELL THEORY
Cell Structure
and Function
 Cells

 Smallestliving unit of life.

 Most are microscopic
Cell Size
Characteristics of All Cells
 Ithas a surrounding membrane.
 Protoplasm –comprising the living part of a cell.
 Organelles – structures are for cell function.
 Cell Types
Eukaryotic

Prokaryotic Eukaryotic
 Eukaryotic Cells
 Eukaryotes-from Greek, eu “before” and
karyon “kernel”
 Include plants, animals, protists and fungi
 Prokaryotes Eukaryotes
Protists, fungi,
Organisms Bacteria
plants, animals

1 to 10µm
Cell size 10 to 100 µm

DNA in
Genetic chromosomes is in
DNA is in cytoplasm
Organization membrane-
bounded nucleus.

No membrane- Membrane- bound

Organelles bound organelles organelles

Binary Fission Mitosis, meiosis

Reproduction Mostly asexual Mostly sexual
Animal Cell
 Organelles
 Cellular
machinery
 Two general kinds
 Derived from membranes
 Bacteria-like organelles
 Plasma Membrane
 Contains cell contents
 Double layer of phospholipids & proteins
Phospholipids
PARTS:
1. Lipid Bilayer
Back to back layer of the ff.
-Phospholipids 75%
- Cholesterol 20%
- Glycolipids 5%

2. Membrane Proteins
a. Integral Proteins
- attached to bilayer membrane
(firmly)
-amphipathic
b. Peripheral Proteins
-not as firmly attached in a membrane
 Cytoplasm
 Viscous fluid containing organelles
 components of cytoplasm
 Interconnected filaments & fibers
 Fluid = cytosol
 Organelles (not nucleus)
 store substances
Consists of all cellular contents between
membrane and nucleus
 Cytoskeleton
 Filaments& fibers
 Made of 3 fiber
types
 Microfilaments
 Microtubules
 Intermediate
filaments
 3 functions:
 mechanical support
 anchor organelles
 help move
substances
A = actin, IF = intermediate filament, MT = microtubule
 Cilia & Flagella
Provide motility
Cilia
Short
Used to move
substances
outside human
cells
Flagella
Whip-like
extensions
Found on sperm
cells
 Centrioles

Pairsof microtubular structures

Play a role in cell division
 Nucleus
 Control center of
cell

 Double membrane

 Contains
 Chromosomes
 Nucleolus
 Nuclear Envelope

 Separates
nucleus from rest
of cell
 DNA
 Hereditary material

 Chromosomes
 DNA
 Proteins
 Form
for cell division
 Chromatin
 Nucleolus

Most cells have 2

or more
Directs synthesis
of RNA
Forms ribosomes
Membranous Organelles
 Functional
components within cytoplasm
 Bound by membranes
Endoplasmic Reticulum
 Helps move substances within cells

 Network of interconnected membranes

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
 Ribosomes
attached to surface
 Manufacture
proteins
 Not all ribosomes
attached to rough
ER
 May modify proteins
from ribosomes
 Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
 No attached ribosomes
 Has enzymes that help build molecules
 Carbohydrates
 Lipids
Golgi Apparatus
 Involvedin synthesis of plant cell wall
 Packaging & shipping station of cell
 Lysosomes
 Contain digestive
enzymes
 Functions
 Aid in cell renewal
 Break down old cell
parts
 Digests invaders
 Other Organelles
 Release & store energy

 Types
 Mitochondria
(release energy)
 Chloroplasts
(store energy)