M.E.

S INDIAN SCHOOL, DOHA - QATAR

Notes-2, 2025- 2026
Section : Boys’ and Girls’ Date : 25/05/25
Class & Div.: IX - All divisions Subject : Biology
Lesson : Ln 5-Fundamental Unit of Life Part-2
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 Cytoplasm: It is a jelly-like, viscous, colorless, semi-fluid substance that occurs between
the plasma membrane and the nuclear membrane. The aqueous ground substance of
cytoplasm is called cytosol that contains a variety of cell organelles and other insoluble
waste products and storage products, like starch, glycogen, lipid, etc.
Functions:
 Protoplasm (nucleus + cytoplasm + cell organelles) acts as a store of vital chemicals like
amino acids, proteins, sugars, vitamins, iron etc.
 It is the site of certain metabolic reactions, like glycolysis (breakdown of glucose to
provide energy), synthesis of fatty acids etc.
 Cell organelles: Inside the cell there are different parts performing different activities to
keep the cell alive and functional. These part are
called Cell organelles. They are explained below:
1.Endoplasmic Reticulum (Transporting channel of the cell)
Structure: It is a membranous network of tube like structures
extending from nuclear membrane to plasma membrane. It is
absent in prokaryotic cells. There are two types of
endoplasmic reticulum, RER and SER.
Functions:
 Forms the skeletal framework of the cell
 It helps in transport of various substances from
nuclear membrane to plasma membrane or vice versa.
 Formation of lysosomes, Golgi bodies and vacuoles
 Helps in membrane biogenesis-formation of cell membrane
 Provides a surface for the synthesis of a material

 RER(rough endoplasmic reticulum) : contains ribosomes, which helps in synthesis and

transportation of proteins.
 SER (smooth endoplasmic reticulum) : does not contain ribosomes,
SER helps in synthesis and transportation of lipids and also helps in detoxification of
harmful substances in the liver of animals called vertebrates.
2.Golgi Bodies or Golgi Apparatus (shipping department of the cell)
Structure:
Golgi apparatus consists of a set of membrane bound, fluid
filled vesicles, vacuoles and flattened cisternae (closed sacks).
Cisternae are usually arranged parallel to each other called
stacks.
 Discovered by Camillo Golgi in 1898.
 Originates from RER.
 Contains flattened Sac like Vesicles.

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  Has two faces – cis face or receiving face
and trans face or supplying face.
Function :
 Modification ,packaging and transport of materials
 Synthesis of Cell wall, lysosomes, and plasma membrane
 Helps to make complex sugar from simple sugar
3.Lysosomes (Suicidal bags of Cell, natural scavenger, cellular housekeeper)
Structure:
 Lysosomes are small, spherical, sac like structures which
contain several digestive enzymes enclosed in a membrane.
 It is a single membrane-bound organelle
 Present mostly in animal cells and few in plant cells
Function:
 Lysosomes help in intracellular digestion of foreign substances in unicellular organisms
and worn-out cell organelles.
 They provide protection against bacteria and
virus.
 They help to keep the cell clean.
 During the disturbance in cellular metabolism, for
example, when the cell gets damaged, lysosomes
may burst and the enzymes digest their own cell.
Therefore, lysosomes are also known as suicidal
bags of a cell
4.Mitochondria (The Power House of The Cell /Storage Batteries)
Structure:
 They are small rod-shaped organelles.
 It is a double membrane structure with outer membrane
being smooth and porous whereas
 inner membrane being thrown into a number of folds called
cristae.
 Cristae helps in increasing the surface area for ATP
generating chemical reactions.
 They contain their own DNA and ribosomes.
 It is also known as power house of the cell.
Function:
 The main site of cellular respiration.
 Stores and releases energy in the form of ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) molecules.
 ATP – act as the energy currency of the cell.
5.Ribosomes (protein factories)
Structure and function
These are extremely small, dense and spherical bodies which occur freely in the matrix
(cytosol) or remain attached to the endoplasmic reticulum.
They do not have a membrane
These are made up of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and proteins.
Function: They play a major role in the synthesis of proteins so they are also called protein
factory of the cell.

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 6.Plastids
 Plastids are present in most of the plant cells
and absent in animal cells.
 They are usually spherical in shape and
double membrane bound organelles.
 Plastids contains various membrane layered
structure embedded in a material called the
stroma.
 In stroma, different enzymes are present which help in photosynthetic reactions.
 They also have their own DNA and ribosomes.
 Plastids are of three types:
1. Chloroplasts: These are the green coloured plastids containing chlorophyll. Chloroplasts
aid in the manufacture food by the process of photosynthesis.
Function : Trap solar energy and utilize it to manufacture food for the plant.
2. Chromoplasts: These are the colorful plastids (except green color) which provide color
to flowers, fruits and some leaves (blue,red,yellow etc..)
Function : impart various colors to flowers to attract insects for pollination
3. Leucoplasts: These are the colorless plastids.
Function: helps in the storage of food in the form of starch, proteins and fats.
7.Vacuoles:
Structure :
 They are liquid/solid filled and membrane bound organelles. Arise from ER and Golgi
body filled with cell sap(cell sap contains amino acids, mineral salts, sugars, and waste
products)
 In plant cells, vacuoles are large and permanent. Where as in animal cell they are very
small.
 In mature plant cell, It occupies 50- 90% space of cell volume. Due to its size, other
organelles, including nucleus shift towards plasma membrane.
 In Amoeba, the food vacuole contains the food items that the Amoeba has consumed,
and contractile vacuole helps to expel the excess water and wastes from the cell.
Function:
 They help to maintain the osmotic pressure in a cell.
 They provide turgidity and rigidity to the plant cell

Depending upon the presence or absence of membrane, cell organelles can be classified into
three categories, namely:
 Without membrane: Some cell organelles like ribosomes are not bounded by any
membrane. They are present in prokaryotes well as eukaryotes.
 Single membrane-bound: Some organelles are bounded by a single membrane. For
example, vacuole, lysosome, Golgi Apparatus, Endoplasmic Reticulum etc. They are
present only in a eukaryotic cell.
 Double membrane-bound: Cell organelles like nucleus, mitochondria chloroplast, and
plastids (in plant cell) are double membrane-bound organelles.

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  Plant cell vs Animal cell

Plant cell Animal cell

1.Cell wall present 1.Cell wall absent
2. Plastids present 2. Plastids absent
3. Vacuole single and large 3. Vacuole many and small
4. Nucleus present near periphery and not 4. Nucleus present in centre
in centre
5. Mitochondria less in number 5. Mitochondria more in number

 Cell Division
The process by which new cells are made is called cell division. There are two main types of cell
division, that is, mitosis and meiosis.
 Mitosis
The process of cell division by which most cells divide
for growth is called mitosis.
In this process, each cell, called the mother cell, divides
to form two identical daughter cells.
The daughter cells have the same number of
chromosomes as the mother cells. Mitosis helps in the
growth and repair of tissues in organisms.
 Meiosis
The process of cell division by which specific cells of reproductive
organs or tissues in animals and plants divide to form gametes is
called meiosis.
When a cell divides by meiosis, it produces four new cells instead
of just two.
The new cells only have half the number of chromosomes as the
mother cells.
Meiosis helps in the production of gametes—sex cells (sperm and egg).

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