Cell structure and function

RUFAI SAFIANU

Objectives:

At the end of the lecture students should be able to

 Give general description of a cell

 Describe the components (structure and function) of
eukaryotic cell:
• cell membranes
• cytoplasm
• organelles

 Give general description and classification of

prokaryotic cells and viruses
 The Cell Theory

The cell is the smallest unit of life

All organisms are composed of one or
more cells
New cells arise from previously existing
cells

*Mathias Schleiden *Theodor Schwann

 Nature of cells

All cells have four common components:

1. Plasma membrane
2. Region containing DNA
3. Cytoplasm
4. Biochemical pathways
 SCALE OF THE CELLULAR WORLD

OBJECT REAL SIZE X 106

Water 0.28 nm 0.28 mm

Alanine 0.5 nm 0.5 mm
Diam DNA 2.5 nm 2.5 mm
Haemoglobin 7 nm 7 mm
Ribosome 20 nm 2 cm
Polio virus 30 nm 3 cm
Mitochondrion 1500 nm 1.5 m
E. coli 2000 nm 2m
Liver cell 20000 nm 20 m
Eukaryotic Cell
Organelles Nucleus

Mitochondria

Chloroplasts

Prokaryotic Cell
Supramolecular Enzyme complexes Membranes

assemblies Ribosomes

Contractile systems

Macromolecules Proteins Nucleic acids Polysaccharides Lipids

↑ ↑ ↑ ↑

Building blocks Amino Acids Nucleotides Sugars Fatty acids/Glycerol

↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑

Intermediates α-Keto Acids Ribose Pyruvate, Malate Acetate, Malonate

Precursors CO2, Water, N, NH3, Salts↑

 Types of cells

Basically two types:

Eukaryotic
 Prokaryotic
 Eukaryotic cell

 Have a membrane-enclosed nucleus

 Have numerous other intracellular membranes that

allow partitioning of the cell for various tasks

 Have organelles: structures within or on a cell that

perform a specific task
 The Plasma Membrane

• Composed of Lipids, Proteins

and Carbohydrates
– Arranged in a lipid bilayer
Cell Membrane Components:
Phospholipids
• one end is hydrophilic
• other end is
hydrophobic
• tend to aggregate in a
lipid bilayer
– hydrophilic ends face
outward, hydrophobic
ends in the middle
Types of Membrane Proteins
• Structural Proteins
– Maintain membrane shape and
integrity, movement
• Channel Proteins
– Pore-like proteins
– Enable small ions to pass
• Carrier proteins
– Shuttle specific substances across
membrane
 The cytoplasmic matrix
Components

 70 – 85% water
pH = neutral
 Functions of cytosol

 location of many metabolic processes

contains the cytoskeleton
 means to control movement of components within
the cell
 contains organelles
Components of the Cytoskeleton
 Microfilaments

Specific functions:

 cell motion and shape changes

 cytoplasmic streaming
 cytokinesis

Structure

 4-7 nm in diameter
 composed of actin protein filaments which can be
either scattered or organized
  Microtubule

Structure:
 25 nm in diameter

 composed of tubulin proteins (alpha and

beta) which assemble into a helical
arrangement to form a cylinder
 Specific functions
 cell shape
 movement - i.e. present in cilia and flagella
 intracellular transport – i.e. microtubules move
chromosomes during
mitosis; movement of Golgi vesicles
 Intermediate filaments

Function: cell shape

Structure:

 8-10 nm in diameter
 various types defined by protein subunits
Cytoskeleton
 Ribosomes

Function: protein synthesis

Structure: Macromolecular complex of proteins and RNA

Types: two types

1. attached to RER – synthesize ;

 Membrane proteins
 Secreted proteins
 organelle proteins

2. free in cytoplasm – synthesize other proteins for cytoplasm or other

organelles
 The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
Functions:
 packages and transports proteins and lipids

Structure
 Network of interconnected membrane sacs (cisternae)
and tubules
 Membrane is connected to nuclear membrane
 Types

1. Rough ER = RER

 ER that has ribosomes associated with it

 proteins are synthesized and inserted either into the ER membrane or
through ER membrane into lumen
 site of synthesis of proteins that are secreted from the cell or destined to
be membrane proteins or organelle proteins

2. Smooth ER = SER
 no ribosomes
 site of synthesis and metabolism of fatty acids and phospholipids
 Golgi apparatus

Function: "Traffic police officer of cell"; modifies,

sorts, and transports proteins and membrane
components to appropriate cellular location
 Structure:

 Series of flattened, membranous sacs (cisternae) that are grouped in

stacks (dictyosomes) of 4-8 sacs
 Vesicles bud off the cisternal edges and carry material from one sac to
the next (cis to trans)
 Polarity: stacks have polarity that is defined by:
 cis = closest to and associated with the ER
 trans = farthest from the ER
 sacs vary in enzyme content and degree of vesicle formation
Golgi apparatus
 Mechanism
 Vesicles that are carrying cellular components bud off ER,
travel to the Golgi,
and then fuse with cis cisternae à

 various modifications as vesicles bud off one cisterna and

carry it to a trans cisterna
 at the trans face of the Golgi, vesicles bud off and either:
 deliver membrane proteins to various organelles via
membrane fusion
 fuse with the plasma membrane, thereby delivering contents
outside of the cell
 fuses with other organelle membranes, thereby delivering
contents into organelle lumen
 Endosomes
Function:

 Uptake of compounds (nutrients) from external

environment
 Phagocytic: immune cells are defenses against bacteria

Structure

 membranous vacuole/vesicle formed when the cell

invaginates its plasma membrane to take up
solutes/particles
 Types

 Phagosome = vacuole that forms from plasma membrane

during phagocytosis, in which large particles from outside
the cell are engulfed

 Receptor-mediated endosome = vesicle that forms when a

specific molecule binds to its receptor in the plasma
membrane; very important for entry of some viruses into
cells

 Pinosome = vesicle that forms from plasma membrane

during pinocytosis, in which small amounts of liquid from
outside the cell are engulfed
 Lysosomes
Function

 intracellular digestion of
macromolecules brought in by
endocytosis

 intracellular digestion of old cell

component = autophagy
 Structure
 Spherical, single membranous organelles

 Bud off of the ER and Golgi

 Maintain acidic environment by pumping in

protons

 Contain acid hydrolases (degrade polymers into

monomers)
 Mechanism

New lysosomes (called primary lysosomes)

fuse with endosomes to generate a
secondary lysosome à

 Digestion of the material occurs in the

secondary lysosome à

 Secretion of monomers into the cytoplasm à

 Discussion
Discuss the relationships between
the ER, Golgi body, Endosomes and
Lysosomes

lysosomal alpha-glucosidase
lysosomal acid phosphatase
cathepsins
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's,
cardiovascular disease, Gaucher's
disease. I Cell disease
 Mitochondria

Function: “The powerhouse of the cell”

Structure
Two membranes
 Outer

 Inner membrane is extensively folded (cristae); and contains

enzymes for generation of ATP (ATPase)
and for electron transport

 Mitochondrial matrix contains ribosomes, DNA, enzymes for

TCA cycle
 Discussion

Discuss bacteria-like features of

mitochondria

NARP
 Nucleus

Functions

 Contains the genetic material (DNA) in the form of linear

molecules

 DNA replication and transcription occur here

Structure

Enclosed by outer and inner membranes with numerous

pores
 Cell coverings

 cell walls

 contain layers of polysaccharides (cellulose,

pectin, chitin, glucan) and
 inorganic components such as silica, calcium
carbonate

 Pellicle

 rigid layer of proteinaceous elements in some

protozoa and algae
 Cell coverings

Cilia and flagella

Function: Motility

Similarities in structure

 membrane bound cylinders

 9 doublet microtubules around 2 central
microtubules (9 + 2 organization)
 basal body = 9 triplet microtubules (9 + 0
organization) that lie in the cytoplasm at the base of
the organelles - directs synthesis of organelles
 Prokaryotic cell
Definition: A cell that lacks membrane-bound nucleus
Relative size
Size:
Range from nanobacteria (0.05-0.2 μm in
diameter) to very large (600 x 80 μm);
Significance of small size: Discuss

Shape: Class Discussion

-Monotrichous -peritrichous
 Cell organization
 Fimbriae, Pili and Flagella

 Slime layer or capsule

 Cell wall

 Periplasmic space with periplasm

 Plasma membrane

 Cytoplasm which contains a variety of components

 Flagella, Pili and Fimbriae:
Appendages on the cell

Discussion:
 Structural and Functional differences between
 Fimbriae and Pili
 Pili and Flagella

 Distribution of the appendages?

 Their mechanism of action

 Slime layer or capsule

 Slime layer is an outer cover made up of polysaccharides,

glycoproteins and glycolipids

 Capsule is a polysaccharide cover

 They are summarized as glycocalyx

Question: which of the two offers better protection. Give reasons

What other roles do they play?
 Cell wall
 Gram positive cell wall is made up of:
• Peptidoglycan
• Lipid
• Teichoic acid

 Gram negative cell wall made up of:

• Peptidoglycan
• Outer membrane (lipid, protein,
lipopolysaccharide)
• Differentiate between Gram pos and Gram
neg bacteria
 Plasma membrane
Phospholipid bilayer with proteins inserted into it (similar to
eukaryotes)

Discussion
What are the functions of bacterial plasma membrane?

Is there any functional difference comparing it with eukaryotic

cells?
 Cytoplasm
Cytoplasmic matrix - substance lying between the plasma
membrane and the nucleoid which contains mostly water and a variety of
components:
• Ribosomes
• Proteins
• Inclusion bodies
• Plasmid
• DNA

Discussion: Differentiate between nucleus and nucleoid

 Viruses

A virus is small parasite that cannot reproduce by itself.

General structure
 Most viruses have in their genome DNA or RNA as their genetic material
which may be double or single stranded.
 The entire virus consists of the nucleic acid and an outer shell of protein
(capsid).
 The capsid is helical or icosahedral but some few are complex in shape
 In some animal viruses the capsid is surrounded by an envelope from host
membrane
 Virus classification

Viruses are classified using a combination of

characteristics including the following:
 Morphology: size, shape, presence of envelop etc.
 Physicochemical properties: thermal stability,
detergent stability, molecular mass etc
 Genome: size, type of nucleic acid etc
 Proteins: number, size, sequence, etc
 Lipids: content, character etc
 Carbohydrates: Content, character, etc
 Antigenic property
 Biological property
 Viral genome
• Viral genome is either DNA or RNA but mostly
RNA.
• Bacteriophages tend to have double-stranded
DNA
• Plant viruses tend to have double-stranded
RNA genomes
• The genomes are either linear or circular
 reflection
• Why are the properties of water so essential
to life as we know it