UNIT 2

Grade 8
Cell Structure and Function
A cell is the fundamental, structural and functional unit of all living organisms. A cell is defined as the
basic smallest structural and functional unit of an organism. You can do all this because you are made
of cells — tiny units of life that are like specialized factories, full of machinery designed to accomplish
the business of life. Cells make up every living thing, from blue whales to the archaebacteria that live
inside volcanoes. They are complex units that are microscopic in nature. The term ‘cell’ was first coined
by Robert Hooke in the year 1665 when he noticed boxes or compartments in a slice of cork under a
microscope.

A. CELL THEORY:

Cell Theory was proposed by Matthias Schleiden, Theodor Schwann, and Rudolf Virchow, who were
German scientists. The cell theory states that:

 All living species on Earth are composed of cells.

A.1. UNICELLULAR AND MULTICELLUAR ORGANISMS

An organism can be made up of a single cell unit and they are called unicellular organisms like an
amoeba, paramecium, etc. The single-cell unit of unicellular organisms performs all the functions
necessary for life like growth, digestion, respiration, excretion, and reproduction by itself. An organism
made up of many cells is called a multicellular organism like human beings, plants etc.

In multicellular organisms, a group of special cells perform the same function and are termed tissues.
Similar tissues form an organ and organs form an organism. Thus, each cell or group of cells has a
specific function to perform.

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  In general, the cells exhibit a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and numbers and these can vary from
organism to organism. A cell can be as big as a hen’s egg which can be seen by the naked eye and
as small as 0.1 - 0.5 micrometers in a bacterium.

 A cell can be of multiple shapes. It can be spherical like the red blood cells or spindle-shaped like
the muscle cells or branched like the nerve cells.

 The size of a cell is not related to the size of the organism, it is the function of that cell that is
important. The nerve cells perform the same function of transferring messages whether it is in an
elephant or a rat.

A.2. The characteristics of cells

 Cells provide the necessary structural support to an organism.

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A.3. PROKARYOTIC AND EUKARYOTIC CELL:
Prokaryotic Cells:
The cells that lack a nuclear membrane for the nucleus are called prokaryotic cells, like bacteria and blue-
green algae.

Eukaryotic Cells:
The cells that have a defined nuclear membrane for the nucleus are called eukaryotic cells. All organisms
except bacteria and blue-green algae are eukaryotic cells.

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A.4. PARTS OF A CELL:

The cell structure comprises several individual components which perform specific functions essential to
carry out life processes.
The components of the cell are as follows:
a. Cell membrane: This is the basic component of a cell that encloses the cytoplasm and nucleus and gives
shape to the cell. This is also known as the plasma membrane and it separates the cells from each other. It
is porous in nature to allow the transport of substances in and out of the cell. The plants have an additional
thick outer layer known as the cell wall.

b. Cytoplasm: The jelly-like substance which is present between the cell membrane and the nucleus is
called the cytoplasm. There are various other components of a cell that are present in the cytoplasm called
organelles.
Cell organelles- Nucleolus, Nuclear membrane, Endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi Bodies, Ribosome,
Mitochondria, Lysosomes, Chloroplast, Vacuoles
c. Nucleus: This is the dense spherical component that is present in the centre of the cell. This is the most
important part of a living cell as it controls all the activities of the cell. It also contains thread-like structures
called chromosomes which carry the hereditary material in the genes.

d. Nuclear membrane: The nucleus of a cell is separated from the cytoplasm by a porous membrane called
a nuclear membrane which functions to transport substances between the cytoplasm and the nucleus.

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A.5. FUNCTIONS OF A CELL:

The essential functions of the cell include:

 The cell provides support and structure to the body.

A.6 COMPARISON BETWEEN ANIMAL AND PLANT CELL:

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A.7. ORGANELLES OF THE CELL
a) Ribosomes are the protein factories of the cell. Composed of two subunits, they can be found floating
freely in the cell’s cytoplasm or embedded within the endoplasmic reticulum.

b) The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a membranous organelle that shares part of its membrane with that
of the nucleus. Some portions of the ER, known as the rough ER, are studded with ribosomes and are
involved with protein manufacture. The rest of the organelle is referred to as the smooth ER and serves to
produce fats.

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c) If the proteins from the rough ER require further modification, they are transported to the Golgi
apparatus (or Golgi complex). Like the ER, the Golgi apparatus is composed of folded membranes.

 d) The “powerhouse” of the cell, mitochondria are oval-shaped organelles found in most
eukaryotic cells. As the site of cellular respiration, mitochondria serve to transform molecules
such as glucose into an energy molecule known as ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

e) Lysosomes are filled with enzymes

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f) Plastids are found in plant cells but not in animal cells. There are three main types of plastids, classified
according to the type of pigment they possess: chromoplasts, leucoplasts, and chloroplasts.

 Chromoplasts are plastids that make and store pigments, such as the red, yellow, and orange
pigments that give fruits and flowers their bright colors.
 Leucoplasts are white or colorless plastids that possess no pigments and store materials like starch
and fat.
 Chloroplasts are plastids that contain the green pigment chlorophyll. Chloroplasts are the site of
photosynthesis, in which plant cells use the energy in sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and
water into glucose and oxygen. This glucose is later used in cellular respiration by the
mitochondria.

g) Cell wall is a rigid outer layer that provides structural support to the plant cell. The cell wall is a rigid
structure surrounding the cell membrane. It is a tough outer layer that gives the plant cell its shape. The
cell wall of plant cells is mostly made of a carbohydrate called cellulose. The cell wall also provides
support for the plant.

h) Vacuoles are storage bubbles of irregular shapes which are found in cells. It stores the food, a variety
of nutrients that a cell might need to survive or waste. In plant cells, vacuoles are much larger than in
animal cells, and they provide rigidity and water balance to the plant cells.

A.8. DNA AND CHROMOSOMES

Nucleus is generally spherical and located in the center of the cell. It is separated from the cytoplasm by
a membrane called the nuclear membrane. It uses information in the chromosomes to decide what each
organelle should do and the functions of the cell. The nucleus contains an even smaller concentrated
material called nucleolus.
Chromosomes: The nucleus contains thread-like structures called chromosomes. These carry genes and
help in the inheritance or transfer of characters from the parents to the offspring. They are composed
of DNA in the form of Chromatin and protein. These chromosomes contain information for the
inheritance of features from parents to next generation in the form of DNA molecules.
DNA: These are molecules that contain the information necessary for constructing and organizing cells.