Biochemistry for Med Lab Sci Prepared by: JPTC, RMT

Lecture 01
Basic Cell Biology
The Cell
 The smallest unit that makes up all living organisms and the tissues of the body
 The building blocks of the human body
 The structural, functional, and biologic unit of all organisms
 3 main parts of the cell:
1. Plasma Membrane
 Forms the cell’s flexible outer surface, separating the cell’s internal environment from the external
environment
 A selective barrier that regulates the flow of materials into and out of a cell
 Selectively establish and maintain the appropriate environment for normal cellular activities
 Plays a key role in communication among cells
2. Cytoplasm
 Consists of all cellular contents
 Compositions:
a. Cytosol: the fluid portion of cytoplasm, also called intracellular fluid, contains water, dissolved
solutes, and suspended particles
b. Organelles: “little organs”; has specific shape and functions and includes cytoskeletons,
ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, lysosomes, peroxisomes, and mitochondria
3. Nucleus
 A large organelle that houses most of a cell’s DNA
 CHROMOSOME : contains DNA
 GENES : hereditary units that control most aspects of cellular structure and
functions
Types of Organisms
1. Prokaryotes
 Organisms that lack nucleus
 Contains nucleoid instead
 Includes all bacteria
2. Eukaryotes
 Organisms that contain a nucleus
 Includes all plant and animal cells as well as ameba, algae, fungi and molds
3. Viruses
 Obligatory cellular parasites that require a host cell to survive
 Bacteriophages: bacterial viruses

General Prokaryotic Cell Anatomy

1. Nucleoid body: consists of a single circular chromosome
2. Plasmid DNA: an extrachromosomal structure found in some bacteria that often confer antibiotic resistance
3. Ribosomes
 Site of protein synthesis
 May be attached to other organelles or free in the cytoplasm
4. Granules: storage of food such as glucose and lipids
5. Endospores: produced by some bacterial species for survival in harsh environments
6. Plasma membrane
 A phospholipid bilayer that surrounds the cytoplasm
 Acts as an osmotic barrier
 Site of ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN

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 Biochemistry for Med Lab Sci Prepared by: JPTC, RMT
7. Cell wall
 Surrounds the plasma membrane
 Helps maintain the shape of the cell
 Types of cell wall: gram-positive, gram-negative, acid-fast

8. Periplasmic space
 Lies between the plasma membrane and cell wall
 Where proteins are secreted by cells
 Helps in degradation and detoxification of toxic agents
9. Cell Appendages
a. Flagella
 Organ for locomotion
 Types of flagella: monotrichious, lophotrichious, amphitrichious, peritrichious
b. Attachment pili or fimbriae: hair-like structures that function for attachment
c. Sex pili: protein tubes that connect two bacterial cells and mediate DNA exchange

General Eukaryotic Cell Anatomy

1. Nucleus
 The defining and most prominent feature of eukaryotes
 The control center of the cell
 Site of storage and replication of DNA
 It directs the production of RNA from DNA
2. Nucleolus
 Located within the nucleus
 Site of ribosomal RNA (rRNA synthesis)
 Where ribosome assembly begins
3. Endoplasmic Reticulum
 Plays a role in the synthesis of lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and steroids
 Facilitates the separation of newly synthesized proteins that go to the cytosol or other organelles
a. Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
 Appears “rough” due to attached ribosomes
 Synthesizes and directs proteins that go to other organelles
b. Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
 Appears “smooth” due to the absence of ribosomes
 Site of lipid and steroid hormone synthesis
 Predominates in cells specializing in lipid metabolism
 In hepatocytes, it contains enzymes that catalyze detoxification of drugs and harmful metabolic
products
4. Golgi Complex
 The principal director of intracellular movement of macromolecules
 Site of post-translational modification of proteins
 Modifies and packages proteins
 Golgi vesicles: transports proteins to and from the Golgi complex

5. Lysosomes
 Controls the intracellular digestion of macromolecules
 They are membrane-bound sacs that contain hydrolytic enzymes
 Has antibacterial properties
6. Peroxisomes
 Contains enzymes that degrade proteins and amino acids
 Produces hydrogen peroxide and catalase
 Has antibacterial properties
7. Mitochondria
 The powerhouse of the cell
 Inner mitochondrial membrane: the site of the electron transport chain
 Mitochondrial matrix: site of citric acid cycle or “ kreb’s cycle”
 Can independently replicate
 Can be maternally inherited
8. Cytoskeleton
a. Microfilaments
 The thinnest components of the cytoskeleton
 Made up of actin
 The most abundant intracellular protein
 Provides mechanical stability of cells
 Helps in muscular contraction in conjunction with myosin

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 Biochemistry for Med Lab Sci Prepared by: JPTC, RMT

b. Intermediate Filaments
 Composed of a diverse group of proteins
 Functions
1) Play a role in cell-to-cell attachment and help stabilize epithelium
2) Play a major role in skin and hair cells
3) Maintain the correct register of contractile units in muscle cells
4) Provide strength and rigidity to axons
 Major classes
1) Vimentin: found in fibroblasts and many epithelial cells, such as those in blood vessels
2) Desmin: found in muscle cells
3) Neurofilaments: found in axons
4) Glial fibriliary acidic protein: found in glial cells, which surrounds the neurons
5) Cytokeratins: helps form the tissues of hair nails, and the outer layer of the skin
c. Microtubules
 Made up of tubulin
 Functions
1) Form tracts on which intracellular vesicles and organelles
2) Generates contractile force in conjunction with other proteins such as dynein that leads to the
beating of cilia and flagella
3) Forms mitotic spindles which are responsible for the separation of chromosomes

The Eukaryotic Plasma Membrane

 A flexible yet sturdy barrier that surrounds and contains the cytoplasm of the cell
 FLUID MOSAIC MODEL: suggests that the plasma membrane resembles a continually moving sea of fluid
lipids that contains a mosaic of many different proteins. Some proteins float freely like icebergs in the lipid sea,
whereas others are anchored at specific locations like islands.
 The basic structural framework of plasma membrane is described as a lipid bilayer, two back-to-back layers
made of lipid molecules
 Lipid molecules that make up the plasma membrane: phospholipids (75%), cholesterol (20%), glycolipids
(5%)
 It is amphipathic, meaning they have polar and non-polar parts

Functions of the Plasma Membrane

a. Acts as a barrier separating the inside and outside of the cell
b. Controls the flow of substances into and out of the ell
c. Helps identify the cell to other cells
d. Participates in intercellular signaling

Transport Across the Membrane

a. Passive Transport
 The movement of a substance down a concentration gradient until equilibrium is reached
 Does not require ATP
1) Diffusion: refers to the movement of molecules or ions down a concentration gradient due to their
kinetic energy until they reach equilibrium
a) Simple Diffusion
 Passive movement of a substance down a concentration gradient without the help of membrane
transport proteins

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 Biochemistry for Med Lab Sci Prepared by: JPTC, RMT
 Ex: oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen gases, fatty acids, steroids, fat-soluble vitamins, water,
urea and small alcohols

b) Facilitated Diffusion
 Passive movement of a substance down a concentration gradient through the lipid bilayer by
transmembrane proteins that function as channels or carriers
 Ex: glucose, fructose, galactose, vitamins, ions
2) OSMOSIS
 Passive movement of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of
higher concentration to lower concentration until equilibrium is reached
 Ex: water

b. Active Transport
 The movement of substances against a concentration gradient
 Requires cellular energy in the form of ATP
1) Primary Active Transport
 An active process in which a cell expends energy to move a substance across the membrane against
its concentration gradient by pumps (carriers) that use energy supplied by hydrolysis of ATP
 Ex: Ions (Na+, K+, Ca+, H+, I-, Cl-)
2) Secondary Active Transport
a) SYMPORT : the movement of Na+ or H+ and another substance in the same
direction across a membrane
b) ANTIPORT : the movement of Na+ or H+ and another substance in the opposite
direction across a membrane

Functions of the Membrane Proteins

a. Ion channel: forms a pore through which a specific ion can flow to get across the membrane
b. Carrier
 Aka transporters
 Transports specific substances across the membrane by undergoing change in shape
c. Receptor
 Recognizes specific ligand and alters cell’s function in some way
 Example: antidiuretic hormone binds with receptors in the kidneys and changes the water
permeability of certain plasma membranes
d. Enzyme: catalyzes reaction inside or outside the cell
e. Linker
 Anchors filaments inside and outside the plasma membrane, providing structural stability and shape
for the cell
 May also participate in movement of the cell or link two cells together
f. Cell identity marker: distinguishes your cells from anyone else

General Comparison of Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Feature Prokaryotes Eukaryotes
0.4-2 µm in diameter 10-100 µm in diameter
Size
0.5-5 µm in length >10 µm in length
Organelles
 Nucleus Absent Present
 Nucleolus Absent Present
 Nucleoid bodies Present Absent
 Golgi complex Absent Present
 Lysosome Absent Present
 Endoplasmic reticulum Absent Present
 Mitochondria Absent Present
 Cytoskeleton Absent Present
 Ribosomes Present Present
Genome
 Location Nucleoid Nucleus
Linear; complexed with histones
 Chromosomal DNA Circular; complexed with RNA
and other proteins
 Extrachromosomal DNA Plasmids Mitochondria
Reproduction Binary fission Mitosis and meiosis
Site of Electron Transport Chain Plasma membrane Mitochondria
Metabolism Anaerobic and aerobic Aerobic