Cell: The Unit of Life Basic Subjective Questions

- Class 11 Revision Notes

Section–A (1 Mark Questions)
1. What is totipotency?
Ans. Totipotency is the ability of a single cell to divide and
produce all the differentiated cells in an organism.

2. Which organelle is called the powerhouse of the cell?

Ans. Mitochondria is known as the powerhouse of the cell.

3. Who first saw and described a live cell?

Ans. Anton Von Leeuwenhoek first saw and described a live cell.

4. What is the composition of plasma membrane of human

erythrocyte?
Ans. In human beings, the membrane of the erythrocyte has
approximately 52% protein and 40% lipids.

5. Expand PPLO.
Ans. PPLO - Pleuro Pneumonia Like Organisms

Section–B (2 Mark Questions)

6. Name semi-autonomous cellular organelles present in
eukaryotic cells.
Ans. Mitochondria and chloroplasts are the two semi-
autonomous cellular organelles present in eukaryotic cells.
Chloroplasts are present in plant cells only while mitochondria
are present in both plant and animal cells.
7. Answer the following questions.
(i) Who first explained that cells arise from pre-
existing cells?
(ii) Which organelle is known as the protein factory of
the cell?
Ans. (i) Rudolf Virchow first explained that cell arise from pre-existing
cells.
(ii) Ribosome is known as the protein factory of the cell.

8. What are the main functions of cell wall?

Ans. Functions of cell wall:
(i) It provides a definite shape to the cell.
(ii) It protects inner contents of cells
 (iii) It protects delicate plasma membrane present below it.
(iv) It allows transport of various substances to & from the
cell.
(v) It prevents cell contents from drying up.

9. Name the organelles responsible for the respective

functions.
(a) Major site for synthesis of lipid
(b) Site for synthesis of ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
Ans. (a) Major site for synthesis of lipid: Smooth endoplasmic
reticulum is responsible for synthesis of lipids.
(b) Site for synthesis of ribosomal RNA (rRNA): Nucleolus is
the site for synthesis of ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

10. Why are lysosomes called “suicidal bags”?

Ans. Lysosomes are sac-like structures bounded by a single
membrane which contains several digestive enzymes. These
enzymes when released from lysosomes bring about breaks
down of various cytoplasmic structures. It helps in digestion of
food particles, other foreign bodies, old worn-out organelles of
cell often resulting in death of cell hence are referred as
suicidal bags of cell.

11. Explain in a single sentence.

(i) Mesosome
(ii) Acrocentric chromosome
Ans. (i) Mesosome: Differentiated form of cell membrane in
prokaryotes which are essentially infoldings of cell membrane.
(ii) Acrocentric chromosome: Chromosome in which the
centromere is situated close to its end forming one
extremely short and one very long arm.

The cell is the smallest, basic structural, and functional unit of

living things; hence it is generally referred to as ‘building
blocks of life. Cells are capable of independent existence and
performing essential functions of life. All organisms including
plants and animals are made up of one or more cells and all
that cells come from pre-existing cells. Robert Hooke was the
scientist who first discovered cells in a piece of cork.
Different Types of Cell
In the human body, different types of cells are present such as
hepatocytes in the liver, nephrons in the kidney, neurons in the
brain, etc. The different types of cells are grouped to form
tissues. These tissues perform specific functions.

Cell Theory
In 1839, two scientists named Schleiden who was a German
botanist, and Schwann who was a British zoologist, announced
the cell theory. The modern theory of the cell includes-

 Every living organism is made up of cells.

 The cell is said to be the basic structural and functional
unit of living things.
 All cells arise from the pre-existing cells by division
method and this was given by Rudolf Virchow.
 All energy flow takes place within the cells.
 Cells contain the hereditary information which is passed
from cell to cell during cell division.
 All cells have the same chemical composition.

Structure of Eukaryotic Cells

Plasma Membrane
The plasma membrane is a dynamic, fluid-structure that is
present in the external boundary of the cell and separates the
interior of the cell from the outside environment. It is
selectively permeable Based on the can that only allows
specific solutes to pass through it. In 1972, Jonathan Singer
and Garth Nicolson proposed the fluid mosaic model of the
plasma membrane. According to this model, the membrane is
a quasi-fluid structure in which proteins are embedded
throughout the lipid bilayer and this lipid bilayer provides
fluidity and elasticity to the membrane. The bilayer is
composed of two layers of amphipathic molecules that contain
polar heads and nonpolar tails.

Hydrophobic interactions are the primary forces for organizing

lipid bilayer. There are three types of lipid and two types of
protein present in the plasma membrane. Lipids are
phospholipids, glycolipids, and sterol and the proteins are
peripheral proteins and integral proteins. Peripheral proteins
are proteins that are held with the bilayer loosely and can be
easily removed. While the integral proteins are proteins that
are held in the lipid bilayer very tightly and cannot be removed
easily.
Cell Wall
The cell wall is a rigid non-living structure that surrounds the
plasma membrane. The cell wall is mostly found in plant and
fungal cells that provide shape to the cell. It also protects the
cell against mechanical damage or infection and also prevents
the entry of unwanted macromolecules.
Cell walls are important for cell-to-cell interaction and
transport. The cell wall is made up of three parts i.e., primary
wall, middle lamella, and secondary wall. Primary wall is
formed in young cell and secondary wall forms inside the cell
as the cell gets matured
Middle lamella is layer composed of calcium pectate which
hold the neighbouring cells together
Plasmodesmata are the connections that are present between
the cytoplasm of the neighbouring cells and the middle
lamella.
Cell wall of algae has cellulose , galactans, mannans and
calcium carbonate
Plant cell wall has cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and proteins
Ribosomes
George palade observed this granular structures
Ribosomes are specialized cell organelle which is composed of
RNAs and proteins hence, they are known as
ribonucleoprotein. Ribosomes units come together to translate
genetic information which is stored in messenger RNA (mRNA)
into proteins. Functional ribosomes consist of two subunits of
unequal size, known as large and small subunits where small
subunits read mRNA and large subunits form a polypeptide
chain of amino acids. Eukaryotic cells generally possess two
types of ribosomes: cytosolic and organellar. The ribosome
found in prokaryotes is the 70S and 80S in eukaryotes where S
stands for sedimentation coefficient. It is the ratio of a velocity
to the centrifugal acceleration that helps to measure the
particle's size based on the sedimentation rate.

Endoplasmic Reticulum
It is the largest single membrane-bound intracellular
compartment which is mainly found in eukaryotic cells. It is
formed by an interconnected network of closed and flattened
membrane-bound structures and the membrane-enclosed sac
is called the lumen. Based on the presence or absence of
ribosomes, ER can be of two types i.e., rough endoplasmic
reticulum (RER) and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER).
When ribosomes are present on ER, it gives a rough
appearance to the structure hence it is known as rough ER.
When ribosomes are absent in the ER membrane, it is known
as smooth ER.
Proteins synthesized by ribosomes that are present on the
membrane of RER enter into the lumen by the process of co-
translational translocation.

. The SER performs different functions like the synthesis of

essential lipids, steroid hormones, metabolism of
carbohydrates, detoxification, and calcium regulation.
Golgi Complex/Golgi Apparatus
Camillo Golgi discovered
It is a single membrane-bound organelle that forms a part of
the endomembrane system. Golgi complex is mainly found in
the cytosol of the eukaryotic cells and is made up of flattened
membrane sacs known as cisternae. A Golgi stack normally
contains 4-8 cisternae. Each Golgi stack has two faces- the cis
face/forming face and the trans face/maturing face . Both
faces are also called the entry face and exit face, respectively.
The main functions of the Golgi apparatus include protein
packaging and secretion.
Lysosomes
It is a single membrane-enclosed organelle that contains
hydrolytic enzymes that are responsible for the breakdown of
various biomolecules. These hydrolytic enzymes include
nucleases, proteases, lipases, glycosidases, phosphatase,
phospholipases, and sulphatases. For optimal activity, the
enzyme requires an acidic environment inside the lysosomes
with a pH of about 5.0. There remains present a proton pump
inside the lysosomal membrane. This proton pump transports
the proton from inside the membrane using ATP as a source of
energy. Lysosomes are responsible for the digestion of both
intracellular as well as extracellular materials as they can
break down virus particles or bacteria in the phagocytosis of
macrophages.
Vacuoles
Fluid-filled vesicles are known as vacuoles and are mostly
found in the cytoplasmic matrix of the cell. There is a
membrane that surrounds the vacuole known as tonoplast.
Similar to the pH of lysosomes the lumen's pH is also acidic.
Vacuoles in plant cells are larger than those in animal cells and
they contain water, dissolved inorganic ions, sugars, enzymes,
etc. it is different from another type of vacuole called
contractile vacuole because they perform osmoregulation and
pumps excess water out of the cell. The example includes the
vacuole in Amoeba.
Mitochondria
It is found in all eukaryotic cells and is known as a site for
aerobic respiration. They are called the powerhouse of the cell
because it synthesizes ATP as the energy currency of the cell.
They are the double membrane-bound cell organelle that
contains circular DNA molecules and ribosomes. The space
present between the outer and the inner membrane is known
as intermembrane space. The inner membrane structure is
complex because it is convoluted to form cristae. Cristae help
in increasing the surface area inside the mitochondria.
The inner membrane is rich in phospholipid known as
cardiolipin which makes the membrane-impermeable to
solutes. The inner membrane contains enzyme complexes
known as ATP synthase or F0-F1 ATPase and they play an
important role in the synthesis of ATP molecules.

Plastids
They are double-membrane cell organelle that is generally
found in algae and plant cells. Like mitochondria, they also
contain double-stranded DNA and ribosomes in their structure.
They are divided into three different types- leucoplast,
chromoplast, and chloroplast. Plastids contain a pigment that
plays an important role in photosynthesis and is also
responsible for the synthesis and storage of food.
The Chloroplast surrounds the fluid-filled structure known as
stroma that contains a stack of sacs called a granum. There
are some organized flattened membranous sacs called the
thylakoids. Each granum is connected to the other with the
help of flat membranous tubules known as stroma lamellae.

chromoplasts are the type of plastids that are responsible for

pigment synthesis and storage. They give different colors to
the fruit, flowers, and aging leaves like yellow, orange, or red
colors.
However, the leucoplast is colorless plastids that are generally
present in unexposed areas of plants. It plays an important
role in the storage of starch, lipid, and proteins and is divided
into three different parts- amyloplast that stores starch,
Elaioplast that stores lipids in fats, proteinoplast stores
proteins.
Nucleus
The nucleus is a double membrane structure found in all
eukaryotic cells except RBCs (red blood cells). It contains the
majority of the genetic material that transfers from parents to
offspring during cell division. In the nucleus, the DNA is packed
in the form of chromosomes with histones proteins, it controls
the function and growth of the cell. The gene is a fragment of
DNA that codes for a protein.
There are two types of chromosomes found- Euchromatin and
heterochromatin where euchromatin is a less compact
structure and can be transcribed into mRNA. while
Heterochromatin is a compact structure and hence cannot be
transcribed into mRNA.
The Nuclear membrane is a double-layered system that is
impermeable to large molecules. The outer layer is combined
with the Endoplasmic reticulum. The presence of nuclear pores
in the membrane regulates the movement of solutes in and out
of the nucleus. A perinuclear is a space that presents between
these two layers.
The nucleolus is the solid and spherical structure that is
present inside the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. It is involved in
the assembly of ribosomes during protein synthesis. It
disappears during the cell division and reappears after the cell
division.
Peroxisomes
Peroxisomes are small, membrane-bound cell organelles that
are mainly found in all eukaryotic cells. They contain oxidative
enzymes that help in various metabolic activities. The major
function of peroxisomes is the breakdown of fatty acids.
Peroxisomes can be derived from the smooth endoplasmic
reticulum of the cell. Proteins found in peroxisomes are matrix
soluble proteins and membrane proteins known as peroxins.

Cytoskeleton
It is made up of a network of proteinaceous filaments in the
cytoplasm that provides mechanical support to the cells. The
cytoskeleton maintains the shape of the cell and helps in cell
motility. It also organizes the organelles and facilitates the
movement of solutes across the cell.
Cilia and Flagella

They are the hairy outgrowths that help in the locomotion of

the organisms. Cilia are the short structure that helps in
attachment while flagella are relatively long structures in the
form of a whip and it helps in movement of the organism. They
are covered by a plasma membrane and possess a core made
from numerous microtubules running parallel to the long axis.
This core is called an axoneme which shows a 9+2
arrangement. Here 9 is the number of pairs of radially
arranged microtubule doublets and 2 is the central pair of
microtubules.
Centrosomes and Centrioles
Centrioles are a pair of cylindrical structures that compose the
centrosome. Centrioles are perpendicular to each other and
present in the cytoplasm where they help in organizing
microtubules. It is made up of nine symmetrically arranged
peripheral triplet fibrils of tubulin protein. The proteinaceous
part that presents in the center of the centriole is called a hub;
it is connected by spokes to the peripheral fibrils. The
centrioles form the network of threads across the cell during
cell division. Apart from this, they also form the base of
flagella.
Structure of a Prokaryotic Cell
Prokaryotic cells are small, single-celled organisms that lack a
true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
Prokaryotes mainly include bacteria, mycoplasma,
cyanobacteria, and PPLOs. The prokaryotes are much smaller
and more rapidly dividing than eukaryotes. They have
generally been divided asexually by binary fission and
conjugation. They vary in shape and size but their basic
organization remains the same. In prokaryotes, a cell wall
surrounds the cell except for mycoplasma. In the case of
bacteria, they also contain an extra circular DNA called
plasmids. They lack all cell organelles except for ribosomes
where protein synthesis takes place.
In motile bacterial cells, they possess one or more flagella. A
flagellum is a long structure in the form of a whip that is made
up of basic parts: filament, hook, and the basal body. A pilus
can also help the bacteria in conjugation while Pili and fimbriae
help in attachment to substrate or host.
Cell The Unit of Life Notes Biology Chapter 8-
PDF Download
Cell: Definition
According to Chapter 8 Biology Class 11 notes ‘cell’ is nothing
but the basic unit of life. Unicellular organisms can exist
independently and carry out the necessary functions of life.
Independent living is ensured by a substance which is less
than a complete structure of a cell.
Therefore, if you follow the notes of Chapter 8 Biology Class 11
you will get to know that the fundamental structural and
functional unit of each and every living organism is called
‘cell’.
What is Cell Theory?
Ch 8 Bio Class 11 notes of Vedantu perfectly depict the theory
of cell. A German botanist known as Matthias Schleiden tested
a huge number of plants and noticed that all plants consist of
various kinds of cells. The tissues of the plants are composed
of those cells.
A contemporary British zoologist named Theodore Schwann
examined various kinds of animal cells. He found that a thin
outer layer was present in every cell. This very particular layer
is known as ‘plasma membrane’ today. The ‘cell theory’ was
coined by Schleiden and Schwann. According to Chapter 8
Class 11 Biology notes of Vedantu the main two points of cell
theory are as follows:
a) Each living organism is composed of cells and products of
cells.
b) All cells originate from pre-existing cells.
Cell: A to the Point Analysis
 All the animal cells and plant cells are composed of the
cell membrane in the outer layer of the cell.
 a dense membrane-bound structure is present inside the
cell which is known as the nucleus.
 The nucleus is the basic unit of the genetic substance
DNA.
 The cytoplasm is the semi-fluid matrix which occupies the
inside arena of the cell.
 Apart from the nucleus, there are some other membrane-
bound components also present inside the cell which are
known as organelles.
 There are various organelles present inside the cell such
as endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the Golgi complex,
lysosomes, mitochondria etc. These membrane-bound
organelles are not present in the prokaryotic cells.
 An example of a non-membranous organelle is the
ribosome. It is found both in the prokaryotic cell and in
the eukaryotic cell.
 Cells, as Class 11 Biology Chapter 8 cell the unit of life
notes inform you, are categorized based on size, shape
and activities. The smallest cell on the earth is known as
Mycoplasmas. The egg of an ostrich is known as a single
isolated cell.
 In multicellular organisms, human nerve cells are the
longest cells.
 There are also cells of various shapes such as disc-like,
polygonal, columnar, cuboid etc.



What are Prokaryotic Cells?

Vedantu’s Class 11 Chapter 8 Biology notes give the perfect
definition of the prokaryotic cell with examples. A prokaryotic
cell is defined by the absence of membrane-bound nuclei. The
examples of prokaryotic cells are bacteria, blue-green algae,
Mycoplasmas etc.
Ribosomes and Inclusion Bodies
If you follow the Class 11 Biology Chapter 8 cell, the unit of life
notes of Vedantu, you will get a sound idea about the
ribosome. Ribosomes are present in both prokaryotic and
eukaryotic cells. Ribosomes are connected with the plasma
membrane of the cell in case of the prokaryotes. The size of
Ribosomes is about 15 mm by 20 mm and consists of two
subunits namely 50S and 30S units. Those two subunits form
70S prokaryotic ribosomes. The inclusion bodies include
phosphate granules, cyanophycean granules and glycogen
granules.
What are Eukaryotic Cells?
Biology Chapter 8 Class 11 notes perfectly define the
eukaryotic cell. A eukaryotic cell is defined by the presence of
membrane-bound nuclei.

Cell Membrane
 The basic structure of cell membrane, as informed in
Notes of Biology Class 11 Chapter 8 is composed of lipids
and proteins.
 The main lipids are the phospholipids.
 The later study of the cell membrane revealed that the
cell membrane is composed of proteins and
carbohydrates.



Cell Wall
 a rigid non-living structure comprises the outer covering
for the plasma membrane of fungi and plants are known
as the cell wall.
 The function of the cell wall is to give shape to the cell
and to protect the cell from mechanical damage and
infection.



Endomembrane System
The endomembrane system of the cell consists of the following
components:
a) The Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER): Small tubular
structures dispersed in the cytoplasm.
b) Golgi Apparatus: These are the densely stained reticular
structures present near the nucleus.
c) Mitochondria: It is the powerhouse of the cell. The cellular
energy called ATP is produced by mitochondria.
d) Plastids: Plastids are present in plant cells. They can be
categorized as chloroplasts, chromoplasts and leucoplasts.
Apart from the above-mentioned components, you will find in
Class 11 Biology Chapter 8 notes that many other components
th

are also present in the cell such as Ribosomes, Cytoskeleton,

Cilia and Flagella, Centrosome and Centrioles and Nucleus.
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