Class 8

Chapter: Cell structure and Function

Revision Notes on Cell – Structure and
Functions
A Cell (from Latin cella, meaning "Small Room") is the basic Structural,
Functional, and biological unit of all known Living Organisms. A cell is the
Smallest Unit of life that can replicate independently, and cells are often called
the "Building Blocks of Life".

Discovery of the Cell

Figure1: Robert Hooke discovered cells in 1665.

Hooke saw honeycomb-like structure when he observed thin slices of cork
under a microscope. He noticed that each box was separated from the other by
a partition or a wall. He was the one to name each of these boxes as cells.

*Cork is a part of the bark of a tree.

Scientists could study cells of living organisms only when improved
microscopes with high magnification were invented – 150 years after the
Hooke first observed the cells. In 1830s, two German scientists called Matthias
Schleiden and Theodor Schwann proposed the Cell Theory which stated:
  All living organisms are made of cells.

 Cells are basic structural or functional units of living organisms.

 All cells are born out of pre-existing cells through cell division.

The Cell
While cells are often referred to as 'bricks' making up a building, cells are
complex living structures that can have a variety of shapes, sizes and
functions.

Did you know?

Figure 2: An egg of a hen is a single cell which can be seen by the

naked eye.
Organisms Show Variety in Cell Number,
Shape and Size
To study cells, scientists use microscopes to magnify them. They often use
stains (dyes) to colour parts of the cell and study them in detail.

Number of Cells

There are billions and trillions of cells in a tall tree or a large animal. A human
body also has trillions of cells which have different shapes, sizes and functions.

Organisms can be of two types:

 Multicellular Organisms are made up of more than one cell. For

Example, Mango Tree and Frog.
 Unicellular Organisms are made up of a single cell. For Example,
Amoeba and Paramecium.
Did you know?
Multicellular organisms with billions of cells also start their life as a single cell.
The fertilised egg (which is a single cell) multiplies to form more cells as the
organism develops.

Single-celled organisms also perform all the necessary life functions like
multicellular organisms, including:

 ingestion and digestion of food,

 respiration,

 excretion,

 reproduction, and

 growth.

The only difference is that while a single cell performs all the functions in the
unicellular organisms, multicellular organisms have a specialised group of cells
to perform different functions. The specialised cells form tissues, which in turn
form organs.

Shape of Cells
Amoeba, which is a single-celled organism, does not have a definite shape. Its
shape keeps changing as it moves or feeds, protruding parts of its body to
form 'pseudo' (meaning 'false') 'podia' (meaning 'feet'). These projects are
known as pseudopodia.

Humans have millions of cells, such as white blood cells (found in blood), cells
that make up muscles, and cells that form nerves. Their shapes vary according
to the functions they perform.

Most cells are round, spherical or elongated. Some are spindle-shaped which
are long and pointed at both ends. Nerve cells or neurons are quite long and
are branched out to receive and transfer messages.
 Figure 3: Different shapes of human cells
Shapes of the cells are maintained by a covering called Cell Membrane or
Plasma Membrane.
Bacterial cells and plant cells have an additional rigid covering called a Cell
Wall.
Size of Cells
The size of the cells may vary from a millionth of a metre (known as a micron)
to a few centimetres but most of them cannot be seen with the naked eye. We
need microscopes to see these microscopic cells.

It is not necessary that the size of cells of a large animal (such as an elephant)
will be larger than cells of a small animal (such as a rat). The size of the cell
depends on the function it performs. For example, nerve cells of a rat and
nerve cells of an elephant perform the same functions and hence, are of the
same size.
Cell Structure and Function
In a unicellular organism, a single cell performs all the basic functions of life
but in multicellular organisms there is division of labour.
 Figure 4: Parts of cells
To observe the basic components of a plant cell:
 Peel an onion.

 Place a small piece of the dry and thin onion peel in a drop of water
on a glass slide.

 Put a drop of methylene blue solution on this thin layer and place a
coverslip on it (while ensuring that no air bubbles get trapped in the
coverslip).

 Place the slide under the microscope.

Figure 5: Onion peel cells under microscope

You will see:
 The boundary of the onion cell is a cell membrane, which is covered
by another thick covering called the cell wall.

 The dense round body in the centre of the cell is called the nucleus.

 The jelly-like substance between the cell membrane and the nucleus
is called the cytoplasm.

To observe the basic components of an animal cell:

 Scrape the inside of your cheek lightly with a clean toothpick.

 Place it in a drop of water on a glass slide.

  Add a drop of iodine solution or methylene blue solution and place a
coverslip on it.

 Place the slide under the microscope.

Figure 6: Cheek cells

You will see:
 Cell membrane (Cell wall is absent in animal cells),

 Nucleus, and

 Cytoplasm.

There are some other organelles (or components of cells) too. These include
mitochondria, ribosomes, and golgi bodies.

Organelles found in both Plant and Animal Cells are:

1. Endoplasmic Reticulum
 Figure 7: Endoplasmic reticulum- SER and RER
Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) is a network of canals made up of membranes that
encloses a fluid-filled lumen. It is of two types:

 Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER): It is lined with ribosomes and

hence, look rough.

 Function of RER: It plays a key role in synthesis of protein

as ribosome are attached to it.
 Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER): It does not have any ribosomes
and hence, look smooth.

 Function of SER: It plays a key role in synthesis of lipids.

2. Ribosomes
 Figure 8: Ribosomes- Protein Factory of cells
Ribosomes are spherical bodies made up of RNA (ribonucleic acid) and protein
enzyme. They do not have membranes and are present separately in
cytoplasm.

Function of Ribosome: Ribosomes are the sites where the protein synthesis
takes place.
3. Golgi Bodies

Figure 9: Golgi Apparatus

Smooth, flattened sac-like structures called Cisternae stack together in parallel
rows to form Golgi bodies. Golgi Cis face receives protein from Endoplasmic
reticulum and modifies, packages and stores it.

It also dispatches proteins in vesicles to various destinations.

Function of Golgi bodies: The Golgi apparatus are responsible for the
secretion of enzymes, hormones and proteins.
4. Mitochondria

Figure 10: Mitochondria

Mitochondria are rod-shaped organelles with a double membrane. The outer
membrane is smooth while the inner membrane folds over many times to
form cristae. Cristae increase the surface area of the inner membrane by
several times. Matrix is the fluid inside the mitochondria.
Function of Mitochondria: Mitochondria act as energy production sites and
are hence, known as the Powerhouses of the Cell.
Glucose + Oxygen → Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy (ATP)
5. Lysosome
 Figure 11: Lysosome - A single membrane organelle
Lysosomes are sac-like structures surrounded by single-layered membranes.
They contain powerful digestive enzymes that can break down all organic
material. It acts as a mini digestive system within the cell.

Function of Lysosomes: Lysosomes digest damaged cells and a variety of

extra- and intra-cellular material. Since they remove cell organelles that are
worn out or are not functioning properly and may even digest the entire cells
(that are damaged or dead), they are also known as Suicidal Bags.
6. Vacuoles

Figure 12: Vacuoles

Vacuoles are organelles enclosed by a membrane and filled with fluid. Plant
cells usually have a large vacuole filled with a liquid called ‘cell sap’. Cell Sap
contains dissolved sugar and salts.
Animal cells may or may not have vacuoles. If they do have vacuoles, they are
much smaller than the ones found in plant cells.

Function of Vacuoles in Plant Cells: Vacuoles in plant cells keep the cells
firm or turgid. They store various substances (including waste products of the
cell).
Function of Vacuoles in Animal Cells: Vacuoles in animal cells store food,
water, sugar, minerals and waste products of the cell. In Amoeba, vacuoles
that contain food particles are also referred to as food vacuoles.
7. Plastids
Plastids are also type of organelles that are found only in Plant Cells.

Figure 13: Types of Plastids

With double-layered membrane, these organelles are found in cytoplasm of the
cells. They are of two types (depending on the colour of the pigment they
contain);

 Leucoplasts: These colourless organelles store starch or other plant

nutrients. For Example, Starch stores in potato cells. Leucoplast are
of different types :
 Amyloplast: stores starch

 Elaioplast: stores fat

 Proteinoplast/ Aleuroplast: stores protein

 Chromoplasts: These contain different-coloured pigments. Most

important type of chromoplasts is chloroplast which contain green-
coloured pigments called Chlorophyll.
Function of Chloroplast: Chloroplasts are the sites where photosynthesis
takes place. Here, carbon dioxide and water combine in the presence of energy
from the sunlight to produce food. Hence, chloroplasts help in synthesis of food
by green plants.
CO 2 + H 2 O → Glucose + Oxygen
(in the presence of chlorophyll + sunlight)
How do molecules move in and out of the cell?
Molecules use two main methods of passive transport to move in or out of the
cell:

 Osmosis, and

 Diffusion.

Osmosis

When the solvent moves from the area of dilute solution to the area of
concentrated solution through a semipermeable membrane in order to equalize
the concentration level of both the solutions, the process is known as
‘Osmosis’.
For Example: Roots absorb water from the soil through osmosis.
Diffusion
 When the particles of any material move from a region of higher concentration
to that of lower concentration until the equilibrium is reached, the process is
known as ‘Diffusion’.
For Example: When you spray perfume, its fragrance spreads in air through
diffusion.
Differences between Osmosis and Diffusion
Osmosis Diffusion

Only solvent molecules move from one Solvent as well as solute molecules can move from one
place to another place to another
Takes place in all the three mediums – solids, liquids
Takes place only in liquids
and gases.
Takes place through a semi-permeable
Does not need a membrane
membrane
Why do plant cells have cell walls?
A cell wall is the outer thick layer in plant cells that protect the cell membrane.
Since plants cannot move from their place, this cell wall serves to protect their
cells from the possible damage by temperature variations, high wind speed,
atmospheric moisture etc.

Prokaryote
Bacterial cells and cells of blue-green algae do not have well-defined
nuclei (plural of nucleus) like those of multi-cellular organisms. The cells
of such organisms have nuclear materials without the nuclear membrane.
Such cells are called prokaryotic cells where 'pro' stands for 'primitive'
and 'karyon' stands for 'nucleus'.
Organisms with prokaryotic cells are known as prokaryotes.
Eukaryotes
Plant and animal cells with well-organised nucleus with nuclear
membrane are called eukaryotic cells. 'Eu' stands for 'true' while 'karyon'
stands for 'nucleus'.
Organisms with eukaryotic cells are known as Eukaryotes.
Differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Prokaryotic Cells Eukaryotic Cells

DNA is clumped in an area but there is no True nucleus is present, which is well-organised
organised nucleus with a membrane. and has a nuclear membrane.
Usually have organelles like Golgi bodies,
Do not have any organelles (except ribosomes)
lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum etc.
Smaller in size Larger in size
Examples: Bacteria and Blue-green algae Examples: Plant and Animal cells
Comparison of Plant and Animal Cells
Now, we know that both plant and animal cells have:

 Cell Membrane,

 Cytoplasm,

 Nucleus, and
  Nuclear Membrane.

We also know that only plant cell, Bacterial and fungal cells have Cell Walls.

Figure 14: Detailed structure of Plant cell

 Figure 15: Detailed Structure of Animal Cell
There are some other differences in plant and animal cells that you need to
know:

 Plants have larger vacuoles while animals have smaller

vacuoles. Vacuoles store water or food for plants and even store
waste products until they can be discarded. Plants need bigger
vacuoles as they cannot move to satisfy their hunger or thirst.
 Only plant cells have plastids. They help in manufacturing or
storing food.
 Only animal cells have centrioles. Centrioles help in the division of
cells.