Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Fundamental Unit of Life
The Fundamental Unit of Life
CHAPTER 5- FUNDAMENTAL
UNIT OF LIFE
PLASMA MEMBRANE
This is the outermost covering of the cell that
separates the contents of the cell from its
external environment.
The plasma membrane allows or permits the
entry and exit of some materials in and out of the
cell.
It also prevents movement of some other
materials.
The cell membrane, therefore, is called a
selectively permeable membrane.
CELL WALL
Plant cells, in addition to the plasma membrane,
have another rigid outer covering called the cell
wall.
The cell wall lies outside the plasma membrane.
On the basis of
presence/absence
of nuclear
membrane
Prokaryotic Eukaryotic
CYTOPLASM
It also contains many specialised cell organelles.
Each of these organelles performs a specific
function for the cell.
ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a large
network of membrane-bound tubes and sheets.
There are two types of ER– rough endoplasmic
reticulum (RER) and smooth endoplasmic
reticulum (SER).
The SER helps in the manufacture of fat
molecules, or lipids, important for cell function.
Some of these proteins and lipids help in building
the cell membrane. This process is known as
membrane biogenesis.
GOLGI BODY
The Golgi apparatus, first described by Camillo
Golgi, consists of a system of membrane-bound
vesicles arranged approximately parallel to each
other in stacks called cisterns.
Its functions include the storage, modification
and packaging of products in vesicles. In some
cases, complex sugars may be made from simple
sugars in the Golgi apparatus.
The Golgi apparatus is also involved in the
formation of lysosomes
LYSOSOMES
Lysosomes are a kind of waste disposal system of
the cell.
Lysosomes help to keep the cell clean by
digesting any foreign material as well as worn-
out cell organelles
MITOCHONDRIA
Mitochondria are known as the power housesof the
cell.
The energy required for various chemical activities
needed for life is released by mitochondria in the form
of ATP (Adenosine triphopshate) molecules.
ATP is known as the energy currency of the cell. The
body uses energy stored in ATP for making new
chemical compounds and for mechanical work.
Mitochondria have two membrane coverings instead
of just one.
The outer membrane is very porous while the inner
membrane is deeply folded. These folds create a large
surface area for ATP-generating chemical reactions.
PLASTID
Plastids are present only in plant cells.
There are two types of plastids – chromoplasts
(coloured plastids) and leucoplasts (white or
colourless plastids).
Plastids containing the pigment chlorophyll are
known as chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are
important for photosynthesis in plants.
VACUOLE
Vacuoles are storage sacs for solid or liquid
contents.
Vacuoles are small sized in animal cells while
plant cells have very large vacuoles.
The central vacuole of some plant cells may
occupy 50-90% of the cell volume.
THANK YOU