THE CELL

The cell is the basic unit of living things. They are the individual units from which tissues of the body
are formed. All living organisms are composed of one or more cells. Cells form the building blocks of
all organisms. A cell is the smallest part of an organism considered to be alive.
An organism which consists of only one cell is called unicellular, e.g. amoeba, bacteria, yeast
An organism which consists of more than one cell is called multicellular, e.g. plants, animals, humans
It is said that there are about one hundred trillion cells in the human adult body.
Cells were discovered in 1665 by an English Investigator and Scientist called Robert Hooke.
Cell structure
The cells of plants differ in structure to the cells of animals. owever, there are a few components that
are common to both.
All the membrane!bound structures found inside a cell are called organelles. Each organelle has a
specific function. The different organelles in a cell work together to keep the cell alive.
TABLE SH!"#$ THE %&#CT"#S % R$A#ELLES "# 'LA#T A#( A#")AL CELLS
CELL
R$A#ELLE
%&#( "# (ESCR"'T"# A#( %&#CT"#
Plant
cells
Anima
l cells
Cytoplasm Yes Yes "elly!like mass in which organelles are
embedded
#ade up of about $%& water
'here most of the cell(s chemical reactions
take place
)ucleus
*plural+ nuclei,
Yes Yes Sometimes described as the -brain( of the cell
because it controls cell activities
Contains genetic material called
chromosomes. Chromosomes contain .)A
which gives the organism its specific
characteristics
#itochondrion
*plural+
mitochondria,
Yes Yes .escribed as the -power house( of the cell
because it is the site where energy is produced
during respiration. *Cells that do a lot of work
have a lot more mitochondria, e.g. muscle
cells,
Cell wall Yes No /ocated around the outside of the cell
membrane.
#ainly made up of cellulose
0ives the plant a fi1ed and relatively sturdy
structure
2revents the plant cell from bursting
Cell membrane Yes Yes 2artially permeable barrier which controls the
e1change of materials, for e1ample food or
waste, between the cell and its environment
Chloroplast Yes No Contains the green pigment chloro*h+ll which
gives the plants their green color
.escribed as the -food factory( of the cell
because it is where photosynthesis takes place
3acuole Yes Yes Site where water and soluble substances
*including food and waste, are stored
The vacuole of plant cells are very large and
are centrally located.
TABLE SH!"#$ C)'AR"S# BET!EE# 'LA#T A#( A#")AL CELLS
'LA#T CELL A#")AL CELL
as a rigid cellulose cell wall outside the cell
membrane, so there is little variation in cell
shape *regular shape,
as no cell wall so more variation of cell shape
according to function *irregular shape,
as chloroplasts )o chloroplast present
4sually has large central vacuole with cell sap
and may also have other small vacuoles
as small vacuoles or none at all
5ood is stored using starch grains 5ood is stored using glycogen granules
)ucleus found at side of cell )ucleus found in center of cell