Cells 1 Microscopes

Cell Theory The microscopes we use today are far more complex than those used in the 1600s by Antony van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch shopkeeper who had great skill in crafting lenses. Despite the limitations of his now-ancient lenses, van Leeuwenhoek observed the movements of protista (a type of single-celled organism) and sperm, which he collectively termed “animalcules. ” In a 1665 publication called Micrographia, experimental scientist Robert Hooke coined the term “cell” for the box-like structures he observed when viewing cork tissue through a lens. In the 1670s, van Leeuwenhoek discovered bacteria and protozoa. Later advances in lenses, microscope construction, and staining techniques enabled other scientists to see some components inside cells. image Figure 4.3.1 : Structure of an Animal Cell: The cell is the basic unit of life and the study of the cell led to the development of the cell theory. By the late 1830s, botanist Matthias Schleiden and zoologist Theodor Schwann were studying tissues and proposed the unified cell theory. The unified cell theory states that: all living things are composed of one or more cells; the cell is the basic unit of life; and new cells arise from existing cells. Rudolf Virchow later made important contributions to this theory. Schleiden and Schwann proposed spontaneous generation as the method for cell origination, but spontaneous generation (also called abiogenesis) was later disproven. Rudolf Virchow famously stated “Omnis cellula e cellula”… “All cells only arise from pre-existing cells. “The parts of the theory that did not have to do with the origin of cells, however, held up to scientific scrutiny and are widely agreed upon by the scientific community today. The generally accepted portions of the modern Cell Theory are as follows: The cell is the fundamental unit of structure and function in living things. All organisms are made up of one or more cells. Cells arise from other cells through cellular division. The expanded version of the cell theory can also include: Cells carry genetic material passed to daughter cells during cellular division All cells are essentially the same in chemical composition Energy flow (metabolism and biochemistry) occurs within cells

All living things are made up of one or more cells. A cell is the smallest unit that can carry on all of the processes of life. Beginning in the 17th century, curious naturalists were able to use microscopes to study objects too small to be seen with the unaided eye. Their studies led them to propose the cellular basis of life. Hooke In 1665, English scientist Robert Hooke studied nature by using an early light microscope, such as the one in Figure 4-1a. A light micro- scope is an instrument that uses optical lenses to magnify objects by bending light rays. Hooke looked at a thin slice of cork from the bark of a cork oak tree. “I could exceedingly plainly perceive it to be all perforated and porous,” Hooke wrote. He described “a great many little boxes” that reminded him of the cubicles or “cells” where monks live. When Hooke focused his microscope on the cells of tree stems, roots, and ferns, he found that each had similar little boxes. The drawings that Hooke made of the cells he saw are shown in Figure 4-1b. The “little boxes” that Hooke observed were the remains of dead plant cells, such as the cork cells shown in Figure 4-1c. SECTION 1 OBJECTIVES ● Name the scientists who first observed living and nonliving cells. ● Summarize the research that led to the development of the cell theory. ● State the three principles of the cell theory. ● Explain why the cell is considered to be the basic unit of life. VOCABULARY cell cell theory Robert Hooke used an early microscope (a) to see cells in thin slices of cork. His drawings of what he saw (b) indicate that he had clearly observed the remains of cork cells (300) (c). FIGURE 4-1 (a) (b) (c) Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. 70 CHAPTER 4 Leeuwenhoek The first person to observe living cells was a Dutch trader named Anton van Leeuwenhoek. Leeuwenhoek made microscopes that were simple and tiny, but he ground lenses so precisely that the magnification was 10 times that of Hooke’s instruments. In 1673, Leeuwenhoek, shown in Figure 4-2a, was able to observe a previ- ously unseen world of microorganisms. He observed cells with green stripes from an alga of the genus Spirogyra, as shown in Figure 4-2b, and bell-shaped cells on stalks of a protist of the genus Vorticella, as shown in Figure 4-2c. Leeuwenhoek called these organisms animalcules. We now call them protists. THE CELL THEORY Although Hooke and Leeuwenhoek were the first to report observ- ing cells, the importance of this observation was not realized until about 150 years later. At this time, biologists began to organize information about cells into a unified understanding. In 1838, the German botanist Matthias Schleiden concluded that all plants were composed of cells. The next year, the German zoologist Theodor Schwann concluded the same thing for animals. And finally, in his study of human diseases, the German physician Rudolf Virchow (1821–1902) noted that all cells come from other cells. These three observations were combined to form a basic theory about the cel- lular nature of life. The cell theory has three essential parts, which are summarized in Table 4-1. Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) is shown here with one of his hand-held lenses (a). Leeuwenhoek observed an alga of the genus Spirogyra (b) and a protist of the genus Vorticella (c). FIGURE 4-2 TABLE 4-1 The Cell Theory All living organisms are composed of one or more cells. Cells are the basic units of structure and function in an organism. Cells come only from the reproduction of existing cells. (a) (b) (c) www.scilinks.org Topic: Cell Theory Keyword: HM60241 mb06se_csfs01.qxd 5/18/07 10:54 AM Page 70

Cell Size Cells differ not only in their shape but also in their size. A few types of cells are large enough to be seen by the unaided human eye. For example, the nerve cells that extend from a giraffe’s spinal cord to its foot can be 2 m (about 6 1/2 ft) long. A human egg cell is about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Most cells, how- ever, are only 10 to 50 μm in diameter, or about 1/500 the size of the period at the end of this sentence. The size of a cell is limited by the relationship of the cell’s outer surface area to its volume, or its surface area–to-volume ratio. As a cell grows, its volume increases much faster than its surface area does, as shown in Figure 4-5. This trend is important because the materials needed by a cell (such as nutrients and oxygen) and the wastes produced by a cell (such as carbon dioxide) must pass into and out of the cell through its surface. If a cell were to become very large, the volume would increase much more than the surface area. Therefore, the surface area would not allow materials to enter or leave the cell quickly enough to meet the cell’s needs. As a result, most cells are microscopic in size. Comparing Surface Cells Materials microscope, prepared slides of plant (dicot) stem and ani- mal (human) skin, pencil, paper Procedure Examine slides by using medium magnification (100). Observe and draw the sur- face cells of the plant stem and the animal skin. Analysis How do the surface cells of each organism differ from the cells beneath the surface cells? What is the function of the surface cells? Explain how surface cells are suited to their function based on their shape. Quick Lab Small cells can exchange substances more readily than large cells because small objects have a higher surface area–to-volume ratio. FIGURE 4-5 mb06se_csfs02.qxd 5/18/07 10:54 AM Page 73 74 CHAPTER 4 BASIC PARTS OF A CELL Despite the diversity among cells, three basic features are common to all cell types. All cells have an outer boundary, an interior sub- stance, and a control region. Plasma Membrane The cell’s outer boundary, called the plasma membrane (or the cell membrane), covers a cell’s surface and acts as a barrier between the inside and the outside of a cell. All materials enter or exit through the plasma membrane. The surface of a plasma mem- brane is shown in Figure 4-6a. Cytoplasm The region of the cell that is within the plasma membrane and that includes the fluid, the cytoskeleton, and all of the organelles except the nucleus is called the cytoplasm. The part of the cytoplasm that includes molecules and small particles, such as ribosomes, but not membrane-bound organelles is the cytosol. About 20 percent of the cytosol is made up of protein. Control Center Cells carry coded information in the form of DNA for regulating their functions and reproducing themselves. The DNA in some types of cells floats freely inside the cell. Other cells have a mem- brane-bound organelle that contains a cell’s DNA. This membrane- bound structure is called the nucleus. Most of the functions of a eukaryotic cell are controlled by the cell’s nucleus. The nucleus is often the most prominent structure within a eukaryotic cell. It maintains its shape with the help of a protein skeleton called the nuclear matrix. The nucleus of a typical animal cell is shown in Figure 4-6b. Most animal cells have a cell membrane, a nucleus, and a variety of other organelles embedded in a watery substance. The surface of the cell membrane can be seen in (a). The organelles inside the cell are labeled in the diagram (b). FIGURE 4-6 (a) (b) Mitochondrion Microfilaments Lysosome Golgi apparatus Smooth ER Ribosomes Cell membrane Microtubules Rough ER Nuclear pore Nuclear envelope Nucleolus Nucleus Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. Cell wall Ribosome Cell membrane Peptidoglycan Pili Flagellum DNA CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 75 A prokaryotic cell lacks a membrane- bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. Most prokaryotic cells are much smaller than eukaryotic cells are. FIGURE 4-7 A white blood cell (eukaryotic) changes shape as it attacks purple- stained bacterial cells that are much smaller (prokaryotic). FIGURE 4-8 TWO BASIC TYPES OF CELLS Fossil evidence suggests that the earliest cells on Earth were simple cells similar to some present-day bacteria. As cells evolved, they differentiated into two major types: prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Prokaryotes Prokaryotes (proh-KAR-ee-OHTS) are organisms that lack a membrane- bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. Although prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus, their genetic information—in the form of DNA—is often concentrated in a part of the cell called the nucleoid. Figure 4-7 shows a typical prokaryotic cell. Prokaryotes are divided into two domains: Bacteria and Archaea (ahr-KEE-uh). The domain Bacteria includes organisms that are similar to the first cellular life-forms. The domain Archaea includes organisms that are thought to be more closely related to eukaryotic cells found in all other kingdoms of life. Eukaryotes Organisms made up of one or more cells that have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles are called eukaryotes (yoo-KAR-ee-OHTS). Eukaryotic cells also have a variety of subcellular structures called organelles, well-defined, intracellular bodies that perform specific functions for the cell. Many organelles are surrounded by a mem- brane. The organelles carry out cellular processes just as a person’s pancreas, heart, and other organs carry out a person’s life processes. Eukaryotic cells are generally much larger than prokary- otic cells, as seen in Figure 4-8, which shows a white blood cell (eukaryote) destroying tiny bacterial cells (prokaryotes).

Cells of different organisms and even cells within the same organism are very diverse in terms of shape, size, and internal organization. One theme that occurs again and again throughout biology is that form follows function. In other words, a cell’s function influences its physical features. Cell Shape The diversity in cell shapes reflects the different functions of cells. Compare the cell shapes shown in Figure 4-4. The long extensions that reach out in various directions from the nerve cell shown in Figure 4-4a allow the cell to send and receive nerve impulses. The flat, platelike shape of skin cells in Figure 4-4b suits their function of covering and protecting the surface of the body. As shown below, a cell’s shape can be simple or complex depending on the function of the cell. Each cell has a shape that has evolved to allow the cell to perform its function effectively. SECTION 2 OBJECTIVES ● Explain the relationship between cell shape and cell function. ● Identify the factor that limits cell size. ● Describe the three basic parts of a cell. ● Compare prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells. ● Analyze the relationship among cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms. VOCABULARY plasma membrane cytoplasm cytosol nucleus prokaryote eukaryote organelle tissue organ organ system Cells have various shapes. (a) Nerve cells have long extensions. (b) Skin cells are flat and platelike. (c) Egg cells are spherical. (d) Some bacteria are rod shaped. (e) Some plant cells are rectangular. FIGURE 4-4 (a) Nerve cell (b) Skin cells (c) Egg cell (d) Bacterial cells (e) Plant cells Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. 1. All cubes have volume and surface area. The total surface area is equal to the sum of the areas of each of the six sides (area = length X width). 2. If you split the first cube into eight smaller cubes, you get 48 sides. The volume remains constant, but the total surface area doubles. 3. If you split each of the eight cubes into eight smaller cubes, you have 64 cubes that together contain the same volume as the first cube. The total surface area, however, has doubled again. CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 73 Cell Size Cells differ not only in their shape but also in their size. A few types of cells are large enough to be seen by the unaided human eye. For example, the nerve cells that extend from a giraffe’s spinal cord to its foot can be 2 m (about 6 1/2 ft) long. A human egg cell is about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Most cells, how- ever, are only 10 to 50 μm in diameter, or about 1/500 the size of the period at the end of this sentence. The size of a cell is limited by the relationship of the cell’s outer surface area to its volume, or its surface area–to-volume ratio. As a cell grows, its volume increases much faster than its surface area does, as shown in Figure 4-5. This trend is important because the materials needed by a cell (such as nutrients and oxygen) and the wastes produced by a cell (such as carbon dioxide) must pass into and out of the cell through its surface. If a cell were to become very large, the volume would increase much more than the surface area. Therefore, the surface area would not allow materials to enter or leave the cell quickly enough to meet the cell’s needs. As a result, most cells are microscopic in size. Comparing Surface Cells Materials microscope, prepared slides of plant (dicot) stem and ani- mal (human) skin, pencil, paper Procedure Examine slides by using medium magnification (100). Observe and draw the sur- face cells of the plant stem and the animal skin. Analysis How do the surface cells of each organism differ from the cells beneath the surface cells? What is the function of the surface cells? Explain how surface cells are suited to their function based on their shape. Quick Lab Small cells can exchange substances more readily than large cells because small objects have a higher surface area–to-volume ratio. FIGURE 4-5 mb06se_csfs02.qxd 5/18/07 10:54 AM Page 73 74 CHAPTER 4 BASIC PARTS OF A CELL Despite the diversity among cells, three basic features are common to all cell types. All cells have an outer boundary, an interior sub- stance, and a control region. Plasma Membrane The cell’s outer boundary, called the plasma membrane (or the cell membrane), covers a cell’s surface and acts as a barrier between the inside and the outside of a cell. All materials enter or exit through the plasma membrane. The surface of a plasma mem- brane is shown in Figure 4-6a. Cytoplasm The region of the cell that is within the plasma membrane and that includes the fluid, the cytoskeleton, and all of the organelles except the nucleus is called the cytoplasm. The part of the cytoplasm that includes molecules and small particles, such as ribosomes, but not membrane-bound organelles is the cytosol. About 20 percent of the cytosol is made up of protein. Control Center Cells carry coded information in the form of DNA for regulating their functions and reproducing themselves. The DNA in some types of cells floats freely inside the cell. Other cells have a mem- brane-bound organelle that contains a cell’s DNA. This membrane- bound structure is called the nucleus. Most of the functions of a eukaryotic cell are controlled by the cell’s nucleus. The nucleus is often the most prominent structure within a eukaryotic cell. It maintains its shape with the help of a protein skeleton called the nuclear matrix. The nucleus of a typical animal cell is shown in

LESSON 3 Characteristics of Living Things Learning Objectives • Describe each characteristic of life • Relate each characteristic of life with how first forms of life evolved What sets living things apart from nonliving things? Organisms are equipped with different characteristics that allow them to grow, adapt, survive, and perpetuate. These include the ability to metabolize, respond to stimuli, interact, and reproduce, among others What are the characteristics of life? Try to look at your surroundings and identify the living things that you see. You have probably identified a lot. Many scientists believe that there are more than 10 million kinds of living things that exist on Earth today. But the question is, how can something be considered living? There are certain characteristics that all living things exhibit: the characteristics of life. Living things are made up of cells. They metabolize, grow and develop, respond to stimulus, adapt to their environment, and reproduce. Living Things Are Made up of Cells All living things are made up of cells. Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things. Each cell contains materials that carry out basic life processes such as respiration. In the 1600s, an argument against the theory of spontaneous generation was made. Italian physician and biologist Francesco Redi disproved the theory that all living things come from nonliving things. Cells have different properties and characteristics. The cell theory describes the properties of all cells. There are three tenets of the cell theory: 1. The cell is the basic unit of life. 2. All living things are composed of one or more cells. 3. All cells arise from preexisting cells. The discovery of the cell is largely attributed to Robert Hooke. Upon examining a piece of cork using a microscope that he built, Hooke observed tiny compartments that he called "cells" (from the Latin word cella, meaning "little room"). Matthias Schleiden suggested that all structural parts of plants are made up of cells. In 1839, Theodore Schwann stated that along with plants, all animals were composed of cells. From these conclusions about plants and animals, advancement on the study of animal parts and functions began. In 1855, Rudolf Virchow included the idea that all cells came from preexisting cells. Some living things are made up of only single cells. Single-celled or unicellular organisms include bacteria, some protists, and some fungi. Even though composed of single cells, these organisms carry out all the functions necessary for life. Most living things such as animals and plants, are multicellular organisms. They are composed of many cells, which are grouped together and perform specific tasks in the body. In different organisms, cells also vary in sizes, shapes, parts, and functions. There are two kinds of organisms according to their cell structure, the prokaryotes and eukaryotes (figure 5-3). Prokaryotes are single-celled organisms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus, mitochondria, and all other organelles. Its name comes from the Greek words pro, which means "before," and karyon, which means "nut or kernel." Eukaryotes are organisms with cells that contain membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. The nucleus of a eukaryotic cell contains the genetic material (DNA), enclosed by a nuclear envelope. Other membrane-bound organelles are mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, and chloroplast found in photosynthetic organisms such as algae and plants. There are also unicellular eukaryotes known as protozoa. All other eukaryotes are multicellular organisms, such as plants, animals, and fungi. Living Things Metabolize Essential chemical reactions in life can be best described as building up (anabolism) and breaking down (catabolism) processes. In anabolism, the substances needed by organisms to grow, store energy, and repair tissues are synthesized. In contrast in catabolism, some complex substances are broken down, releasing the energy stored in their molecules. This happens in food digestion. This chemical building up and breaking down processes are collectively called metabolism. Metabolism, from the Greek word metabole meaning "change," is the sum total of all the life-sustaining chemical reactions in living things. It allows living things to grow, maintain their structures and functions, and respond to stimuli. Living Things Grow and Develop Growth and development are not new concepts to many. In all living things, growth involves the increase in one's size or height. However, growth is not just an increase in physical structure. It also involves complex changes in an organism. Growth and development occur rapidly from younger stages of life to maturity. In humans, animals, and plants, distinct changes brought by growth and development can be dearly identified. Microorganisms such as bacteria also undergo growth and development until they reach their maximum size and maturity. A life span is the average length of time a aving thing can live. Living things have different life spans. Humans have average life spectancy of 60 to 70 years, while some plants, such as the narra trees, can live for more than 100. Living Things Respond to Stimuli All living things respond to stimuli the environment. This responsiveness Increases survivability. Stimulus (plural: uli) is any signal or change in he environment of an organism that produces a response or reaction from that organism. Responses to stimuli depend on an organism's need. Responding to stimuli also maintains homeostasis in living things. Homeostasis is the internal balance of a body system. This balance is needed for the proper function and regulation of the living thing's body. For example, when a person is in a warmer environment, the body sweats, keeping the body maintain a temperature suited for the normal function of the body. Living Things Interact No living thing can live alone. Interaction among organisms is simultaneously happening on Earth. From the smallest microorganisms to the biggest organism, and from the North Pole to the South Pole of Earth, all are connected in one living system. An ecosystem is formed when a community of organisms interacts with another community and with their environment. Many processes and interactions, such as in a feeding relationship, life cycle, and the exchange of gases between plants and animals, occur in the ecosystem. These are some of the important processes needed to maintain life on Earth. Living Things Reproduce The ability of living things to produce offspring of their kind is called reproduction. Reproduction is not an individual organism's need, rather, it is for the species' perpetuation. In some cases, animals become extinct because of their inability to reproduce their kind. Higher forms of plants and animals reproduce through sexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction involves the union of sex cells or gametes-the egg cell from a female organism and the sperm cell from a male organism. This union gives rise to a new individual with characteristics or traits from both parents. Other simple organisms, such as bacteria and plants, can reproduce asexually. These organisms give rise to a new individual from their body. A bacterial cell divided in two through asexual reproduction gives rise to new bacteria, as shown in figure 5-5. A yeast can form buds that later on become separate individual. Plants grow new plants using their stem, leaf, and roots. Both sexual and asexual reproductions have important functions. In both cases, the genetic material (DNA) is passed on from one generation to the next, ensuring the survival of the species on Earth. 1. Bacteria copy their DNA by starting at any point on the circular chromosomes. 2. The two copies of DNA attach to the inside wall of the bacterial cell. 3. The cell starts to divide, forming a new membrane and cell wall. 4. The bacterial cell splits into two separate cells, each with their own DNA. Living Things Adapt and Evolve All living things can adapt to their environment. This adaptation is necessary for rvival. Adaptation depends on the need of an individual. A polar bear, for example, would not be able to survive in an extremely cold environment without its capacity adapt. Adaptation is any response or reaction toward a stimulus that helps in the survival of an organism. A seed-eating bird will eventually eat a worm when there are seeds to be found. This change in food choice is therefore its adapting mechanism. Prolonged adaptation to certain environments may lead to the gradual evolution of the succeeding generations. Evolution is the gradual change in organisms over a long period in response to changing environment. Living Things Are Organized Life on Earth exhibits organization. The atom is the smallest unit of matter, lowed by molecules, which are combinations of atoms. When these molecules are grouped together, they form a cell. The cell is the basic unit of life. In multicellular organisms, such as plants and animals, cells are grouped as tissues to perform specific Functions. Different tissues can be grouped further and form organs. Organs in animals include the heart, brain, and lungs, among others. The organs form organ systems that makes the function of the body more complex and efficient. Organ systems form the whole organism. All living things exhibit organization, whether they are unicellular or multicellular organisms..

Cell theory and microscope

Cells 1

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