What Is This Module About?

Don’t be fooled by the apparent inactivity of these dogs. Even at rest, their bodies are
alive with action because of their cells. This module will help you gain knowledge about
the cell, the basic unit of life. Cells are the fundamental units of which all organisms are
made. The cell is the key to biology—the study of living things—because it is at the cellular
level that life truly begins.
As you read this module, you will learn more about the parts and activities of the cell.
You will also learn how materials enter and leave the cell. Then you will learn how
microscopes have helped scientists study cells. You will also study how cells grow and
increase and why growth is essential to living cells.
This module has four lessons. These are:

Lesson 1 – Cell as The Basic Unit of Life.

What Will You Learn From This Module?

After studying this module, you should be able to:

♦describe how cell theory is an explanation for life;

♦ identify and explain the functions of the cell as the basic unit of life;
♦explain the similarities and differences among animal, plant and bacterial cells;
♦describe the different functions of each part of a cell;

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Let’s See What You Already Know

A. Before you start studying this module, find out first how much you already
know about the topic by taking the following test. Write True in the blank if the
statement is correct and False if the statement is wrong.
1. All living organisms consist of one or more cells.
2. Eukaryotic cells do not have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
3. Ribosomes serve as the site of protein synthesis in the cell.
4. Nuclear membrane covers the nucleus of the cell.
5. Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.
6. Humans, plants, animals and a variety of other organisms are uni-cellular
organisms.
7. Lysosomes store digestive enzymes to break down incoming food.
8. Nucleus is the outer boundary of the cell.
9. Matthias Schleiden proposed the first foundational belief about cells, that all
plant tissues are composed of cells.
10. An animal cell contains about 5 to 10 Golgi bodies.

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LESSON 1

Cell, The Basic Unit of Life

Are you curious about how things look from the inside? You may have wondered how
the insides of a leaf, a flower, a monkey or even a person looks like. Human beings have
been curious about the structure of living things for a very long time. Such curiosity led
early scientists to studied living things in the hope of getting a better view of the complex
structure of living things. Look at the picture below and ask yourselves how these
organisms were formed? Would it be just made for its function or just an accessory? Come
and let’s explore how it started.

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Let’s Try This
Look at the given words below. Find and circle those words in the grid.

Schleiden plant prokaryotic

Cork animal multicellular
Schwann nucleus unicellular
Hooke chromosomes organisms
Cell eukaryotic Virchow

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Let’s Think About This
What are the words you found in the activity above? Do you have any idea about
those words? Write your answer below.

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Let’s Learn

The original cell theory states that the cell is the basic structural and functional unit of living
organisms and all cells come from other cells. The scientists Matthias Schleiden and Theodor
Schwann are credited with establishing the cell theory in 1839. However, there was a lot of
work done over the previous centuries which paved the way.

1600s

The Italian scientist Galileo Galilei is credited with building the first microscope in 1625. It
was a logical step for him to take from his groundbreaking work with telescopes and
astronomy in 1609. In 1665, Robert Hooke, a British scientist, looked at a thin slice of cork
under the microscope and saw a honeycomb structure made up of small compartments he
called cells. The first person to see living cells under a microscope was Anton van
Leeuwenhoek. In 1670, Leeuwenhoek significantly improved the quality of microscope lenses
to the point that he could see the single-celled organisms that lived in a drop of pond water.
He called these organisms “animalcules,” which means “miniature animals.”

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1800s

Microscopes and science in general advanced throughout the 1700s, leading to several
landmark discoveries by scientists at the beginning of the 1800s. In 1804, Karl Rudolphi and
J.H.F. Link were the first to prove that cells were independent of each other and had their own
cell walls. Prior to this work, it was thought that cells shared their walls and that was how
fluids were transported between them. The next significant discovery occurred in 1833 when
the British botanist Robert Brown first discovered the nucleus in plant cells.

From the years 1838-1839, the German scientist Matthias Schleiden proposed the first
foundational belief about cells, that all plant tissues are composed of cells. His fellow scientist
and countryman Theodor Schwann concluded that all animal tissues were made of cells as
well. Schwann blended both statements into one theory which said 1) All living organisms
consist of one or more cells and 2) The cell is the basic unit of structure for all living
organisms. In 1845, the scientist Carl Heinrich Braun revised the cell theory with his
interpretation that cells are the basic unit of life.

The third part of the original cell theory was put forth in 1855 by Rudolf Virchow who
concluded that Omnis cellula e cellula which translates roughly from Latin to “cells only arise
from other cells.”

The modern version of the cell theory includes several new ideas that reflect the knowledge
that has been gained since the mid-1800s. These include the knowledge that energy flows
within cells, hereditary information is passed from cell to cell, and cells are made of the same
basic chemical components.

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The image above shows a drawing of the microscope set up used by Robert Hooke in 1665 in
which he first saw cells in a thin slice of cork. The circular inset shows the drawing Hooke
made of the honeycomb structure that he saw under the microscope.

https://biologydictionary.net/cell-theory-timeline/

A eukaryotic cell contains membrane-bound organelles such as a

nucleus, mitochondria, and an endoplasmic reticulum. Organisms based on the
eukaryotic cell include protozoa, fungi, plants, and animals. These organisms are
grouped into the biological domain Eukaryota. Eukaryotic cells are larger and more
complex than prokaryotic cells found in domains Archaea and Bacteria.

A eukaryotic cell is one of two different types of cells. Organisms that are based on the
eukaryotic cell are called “eukaryotes” and include plants, animals, fungi, and protists.
The only organisms that are not based on the eukaryotic cell are organisms based on
a prokaryotic cell structure. Those organisms are found in the domains Archaea and
Bacteria. There are several differences between a eukaryotic cell and a prokaryotic cell
that can help you fully understand what makes a cell eukaryotic.

Eukaryotic Cell vs Prokaryotic Cell

The difference between a eukaryotic cell and a prokaryotic cell is simple: eukaryotic
cells have membrane-bound organelles. Within a prokaryotic cell (such as a
bacteria) the DNA simply floats around the cytoplasm. While prokaryotic cells do
have one type of organelle (ribosomes), these organelles are not covered in a plasma
membrane.

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Eukaryotic Cell
vs Prokaryotic Cell
By contrast, eukaryotic cells are full of membrane-bound organelles that divide the
cell into many different compartments. The nucleus houses the DNA. The
endoplasmic reticulum creates many chambers to carry out specific biochemical
reactions. The Golgi apparatus folds and packages various proteins and cellular
products. Lysosomes store digestive enzymes to break down incoming food. Plus,
eukaryotic cells contain mitochondria to create ATP molecules from glucose and
chloroplasts to create glucose from sunlight (only in plants and algae).

Characteristics of a Eukaryotic Cell

Eukaryotic cells contain a variety of organelles, which perform various functions
within the cell (described in detail, below). All of the organelles are stabilized and
given physical support through the cytoskeleton, which is also involved in sending
signals from one part of the cell to the other. In eukaryotic cells, the cytoskeleton is
composed mainly of three types of filaments: microtubules, microfilaments, and
intermediate filaments. The watery solution that surrounds all the organelles in the cell
is called cytosol.

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The figure below shows the structure of a eukaryotic cell. This is an animal cell. The
nucleus and other organelles are shown. The cytosol is the blue substance surrounding
all of the organelles. Together, the cytosol with all organelles besides the nucleus is
known as the cytoplasm.

https://biologydictionary.net/eukaryotic-cell/

Prokaryotic Cell

A prokaryotic cell is a type of cell that does not have a true nucleus or membrane-
bound organelles. Organisms within the domains Bacteria and Archaea are based on
the prokaryotic cell, while all other forms of life are eukaryotic. However, organisms
with prokaryotic cells are very abundant and make up much of Earth’s biomass.

Organisms that have prokaryotic cells are unicellular. They are called
“prokaryotes.” The prokaryotic cell has several elements that allow it to function
as a living organism. First, prokaryotes are covered in a cell membrane. This
membrane allows them to create a specific environment within the cytosol that allows
biochemical reactions to take place. Second, these cells house both loose DNA and
ribosomes. Though ribosomes are organelles, they are not bound by a plasma
membrane. Together, the DNA and ribosomes work to produce the proteins that the
cells need to gather nutrients, reproduce, and even defend themselves in the face of
predators or environmental changes!

Prokaryotic are much smaller than the smallest eukaryotic cells. In general, a
prokaryotic cell is smaller because it has less DNA to create the proteins needed to
make an ultra-efficient membrane. So, the cells reach a size where they can no longer
import the number of nutrients, they need for the volume of cytosol they contain. This
is known as a surface-area-to-volume ratio limit. However, bacteria are much larger
than viruses because they are actively carrying out the biochemical reactions of life
within their cells.

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https://biologydictionary.net/prokaryotic-cell/

Cells Vary in Shape, Size and Arrangement

Just as there is variety among organisms, there is also variety among cells. Your own
body contains over one hundred different kinds of cells. Some of these cells are round;
others are shaped like long, tangled strings.
Cells vary greatly in size too. The bacteria that naturally live inside your body are very
tiny. The ostrich egg cell is 800,000 times bigger than bacterial cells.
The living arrangements of cells also vary. Bacteria and other cells you might find in
a drop of pond water live by themselves. These cells are one-celled or unicellular
organisms. You, plants, animals and a variety of other organisms are many-celled or
multicellular organisms.

Smooth
Red blood
muscle Human
Bacteria cells
cell egg
Connective Cells lining the
tissue cell intestinal tract

Bone Frog
cell egg
Plant Fat Chicken
cell cell egg

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Different types of cells

Did you know that . . .

. . . the most rapidly growing animal is the blue whale? It develops from an ovum (egg)
with a mass of less than a milligram into a 26-ton adult in less than two years. All of this
growth is the result of the functioning of its cells.

Blue whale

Let’s Learn
Cells Have Organelles
Imagine that you could become smaller and could reduce your body size to one micron

(1 micron = millimeter). Your whole body would be smaller than a typical animal cell.
Imagine that you could step inside this cell and explore it. Find out what the parts of the
cell are. The structures found in the cell are called organelles because they are like tiny
organs that work to maintain the life of the cell.

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Nucleus Nucleolus
Mitochondrion

Ribosomes

Vacuole

Cell Endoplasmic
membrane reticulum

Cytoplasm

Golgi apparatus

Nuclear Lysosome
membrane

A typical animal cell and its parts

While cells differ in size and shape, most of them have similar parts. The cells of
animals and plants have three basic structures:

♦ Cell membrane — the outer boundary of the cell

♦ Nucleus — the control center of the cell
♦ Cytoplasm — the material that fills most of the cell

Animal Cells
The first thing you will see as you approach our sample animal cell is a thin saclike
membrane. The cell membrane covers the entire surface of the cell.
As you take an imaginary step through the cell membrane, you will immediately come
in contact with the cytoplasm. Moving through the cytoplasm would be like moving through
a huge blob of jelly.

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The cytoplasm. This jelly-like substance fills most of the cell. Many of the cell’s building materials
are manufactured and stored here.

A large, round nucleus is found in the cytoplasm. As the control center of the cell,
the nucleus contains coded instructions for all of the cell’s activities. These coded
instructions are stored in special structures called chromosomes. Chromosomes are
visible when a cell is reproducing.
Just as the cell membrane covers the cell, a nuclear membrane covers the nucleus of
the cell. It regulates the passage of materials into and out of the nucleus.

Nucleus

Nucleolus

Nuclear
membrane

The nuclei of different animal cells

As you walk through the cytoplasm, you might bump into sausage-shaped bodies called
mitochondria (singular: mitochondrion). They are called the power house of the cell. They
trap the energy produced when food is broken down. Just as a power plant supplies energy to
a community, mitochondria provide energy for the cell and its other parts. Some types of
cells are more active than others, hence, they have more mitochondria.

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A mitochondrion

Let’s Think About This

Why might a muscle cell have more mitochondria than other cells in your body?
Compare your answer with this: Muscle cells are always undergoing some type of
movement, thus they have more mitochondria than other cells do. Muscles are the ones
exposed to strenuous activities such as household chores, running and walking.

Mitochondria

Extends for
about 165m

Skeletal muscle cell

Let’s Learn
Ever since you entered the cell, you have been walking on a network of canals called
the endoplasmic reticulum. The endoplasmic reticulum extends from the nucleus to the cell
membrane and takes up quite a lot of space in some cells. It moves materials from one place
to another inside the cell.

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Smooth endoplasmic
reticulum (er)
Rough er
Ribosomes

Endoplasmic reticulum with ribosomes

Ribosomes are the tiny dots on the edges of some of the endoplasmic reticulum.
Some cells may contain millions of ribosomes. Ribosomes are the sites of protein
synthesis. They often cluster on the endoplasmic reticulum, although a number of them
also float freely in the cytoplasm. Endoplasmic reticulum bound to ribosomes is called
rough endoplasmic reticulum because the ribosomes appear to give the reticulum a rough
texture.
In a manufacturing plant, products are made, packaged and moved to loading centers
to be carried away. Membrane-enclosed structures called golgi bodies function as a
packaging plant. They “package” molecules in sacs called vesicles, making it possible for
these molecules to reach various locations in the cell.

Golgi apparatus

Golgi bodies

Did you know that cells also produce wastes? In the cytoplasm, structures called
lysosomes serve as the digestive system of the cell. Lysosomes contain chemicals called
enzymes that digest wastes and worn-out or damaged cell parts. When a cell dies, chemicals
in the lysosomes act quickly to break down the cell. Lysosomes are common in animal cells
but rare in plant cells. Why do you think that the parts of a cell are enclosed in their own
compartments? That’s to prevent the destructive enzymes in the lysosomes from digesting
all of the cell even if it is still healthy.

15
Lysosomes act as the digestive system of the cell.

Plant Cells

You have just finished your tour of an animal cell. Now it’s time for you to take
another tour, this time, of a plant cell. You will find that there are differences between
plant cells and animal cells. For one thing, the outer covering of the plant cell is not thin
and soft as that of the animal cell. The plant cell is surrounded by a thick, rigid nonliving
membrane called cell wall.
Like the animal cell, the plant cell also contains a cell membrane, nucleus,
mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes. It also contains vacuoles, which
serve as storage areas in the cell. Vacuoles are clear structures that are capable of storing
large amounts of materials in both plant and animal cells. They are much more prominent
in plant cells than in animal cells. Plant cells also tend to have one large central vacuole,
whereas animal cells contain many small vacuoles.

Vacuole

When a plant is well watered, the vacuoles are filled up with water and push against the
cell wall, making the plant rigid. When the plant does not receive sufficient water, the
vacuoles exert lower pressure against the cell wall, thus, the plant wilts.
Another cell part that you can find in plants is the chloroplast. Chloroplasts are dark
green bodies which contain chlorophyll, a substance that helps green plants trap the sun’s
energy and utilize it to produce food. Chloropasts can also be found in blue-green bacteria.

Chloroplasts

16
Let’s Review
Do you now know the difference between an animal cell and a plant cell? Look at
the pictures below of an animal cell and a plant cell. Based on the pictures, identify the
differences between plant cells and animal cells by filling up the table on the next page.

A typical animal cell

A typical plant cell

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Plant Cell Animal Cell

Let’s Think About This

An animal cell contains about 10 to 20 golgi bodies, while a plant cell contains
several hundreds. Why do you think there is such a difference in the number of these
organelles in the two cell types?
Compare your answer with this: Plants produce many materials (food, oils, resins,
etc.), hence they need more golgi bodies to package and release these materials.

Let’s Remember
Did you know that not all cells have nuclei?
Cells are generally divided into two kinds. These are:
♦ Eukaryotic cells—cells that have a nucleus
♦ Prokaryotic cells—cells that do not have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles

Amoeba
Bird

Bacterium

Snail
Cocci
Green algae Unicellular
Crayfish
prokaryotic

Acetabularia

Unicellular organisms Multicellular organisms

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Organisms that are prokaryotes include bacteria and blue-green bacteria. Both are
unicellular organisms. They have a very simple internal structure and no membrane-bound
organelles.
Below is a picture of a typical bacterial cell. A bacterial cell has no nucleus although
it does have a nucleoid which helps the bacteria multiply. It also contains cytoplasm and
ribosomes as well as some storage granules that store materials the cell needs. The cell is
also surrounded by a cell membrane and a cell wall that protects the organism.

Ribosomes Cytoplasm

Nucleoid

Cell membrane

Cell wall

A bacterial cell

Let’s See What You Have Learned

Let us see how well you know the parts of the cell. In the following table is a list of cell
organelles. Indicate if each organelle is present in a type of cell by putting a check (3) in the
appropriate column. If the organelle is not present in the cell, put a cross (8) in the column.

Structure Animal Cell Plant Cell Bacterial Cell

Cell wall

Cell membrane

Cytoplasm

Mitochondrion

Ribosome

Endoplasmic
reticulum

Golgi body

Lysosome

Vacuole

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Chloroplast

Nucleus

Chromosome

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 58 and 59.
Did you get a perfect score? If you did, that’s very good. It means you understood the
lesson well. You are now ready to move on to the next lesson. If you did not get
everything right, don’t worry. Review the parts of the lesson you did not understand very
well. Afterward, proceed to Lesson 2.

Let’s Remember
♦All living things are made up of cells. Cells are the fundamental units of life.
♦ Cells vary in size, shape and structure.
♦ Plant cells, animal cells and bacterial cells contain organelles, each of which has
a task to perform.

♦ Cells are generally divided into two kinds. These are:

♦ Eukaryotic cells—cells that have a nucleus

♦ Prokaryotic cells—cells that do not have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles

Amoeba
Bird

Bacterium

Snail
Cocci
Green algae Unicellular
Crayfish
prokaryotic

Acetabularia

Unicellular organisms Multicellular organisms

Organisms that are prokaryotes include bacteria and blue-green bacteria. Both are
unicellular organisms. They have a very simple internal structure and no membrane-bound
organelles.
Below is a picture of a typical bacterial cell. A bacterial cell has no nucleus although
it does have a nucleoid which helps the bacteria multiply. It also contains cytoplasm and
ribosomes as well as some storage granules that store materials the cell needs. The cell is
also surrounded by a cell membrane and a cell wall that protects the organism.

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Ribosomes Cytoplasm

Nucleoid

Cell membrane

Cell wall

A bacterial cell

♦ Cell organelles include the following:

Cell membrane—the outer boundary of the cell
Nucleus—the control center of the cell
Cytoplasm—the material that fills most of the cell
Mitochondria—function as the power house of the cell
Endoplasmic reticulum—moves materials from one part of the cell to another
Ribosomes—the sites of protein synthesis
Golgi bodies—pack various molecules in the cell in order for them to reach
various places within the cell
Lysosomes—serve as the digestive system of the cell
Vacuoles—storage areas in the cell
Chloroplasts—contain chlorophyll, which helps green plants trap energy from the
sun and utilize it in making food

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What Have You Learned?
B. Write True in the blank if the statement is correct and False if the statement
is wrong.
11. All living organisms consist of one or more cells.
12. Eukaryotic cells do not have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
13. Ribosomes serve as the site of protein synthesis in the cell.
14. Nuclear membrane covers the nucleus of the cell.
15. Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.
16. Humans, plants, animals and a variety of other organisms are uni-cellular
organisms.
17. Lysosomes store digestive enzymes to break down incoming food.
18. Nucleus is the outer boundary of the cell.
19. Matthias Schleiden proposed the first foundational belief about cells, that all
plant tissues are composed of cells.
20. An animal cell contains about 5 to 10 Golgi bodies.

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