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Cell Structure and Function
Figure 3.4-1a Cell Structure
© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
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Cell Membrane: Function
1. Physical isolation: separates ECF and ICF
2. Regulation of exchange with the
environment: ions & nutrients enter; cellular
wastes and secretions leave
3. Communication between the cell and its
environment: receptors in membrane
transduce signals
4. Structural support: proteins attach cell
membrane to cytoskeleton
Cell Membrane: Structure
● Cell membrane
● Mostly lipids and proteins
● Lipids arranged in phospholipid bilayer
● Also called plasma membrane or
plasmalemma
● Fluid mosaic model:
Proteins diffuse laterally through a two-
dimensional sheet of phospholipids.
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Cell Membrane: Lipids
● Phospholipids
● Amphipathic molecules containing phosphate
and fatty acids
● Contribute to bilayer
● Sphingolipids
● Also amphipathic, but longer than phospholipids
● Associated with lipid rafts
● Cholesterol: maintains fluidity of membrane,
prevents movement of water
Cell Membrane: Phospholipids
⚫ Phospholipid bilayers form cell membranes.
⚫ Phospholipids also exist as micelles, and
liposomes.
Membrane Phospholipids
Polar head (hydrophilic)
Stylized
model Nonpolar fatty acid tail
(hydrophobic)
can arrange themselves as
Phospholipid bilayer Micelles are droplets of phospholipids. Liposomes have
forms a sheet. They are important in lipid digestion. an aqueous center.
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Cell Membrane: Proteins
⚫ Integral membrane proteins (not easily
separated from plasma membrane)
⚫ Transmembrane proteins
⚫ Lipid anchored proteins
⚫ Peripheral proteins (easily separated from
plasma membrane)
⚫ Enzymes
⚫ Structural proteins
Cell Membrane: Carbohydrates
⚫ Glycocalyx: branching carbohydrate chains on
the extracellular surface.
⚫ Composition:
⚫ Glycoproteins: carbohydrates attached to
membrane proteins
⚫ Glycolipids carbohydrates attached to
membrane lipids
⚫ Functions: cell recognition (ABO blood group),
cell adhesion to local environment, protection
of the cell.
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Cell Membrane: Structure
Identify: phospholipids, cholesterol, trans-membrane
proteins, lipid-anchored proteins, peripheral proteins,
cytoskeleton, glycoproteins, and glycolipids
Intracellular Compartments
⚫ Cytoplasm: everything inside the cell
membrane that is not the nucleus.
⚫ Cytosol: fluid portion of cytoplasm
⚫ Cytoskeleton: long insoluble protein fibers
⚫ Organelles: surrounded by membrane
⚫ Inclusions: not surrounded by membrane
⚫ Nucleus: contains chromatin and regulatory
proteins
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Figure 3.4-1a Cell Structure
© 2016 Pearson Education, Inc.
Cytoskeleton
⚫ Microfilaments: thin actin filaments; act like
scaffolding just inside the cell membrane;
⚫ Intermediate filaments: resist tension by forming
rope-like fibers throughout the cell (e.g. keratin)
⚫ Microtubules:
⚫ Make “tracks” that organelles can use to move
from one part of the cell to another.
⚫ Centrosome (formed by two centrioles):
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Cytoskeleton
In order from smallest to largest:
1. microfilaments
2. intermediate filaments
3. microtubules
Cytoskeleton
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Cytoskeleton
⚫ Myosin
⚫ Intermediate filament involved in muscle contraction
⚫ Pull actin filaments like a person pulling in a rope “hand
over hand”
⚫ Kinesin and Dynein
⚫ Embedded in membranes of vesicles and other
organelles
⚫ “Walk” along microtubule “tracks” and pull organelles
with them
⚫ Dynein: twisting in cilia and flagella
Cytoskeleton
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Cytoskeleton
Inclusions
• Ribosomes: RNA/protein complex that
translates mRNA into proteins
• Fixed ribosomes
• Attached to rough endoplasmic reticulum
• Produce secreted and membrane proteins
• Free ribosomes
• Located in cytosol; may be part of polyribosomes
• Produce soluble proteins that function in cytoplasm
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Inclusions
• Glycogen
• Lipid droplets
Organelles
⚫ Mitochondria: “powerhouse” of the cell
⚫ Two membranes (inner and outer) create two
compartments
⚫ Mitochondrial matrix (inner compartment)
⚫ Intermembrane space (outer compartment)
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Organelles
⚫ Mitochondrial matrix
⚫ Location of citric acid cycle (electrons stripped away
from carbon compounds)
⚫ Contains some of its own DNA (why?)
⚫ Intermembrane space
⚫ Acidic (hydrogen ions flow back into matrix, like water
through a hydroelectric dam)
⚫ ATP is made with the energy (the way electricity is
made from a turbine in a hydroelectric dam)
Organelles
⚫ Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER): network of
interconnected membranous tubes or discs
⚫ Located in the cytoplasm, often surrounding the
nucleus
⚫ Lumen: interior space (separate from cytosol).
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Organelles
⚫ Rough ER
⚫ Ribosomes attached to surface
⚫ Site of protein synthesis
⚫ Integral membrane proteins and secreted proteins
⚫ Smooth ER
⚫ No ribosomes attached to surface
⚫ Site of fatty acid, steroid, and other lipid synthesis
⚫ Smooth ER modified in liver, kidney, and muscles
Intracellular Compartments: Organelles
⚫ Golgi Apparatus
⚫ Stack of flattened sacs (cisternae)
⚫ Modifies proteins made in rough ER
⚫ Adds or changes carbohydrates (glycoproteins,
proteoglycans)
⚫ Phosphorylates some proteins
⚫ Packages secretory or digestive proteins into
vesicles for exocytosis
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Organelles
⚫ Cytoplasmic vesicles (two types)
⚫ Secretory vesicles (fuse with cell membrane)
⚫ Storage vesicles (store nutrients, etc.)
⚫ Lysosomes (digestion or apoptosis)
⚫ Contain enzymes degrade bacteria or old organelles
⚫ Contain acid
⚫ Involved in lysosomal storage diseases
(e.g. Tay-Sachs)
Organelles
⚫ Cytoplasmic vesicles (cont.)
⚫ Peroxisomes
⚫ Contain enzymes to degrade:
⚫ long fatty acids
⚫ toxic foreign molecules
⚫ Generate and breakdown hydrogen peroxide
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Nucleus
⚫ Function: protect DNA and regulate gene
transcription
Nucleus
⚫ Nuclear envelope: two membranes separated
by a lumen
⚫ Lumen between membranes continuous with
lumen of ER
⚫ Nuclear pore complex:
⚫ Pore-forming proteins pass through both nuclear
membranes and lumen
⚫ Allows mRNA and transcription factors to move
between nucleus and cytoplasm.
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Nucleus
⚫ Chromatin: DNA and associated structural
proteins (histones)
⚫ Chromosomes are condensed chromatin
⚫ Only exist when chromatin condenses for mitosis
and meiosis.
⚫ Nucleoli
⚫ Control synthesis of ribosomal RNA
⚫ Usually stain darkly
Protein synthesis, modification, and
packaging
Endomembrane
System:
⚫ Nucleus
⚫ Rough ER
⚫ Transport vesicles
⚫ Golgi apparatus
⚫ Secretory vesicles
⚫ Cell membrane
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Extracellular Matrix
⚫ Synthesized and secreted by cells
⚫ Ground Substance
⚫ Proteoglycans (more sugar than protein)
⚫ Insoluble protein fibers
⚫ Increases tissue strength
⚫ Anchor cells to matrix and allow
communication
⚫ Examples: collagen, fibronectin, laminin
Cell to Cell Junctions
Cytosol
⚫ Gap junctions Connexin
proteins
⚫ Communicating junctions Intercellular
space
⚫ Connexons create pores between Cell Cell
Cell
membrane
1 2
cells Gap junctions are
communicating junctions.
⚫ Ions (K+, Ca2+) and small
molecules (glucose) can move
from one cell to another
Clusters of gap
junctions
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Cell to Cell Junctions
⚫ Tight junctions (a.k.a. occluding junction)
⚫ Cell to cell attachment (connect to microfilaments)
⚫ Tight but not strong: “zip-lock seal”
⚫ Anchoring junctions
⚫ Cell to cell attachment
⚫ Adherens junctions (connect to microfilaments)
⚫ Desmosomes (connect to intermediate filaments)
⚫ Strong but not tight: “bolts or nails”
Figure 3.8-2 Cell Junctions
Cytosol Claudin
and occludin
proteins
Intercellular
space
Cell
membrane Cell Cell
1 2
Tight junctions are
occluding junctions.
Tight junctions
prevent
movement
between cells.
Adherens
junction
Desmosomes anchor
cells to each other.
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Figure 3.8-3 Cell Junctions
Cadherin
proteins
Cell
Plaque
membrane
glycoproteins
Intercellular
space Intermediate
filament
A desmosome is a
cell-to-cell anchoring junction.
Tight junctions
prevent
movement
between cells.
Adherens
junction
Desmosomes anchor
cells to each other.
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