CHEM 113: BIOCHEMISTRY
LECTURE 1: Cells
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SIR. JESSIE MAGNO – DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
1ST SEMESTER | A.Y 2022 - 2023
LEARNING OBJECTIVES EUKARYOTES CELL PROKARYOTES CELL
1 Define correctly the cell and its organelles DNA is found in the nucleus DNA is not enclosed within
2 Compare accordingly the eukaryotic cell and prokaryotic of the cell. the membrane.
cell Contain membrane-bound Lack membrane-enclosed
3 Know in details the different organelles and discuss their organelles which include organelles
structures and functions mitochondria, endoplasmic
4 Distinguish properly the various membrane transport reticulum, and Golgi complex
mechanism and their function Cell division involves mitosis. Usually divide by binary
5 Know correctly the cell life cycle. fission.
CELL MOLECULAR COMPOSITION OF CELL
• Water accounts for about 70-75% of the weight of the
cell.
• Organic compounds accounts for 25-30% of the cell
weight.
• They are nucleic acids, proteins, polysaccharides
(carbohydrates) and lipids.
• Inorganic compounds account for the rest of the cell
weight.
EUKARYOTIC CELL
• Biochemistry explores molecular mechanisms of
normal cellular processes as well as diseases.
• All higher living organisms including humans are
made up of cells.
• Two major classes:
- Prokaryotes
- Eukaryotes
HISTORICAL NOTES
• Robert Hooke was the first person to use the
term “cell”. He referred to the small empty chambers
in the structure of cork as cells. Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus and a
• Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann concluded number of other membrane-bound subcellular (internal)
that all plant and animal tissues were composed of organelles, each of which has a specific function.
cells.
• Rudolf Virchow proposed the theory of biogenesis PLASMA MEMBRANE
where cells only arise from pre-existing cells.
CELL THEORY
• A cell is the basic structural and functional unit of
living organisms.
• The activity of an organism depends on the collective
activities of its cells.
• According to the principle of complementarity, the
activities of cells are dictated by their structure • Structure: Phospholipid bilayer containing cholesterol
(anatomy), which determines function (physiology). and proteins and some carbohydrates; forms a
selectively permeable boundary of the cell.
• Functions: Acts as a physical barrier to enclose cell
contents; regulates material movement into and out of
the cell; functions in cell communication
CHEM 113: BIOCHEMISTRY
LECTURE 1: Cells
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SIR. JESSIE MAGNO – DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
1ST SEMESTER | A.Y 2022 - 2023
- Inner membrane has multiple folds projecting
NUCLEUS inwards, called cristae.
• Function: It is responsible for the production of
• Structure: It is enclosed within a double membrane energy in the form of ATP.
called nuclear envelope; contains nucleolus
- Nucleolus: It consists of RNA and proteins which LYSOSOMES
functions in ribosomal unit assembly.
- Nucleoplasm: It surrounds the chromatin and
the nucleoli.
• Function: It contains the DNA that serves as the
genetic material for directing protein synthesis.
CYTOPLASM
• Structure: Spherical shaped membrane bound
organelles formed from the golgi apparatus; contain
digestive enzymes
- The fluid inside lysosomes is much more acidic,
at about pH 4.8, than the normal pH of about
7.0–7.3.
• Function: Digest microbes or materials by the cell
• Structure: This can be seen between the plasma
membrane and the nucleus where the other cellular ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
elements are embedded.
- Organelles are membrane-bound structures
which carry out specific metabolic activities of the
cell.
- Cytosol provides support for organelles and
serves as the viscous fluid medium.
• Function: It is responsible for various cellular
processes.
MITOCHONDRIA
It is further subdivided into:
• Rough endoplasmic reticulum
- Structure: Extensive interconnected membrane
network that varies in shape; ribosomes attached
on the cytoplasmic surfaces
- Ribosomes are involved in the protein synthesis.
- Functions: Modifies, transports, and stores
proteins produces by attached ribosomes
• Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
• Structure: Double-membrane-bound organelles - Structure: Extensive interconnected membrane
containing a circular strand of DNA network lacking ribosomes
- Outer membrane is highly permeable to small
molecules, due to the presence of a pore-forming
protein called porin.
- Intermembrane contains many proteins that
participate in oxidative phosphorylation.
CHEM 113: BIOCHEMISTRY
LECTURE 1: Cells
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SIR. JESSIE MAGNO – DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
1ST SEMESTER | A.Y 2022 - 2023
• Function: Maintains integral structural support and
GOLGI APPARATUS organization of cells
- Microfilaments maintain cell shape.
- Intermediate filaments give mechanical support
to structures like nucleus and plasma membrane.
- Microtubules provides structural support.
IMPORTANT NOTES IN PROKARYOTIC CELL
• Structure: Series of several elongated, flattened
saclike membranous structures.
• Functions: Modifies, packages, and sorts materials,
that arrive from the endoplasmic reticulum in transport • Prokaryotes (Eubacteria and Archaebacteria) are the
vesicles most abundant organisms on earth.
- Vesicles transport cellular material. Mature • A prokaryotic cell does not contain a membrane-
vesicles are called secretory vesicles. bound nucleus.
• Each prokaryotic cell is surrounded by a plasma
PEROXISOMES membrane.
• The cell has no subcellular organelles, only infoldings
of the plasma membrane called mesosomes.
• The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is condensed within
the cytosol to form the nucleoid.
• Some prokaryotes have tail-like flagella.
CELL MEMBRANE
• Passive Transport Process
• Diffusion is the movement of a substance from an
area of its higher concentration to an area of its lower
concentration.
- Simple diffusion is the type of diffusion of
dissolved solutes through the plasma membrane
• Structure: smaller, spherical membrane bound
- Facilitated Diffusion is the type of diffusion that
organelles formed from the endoplasmic reticulum.
requires a protein carrier.
• Functions: Detoxify specific harmful substances - Osmosis is the diffusion of water point across a
either produced by the cell or taken into the cell selectively permeable membrane.
• Active Transport Process
CYTOSKELETON
• This type of cell membrane transport uses energy
(ATP) provided by the cell.
• For example, cell has low intracellular sodium; but
concentration of potassium inside the cell is very high.
This is maintained by the sodium–potassium
activated ATPase, generally called as sodium pump.
• Exocytosis refers to bulk movement of substance out
of the cell by fusion of secretory vesicles with the
plasma membrane.
• Endocytosis refers to bulk movement of substance
into the cells by vesicles forming at the plasma
membrane.
• Structure: Organized network of protein filaments
CHEM 113: BIOCHEMISTRY
LECTURE 1: Cells
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SIR. JESSIE MAGNO – DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
1ST SEMESTER | A.Y 2022 - 2023
ACTIVE TRANSPORT CELL LIFE CYCLE
• Interphase
- It is the longer phase of the cell cycle where the
cell is active and preparing for cell division.
- The DNA molecule is duplicated exactly in a
process called DNA replication which occurs
toward the end of the interphase.
• Cell Division
• Cells arise from the division of other cells.
- Mitosis consists of four stages-prophase,
metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. The result
is two daughter nuclei, each identical to the
mother nucleus
- Prophase - each chromosome consists of two
chromatids joined at the centromere.
ENDOCYTOSIS - Metaphase - chromosomes align at the center of
the cell
- Anaphase - chromatids separate at the
centromere and migrate to opposite poles.
- Telophase - two new nuclei assume their normal
structure, and cell division is completed,
producing two new daughter cells
MITOSIS
EXOCYTOSIS
