EXERCISE 1

A Review of the Cell

Early Contributions

Robert Hooke –
The first person to see cells, he was looking at
a cork and noted that he saw "a great many boxes. (1665)
When Hooke viewed a thin cutting of cork he discovered empty spaces contained by walls, and
termed them pores, or cells.
The term cells stuck and Hooke gained credit for discovering the building blocks of all life.
Hooke calculated the number of cells in a cubic inch to be 1,259,712,000, and while he couldn't
grasp the full effect of his discovery, he did at least appreciate the sheer number of these cells.2

Anton van Leeuwenhoek –

Father of Microbiology
Observed living cells in pond water, which he called "animalcules" (1673)
he was the first to observe and describe single-celled organisms,
which he originally referred to as animalcules, and which are now referred to as microorganisms

Theodore Schwann –
zoologist who observed that the tissues of animals had cells (1839)
contributions to biology include the development of cell theory , the discovery of Schwann cells
in the peripheral nervous system
microscopically viewed animal tissues, and found particular interest in nervous and muscular
tissues

Mattias Schleiden - botanist, observed that the tissues of plants contained cells ( 1845)
Contributions to Phytogenesis (1838), in which he stated that the different parts of the plant
organism are composed of cells

Rudolf Virchow - also reported that every living thing is made of up vital units, known as cells.
He also predicted that cells come from other cells. (1850 )

The Cell Theory

1. The basic unit of life.
The smallest unit that can perform life functions.
2. Cells possess all characteristics of life.
Every living organism is made of one or more cells.
3. Cells arise only from pre-existing cells

Types of Cells
1. Prokaryotic Cells
2. Eukaryotic Cell
Features found in some bacteria:
Flagella - used for movement/ locomotion

Types of Cells
2. Eukaryotic cells
Greek meaning: truly nuclear
More advanced cells
Found in plants, animals and protists (small unicellular animalcules)
4 Main Parts
1. Cell Membrane- outer boundary of the cell
2. cytoplasm- jelly like fluid interior of the cell
3. nucleus- control center of the cell, contains the cell’s DNA (chromosomes )
-storage site of genetic information
4. organelles- “little organs” that carry out cell functions

Characteristic biomembranes and organelles

Difference between prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

1. Eukaryotic cells have a true nucleus, bound by a double membrane. Prokaryotic cells
have no nucleus.

2. Eukaryotic DNA is linear; prokaryotic DNA is circular- plasmid (it has no ends).

3. Eukaryotic DNA is complexed with proteins called histones (highly alkaline proteins found in
eukaryotic cell nuclei that package and order the DNA into structural units called nucleosomes)
and is organized into chromosomes;
prokaryotic DNA is "naked," meaning that it has no histones associated with it, and it is not
formed into chromosomes.

4. Both cell types have many, many ribosomes, but the

ribosomes of the eukaryotic cells are larger and more
complex than those of the prokaryotic cell.

5. The cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells is filled with a large, complex collection of organelles,
many of them enclosed in their own membranes; the prokaryotic cell contains no membrane-
bound organelles which are independent of the plasma membrane.

6. The size of prokaryotic cells is typically 0.2-2.0 micrometer

in diameter while eukaryotic cell is 10-100 micrometer
in diameter.
7. In prokaryotes, the cell division occurs via binary fission and
no meiosis takes place but only transfer of DNA
fragments occurs via conjugation.
-Cell division in eukaryotes occurs through mitosis (when a cell divides itself in half to
make two identical copies) and sexual reproduction occurs through meiosis (cell division
necessary for sexual reproduction in eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi)