BIO 156

Chapter 3
Microscopes: Illuminating the Structure of
Cells
Microscopes fall into two broad categories:

1. light microscopes

• uses ordinary visible light to illuminate the specimen

• can magnify objects from 100 to 400 times their
original size

2. electron microscopes

• uses a beam of electrons to create a visual image of

the specimen
• can enlarge objects 100,000 times their original size
An Overview of Cell
Structure
The cell consists of two main compartments.

1. The nuclear (nucleus) compartment

2. The cytoplasmic compartment
The nuclear (nucleus) compartment

•The nucleus contains the genetic information that

regulates the structure and function of all eukaryotic
cells.

The cytoplasmic compartment

•The cytoplasmic compartment is home to the

cytoskeleton.

•The cytoskeleton is a network of tubules and filaments.

•The cytoskeleton also binds to enzymes in metabolic

pathways
The Structure and Function of the Plasma
Membrane
The plasma membrane is the outermost boundary of the
cell.

Cholesterol

Protein
Phospholipid
Phospholipids
Protein Structure
Protein Structure Continued
Protein Structure Continued
Protein Structure Continued
Cholesterol
The plasma membrane consists of lipids, protein, and
carbohydrate.

Lipids (fats) are biochemicals characterized by their lack of

water solubility.

Human cells have thousands of different types of proteins,

each type structurally and functionally unique.

Amino acids are small organic molecules that join by

peptide bonds, forming peptides and proteins.

The lipids of the plasma membrane form a double layer in

which many of the proteins float freely.
The plasma membrane is essential to cellular homeostasis.

•The plasma membrane regulates the flow of molecules

and ions into and out of the cell.

•The plasma membrane is selectively permeable

Molecules move through the plasma membrane in five ways.

1. Diffusion

3. Active Transport --molecules are also actively

transported across the membrane

3. Endocytosis

4. Exocytosis

6. Carrier Proteins and Diffusion

8. Osmosis
Diffusion: The movement of
molecules from high to low
concentrations.
Carrier Proteins and Diffusion: Water-soluble molecules also
diffuse through membranes with the aid of carrier molecules.
Active Transport: Molecules are also actively transported
across the membrane.
ATP: Adenosine Tri-Phosphate
Endocytosis: Large molecules and cells are ingested by
endocytosis.
Exocytosis: Cells also
regurgitate materials,
releasing large molecules.
Osmosis: The diffusion of water across the plasma membrane
is known as osmosis.

•Whenever two fluids with different concentrations of solute

are separated by a selectively permeable membrane, the
fluid will flow from one to the other, moving down the
concentration gradient.
•In humans, osmosis helps regulate the concentration of
fluid surrounding the cell.
End of Chapter 3, Part 1