Intro to Cells

New cells come from

previously existing cells.
All plant cells are
green. T/F?
Plant and animal cells
contain all the same
organelles. T/F?
 Cells
By learning about cells we understand
how can we:
Protect cells to prevent infection and
other harmful effects
Observe cells to diagnose disease
Treat cells to heal illnesses
stop harming cells through our
choices and actions
 Diseases and cures
Malaria is a deadly disease transmitted by
mosquitos in tropical countries.
Scientists developed a vaccine that can
protect human cells from malaria infection.
The scientists needed to study human cells
and single cells organisms that cause
malaria.
 People with severe burns are treated
with skin grafts taken from another
region of their body.
Doctors place artificial skin over the
burns.
The nylon based material contain
substances that work with the blood
to heal wounds.
Knowledge of how skin and blood
cells work has made this
technology possible.
 Doctors have discovered that
lowering the body temperature can
help a person survive a heart attack.
Cold temperatures reduce the harm
to the heart and brain cells after a
heart attack. By studying cells,
doctors have developed this new life
saving treatment.
 Artificial sweeteners can make us
gain weight? Scientists discovered
that consuming artificial sweeteners
disappoint the brain cells that are
expecting sugar, as a result our brain
tells us to keep eating, hoping to get
the sugar that it needs. This
knowledge about brain cells helps us
make healthier choices in picking
foods and beverages.
 Cellular organelles
Organelles are structures within a cell
that carries out specific functions to
support the life of the cell.
They work together to carry out
functions that support cell life and
include:
Bringing in nutrients
Removing waste
Generating and releasing energy for cell use
Making substances that the cell needs
reproducing
 Organelles tasks
Each organelle has a specific role
within the cell.
Cell membrane separates the inside
of the cell from the external
environment.
Cytoplasm includes the organelles,
and other life-supporting materials
(sugar, water) contained by the cell
membrane.
Mitochondria where energy is released
from glucose to fuel cell activities.
 Ribosomes help produce proteins,
which make up much of the cell
structure and are required for
activities necessary for cells
survival. Some ribosomes float in the
cytoplasm, others are attached to
the endoplasmic reticulum.
Endoplasmic reticulum is a network of
membrane-covered channels that
transport materials made in the cell,
is connected to the nucleus.
 Vesicles membrane-covered sacks
that transport and/or store materials
inside the cell and sometimes help
these materials cross the cell
membrane to enter or exit the cell.
Golgi body sorts and packages
proteins and other molecules for
transport out of the cell.
Nucleus controls all cells activities.
 Vacuoles contain water and other
materials and are used to store or
transport small molecules. Plant cells
have one large vacuole, animal cells
have several small vacuoles.
Cytoskeleton filaments and tubules
that provide a framework for the
cell, helping it maintain its structure
and providing tracks along which
vesicles and organelles can move.
 Cell wall a tough, rigid structure
lying just outside a plants cell s
membrane, provides support for
the cell, not found in animal cells.
Chloroplasts found only in plant
cells, traps energy from the Sun to
make glucose, which is broken down
in the mitochondria to power cell
activities (animals must get glucose
from the food they eat).
Animal cell organelles
Plant cell organelles
 Now complete the plant and animal
cell worksheet identifying and listing
all the organelles for each type of
cell.
 Diffusion
Diffusion is the movement of molecules or
other particles from an area of high
concentration to an area of low
concentration until are evenly distributed.
Concentration is the number of molecules
of a substance in a given volume.
Ex: substances produce in one
organelle may travel to another
organelle diffusing through the
cytoplasm.
 Your blood picks up oxygen when
you breath. Your blood transports
the oxygen molecules to your cells.
The concentration of oxygen is
greater outside of the cell that
inside of the cell at first. The
oxygen molecules pass through the
cell membrane into cytoplasm. They
continue to do so until the
concentration of oxygen inside and
outside the cell is equal.
 Nerve cells release chemicals to
communicate with each other. These
chemicals diffuse through the fluid
in the space between nerve cells.
Diffusion is the movement of
particles from an area of
higher concentration to an
area of lower concentration.
T/F?
 Osmosis
Osmosis is the movement of water
molecules across a membrane in
response to concentration
differences through a semi-
permeable membrane.
A semi-permeable membrane lets
water and other molecules diffuse
across it but keeps molecules of
other substances from penetrating
it.
 Cell membrane controls the
movement of substances into and out
of the cell. Cell membrane are semi-
permeable.
Water can penetrate the membrane,
but molecules of many substances
cannot.
This is what would happen when a cell
is placed in pure water.
 Cell division
Cells must divide for an organism to
survive.
Hereditary material is passed on
during cell division.
Animal cells have a life cycle that
includes both growth and division.
New animal cells are created during
the cell cycle.
Uncontrolled, rapid division of animal
cells can be cancer.
 Cells must divide
Cells divide because there is a limit of how
large they can grow.
For a cell to survive, it must take in a
constant supply of materials such as
nutrients, oxygen and water.
It must get rid of waste products, its
producing.
The materials must travel within the cells
cytoplasm to reach the cell
membrane and organelles.
If a cell grows too large, it cannot perform
the processes efficiently.
 Cell size is limited
Cell size is limited because of the amount
of materials in a cell increases faster than
the cell membrane grows.
The only way the nutrients and waste can
pass through the cell is through the cell
membrane.
As cells get larger, the amount of
materials inside the cell increases more
than the cell membrane can grow.
After a while, nutrients and waste can no
longer pass through the cell
membrane, and as a result the cell dies.
 Cell size is limited
Cell size is limited because the
amount of material in a cell increases
but it the speed of diffusion does
not.
As cells grow, the amount of
materials inside increases.
It then takes longer for nutrients
and waste to diffuse between the
cell membrane and all parts of
the cell.
 To keep this model of cell alive, you need to
swim from the edge of the pool to the center
carrying a noodle.
Then you must swim back carrying a beach ball.
If the pool is small, you can keep moving these
materials in and out.
When the pool gets larger, it takes longer to
make these trips.
Over time, the supply of nutrients and waste
removal cannot keep up.
Eventually the cell starves or is poisoned
by the build up of waste products.
 Activity
The cell surface is the area of the cell over which
nutrients must enter and waste must leave. The
cell volume determines how much the cell holds.
If the surface is larger, more nutrients can get in
and more waste can get out. But when the cell
surface increases, the volume increases more.
A larger volume means that the amount of
nutrients that must travel in and out of the cell
increases. The distance that nutrients must
diffuse takes longer. There is a point where the
surface area is not large enough to meet the
demands of the cells volume.
How many times is the volume
bigger than the surface?
Cube Side length Surface area Volume
(length x width (length x width
x number of x height)
sides)
1 mm

2 mm

3 mm
Mitosis and the cell cycle
are identical processes.
T/F?
The Microscope
Do we remember how to
use it?
Always carry the microscope with
two hands! Be gentle
Rotate the nosepiece to low power,
and raise the stage (it should
already be in this position)
Plug the microscope in and turn it
on.
 Place your slide on the stage.
(cover slip side up)

Secure the slide in place with the

stage clips.
 While looking from the SIDE, turn the
COARSE adjustment knob to raise the
stage until low power objective
ALMOST touches the slide.
Look through the eyepiece. Using the
coarse adjustment knob, slowly LOWER
the stage until the specimen is visible.
 Use the fine adjustment knob to sharpen
the focus.

Adjust the diaphragm if necessary (to

increase or decrease the light intensity) ,
such that the field of view is bright but not
glaring.
 Switching to Med
power
While looking from the SIDE, turn the
nosepiece from low to medium power.
if the objective lens and the slide are
going to collide, lower the stage
slightly with the coarse adjustment
knob
Look through the eyepiece. Use the
fine adjustment to sharpen the focus.
NEVER use the coarse adjustment on
medium or high power!
 Putting it away
When Finished:
Lower the stage and place on LOW power
Put your CLEANED, DRY slide away
Ensure the microscope stage is dry
Wrap up the cord properly and put the
microscope away
 Letter e Lab

Part II: Magnification

1. Can you find the magnification on the lens of the

microscope?

2. Can you find the magnification on each objective?

Total Magnification = lens magnification x objective magnification

What you are looking

for in Onion cells

Low/ Med power High power

What you are looking to label
All radiation is harmful
to us. T/F?
What you are looking for
in Cheek cells

Low power Med power High power

What you are looking to label