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Tiffani Lang Biology 1090-038 11/5/2013 Homework 2 The Cell: What is it, and how does it work? A cell is the fundamental structural unit of life on Earth, separated from its environment by a membrane and sometimes an external wall. There are two types of cells, Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic. Prokaryotic cells are bacteria and archaea cells. Bacteria are composed of single cells, which perform all of the activities required for life. Prokaryotes do not have a nucleus (a separate membrane-bound compartment that contains genetic material in the form of DNA). Along with no nucleus, prokaryotic cells do not contain any membrane-bound internal structures. They are much smaller than eukaryotic cells, about 1/10 the diameter of a eukaryotic cell. Prokaryotic cells are structurally less complex than eukaryotic cells, having a cell wall to help them maintain their shape (see fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Prokaryotic cell and what it is made of. Source: http://hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/hbase/biology/prokar.html

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Eukaryotic cells are cells that have a nucleus and other internal structures with speciallized functions, called organnelles, that are surrounded by membranes. Eukaryotic cells include brown algae, green algae, plants, amoeba, fungi, and animals. Eukaryotic organisms include single-celled organisms such as ameobas and yeast as well as multicellular organisms such as plants, fungi and animals, etc (see fig. 2).
Fig. 2: Animal cell (left) plant cell (right). Eukaryotic cells. Source: http://www.meritnation.c om/askanswer/question/differenc e-between-plant-cell-andanimal-cell/cell-structureand-functions/4496901

There are many components of cells to make them function. All cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane which contains proteins that help transport substances across the hydrophobic core of the membrane. Eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus, where the ribosomes are produced. Another cell component is a lysosome; these roam around the cell and engulf targeted molecules and organelles for recycling. Chloroplast is an important organelle in plant cells, which uses the suns energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars; as well as containing pigment molecules that give green parts of plants their color.Ribosomes are found in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; these are ued as workbenches for protien synthesis. The ER (Endoplasmic Reticulum) is found in eukaryotic cells. There is a rough ER which has ribosomes attatched; protiens sythesized on the rough ER will be secreted from the cell or will become part of the plasma membrane. There is also a smooth ER which has no ribosomes attatched and does tasks such as detoxifying harmful substances and synthesysing lipids. The

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Golgi Apparatus is where protiens are motified, sorted and sent to correct destinations in new transport vesicles on the sacks of the golgi apparatus.Centrioles are used to help move chromosomes around when a cell divides and are involved in microtubule, cillia, and flagella formation. Cytoskeletal elements give shape to a cell, hold and move organells and are involved in cell movement. Cell wall is found in plant cells and bacteria cells, where cellulose is assembled into strong fibrils and embedded into the matrix. Central vacule is found in plant cells to help support an upright plant and contains the plants sugars and pigments. The mitochondrion is found in plant and animal cells which is the power house of the cell that carries many of the protiens involved in producing ATP. There may be nearly 10 million unique life-forms on Earth. Despite all of this diversity, all life on Earth shares the same organic chemistry, genetic material, and basic cellular stuctures.