The Cell

While cells differ in size and shape, most of them have common structures. The cells
of animals, plants, and related organisms have three basic structures:
Cell membrane the outer boundary of the cell.
Nucleus the control center of the cell.
Cytoplasm the material between the cell membrane and the nucleus.

The first thing you see as you approach this cell is a thin sac-like membrane. The
cell membrane covers the entire surface of the cell. As you take the imaginary step
through the cell membrane, you immediately come in contact with the cytoplasm. Moving
through the cytoplasm would be like moving through a jar of jelly.

A large, round nucleus is found somewhere in the cytoplasm. As the control center
of the cell, the nucleus contains coded instructions for all of the cells activities. These
coded instructions are stored on special structures called the chromosomes.
Chromosomes are seen when a cell is reproducing.

Just as the cell membrane covers the cell, a nuclear membrane covers the nucleus
of the cell. It regulates the passage of materials in and out of the nucleus.

Cytoplasmic Structures
As you walk through the cytoplasm, you might bump into sausage-shaped bodies
called mitochondria. They are commonly called the power houses of the cell. They trap
the energy that results when food is broken down. Just as a power plant supplies energy
to a business, mitochondria provide energy for the cell. Some types of cells are more
active than others, thats why they can have more mitochondria.

Analyze This
Why might a muscle cell have more mitochondria than other cells?

Ever since you entered the cell, you have been walking on a network of canals called
the endoplasmic reticulum. The endoplasmic reticulum extends from the nucleus to the
cell membrane and takes up quite a lot of space in some cells. It moves material from
one place to another place inside the cell.

Ribosomes are the tiny dots you see on the edges of some of the endoplasmic
reticulum. Some cells may contain millions of ribosomes. The actual building blocks of
the cell (proteins) are made on the surfaces of these very tiny structures.

In a manufacturing business, products are made, packaged, and moved to loading

centers to be carried away. Structures called golgi bodies are the packaging and
releasing structures of the cell. When something is released, it is given off by the cell.
Applying a Concept
An animal cell contains about 10 to 20 golgi bodies, while a plant cell contains
several hundreds. Why do you think there is such a difference in the number of
these structures in each cell type?
Do you know that cells also produce wastes? In the cytoplasm, structures called
lysosomes contain chemicals that digest wastes and worn-out/damaged cell parts. When
a cell dies, chemicals in the lysosomes act to quickly break down the cell. In a healthy
cell, the membrane around the lysosome keeps it from breaking down the cell itself. Plant
cells do not have lysosomes.

Many businesses have warehouses for storing products until they are sold. Vacuoles are
storage areas in cells. They may store water, food, or waste products. In plant cells,
vacuoles are big. In animal cells, vacuoles are small. Why do you think so?

Feedback: Plants are said to be the producers of food in the environment. They may
produce sugar, oil, nectar, etc. They are in need of bigger vacuoles to store such
materials.

You have just looked at the inner workings of an animal cell. Imagine now that you
are taking a microscopic tour through the green plant cell below. You will find that some
structures in this cell are quite different from the structures in an animal cell. Take note of
them.

The outer covering of the plant cell is not soft and thin. Instead, it is surrounded by a
rigid/tough structure called the cell wall that supports and protects the plant cell. Once
you pass through the cell wall, you see the same structures you saw in the animal cell.

Hold on! Something new appears. The dark green bodies you see around you are
chloroplasts. Substances inside the chloroplast help a green plant cell trap the suns
energy and then produce food.