1 CE LL B I O LO G Y

Cell theory
INTRODUCING THE CELL THEORY
One the most important theories in biology is that cells are the o indivisible subunits, but the invention o the microscope
smallest possible units o lie and that living organisms are settled this debate. Cells consist o cytoplasm, enclosed in a
made o cells. The ancient Greeks had debated whether living plasma membrane. In plant and animal cells there is usually a
organisms were composed o an endlessly divisible uid or nucleus that contains genes.
Human cheek cell Moss leaf cell
cytoplasm chloroplasts
plasma
membrane
cell wall
nucleus

plasma cytoplasm
membrane
nucleus mitochondria sap in vacuole
vacuole membrane

EXCEPTIONS TO THE CELL THEORY DRAWINGS IN BIOLOGY

The cell theory was developed because biologists observed The command term draw is defned by IB as: Represent
a trend or living organisms to be composed o cells. Scientifc by means of a labelled, accurate diagram or graph, using
theories can be tested by looking or discrepancies  cases a pencil. A ruler (straight edge) should be used for straight
that do not ft the theory. There are some tissues and lines. Diagrams should be drawn to scale.
organisms that are not made o typical cells: A sharp pencil with a hard lead (2H) should be used. This allows
1. Skeletal muscle is made up o muscle fbres. Like cells clear, sharp single lines to be drawn. In exams, diagrams should
these fbres are enclosed inside a membrane, but they not be drawn aintly as they will not show clearly in scans.
are much larger than most cells (300 or more mm long)
and contain hundreds o nuclei.
2. Giant algae such as Acetabularia (below) can grow to a
length o as much as 100mm so we would expect them
to consist o many small cells but they only contain a
single nucleus so are not multicellular.

bad good
There should be no gaps, overlaps or multiple lines.

cytoplasm

bad good

Labelling can be in ink or pencil, with labelling lines rather

20 mm
than arrows. Labelling lines should be drawn using a ruler and
they should point precisely to the structure being labelled.
nucleus

3. Aseptate fungi consist o thread-like structures called

hyphae. These hyphae are not divided up into sub-units
containing a single nucleus. Instead there are long
undivided sections o hypha which contain many nuclei.
cell cell
Despite these and some other discrepancies, there is still a bad good
strong overall trend or living organisms to be composed o
cells, so the cell theory has not been abandoned.

C E LL B I O LO G Y 1