LIVING CELL

Intro
All living things are made of
cells
CELLS --> smallest living unit
of structure & function of all
organisms
All cells arise from preexisting
cells ( discarded the idea of
spontaneous generation)
unit structure of all living
organisms: prokaryotes and
eukaryotes.
 MICROBIAL CELL
microorganisms have been used by humans since prehistoric times in the
preparation of food, alcoholic beverages, milk products etc
the role of microorganisms in biotransformation was recognized since 19th century
Today, they are not only used for the traditional microbial processes but also for
new processes such as the production of pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals,
enzymes, agricultural chemicals, waste water treatments, etc
The protists simple biological organisms compared to plants and animals; algae,
protozoa, fungi, and bacteria
 Prokaryotic cell
unit of structure in two microbial groups: bacteria and blue-green algae.
small and simple
the cell is not compartmentalized by unit membrane systems.
has only two structurally regions: i) cytoplasm and ii) nuclear region (or
nucleoplasm).
The cytoplasm contains of ribosomes composed of protein and ribonucleic acid
(RNA).
The ribosome the site of important biochemical reactions for protein
synthesis.
Eucaryotic cell
unit structure in plants, animals, protozoa, fungi, and algae
cell has internal unit membrane systems that segregate many of the
functional components of the cell (organelles)
1,000 to 10,000 times larger and more complex than prokaryotic
cells.
The nucleus controls hereditary properties and all vital activities of
the cell.
Bacteria
Unicellular, about 1500 species
Diameter 0.5 to 1m, vary greatly in length
Shape: cocci (spherical/ovoid), bacilly (cylindrical/rod), spirilla
(helically coiled)
 Reproduction: asexual binary
fission
reproduction steps:
1) cell elongation,
2) invagination of the cell wall,
3) distribution of nuclear
material,
4) formation of the transverse
cell wall,
5) distribution of cellular
material into two cells, an
6) separation into two new cells
 Elemental composition
Physical conditions for bacteria
3 major physical factors: T, gaseous environment, and pH
microbial activity and growth manifestations of enzymatic action
the rates of enzyme reactions increase with increasing T; the rate of
microbial growth is T dependent
the optimum pH for bacteris growth lies: 6.5 - 7.5.
Although a few bacteria can grow at the extremes of the pH range, the
limits fall somewhere between pH 4 and pH9.
 The principal gases in the cultivation of bacteria are O2 and CO2
There are four types of bacteria, according to their response to oxygen:
1. Aerobic bacteria grow in the presence of free O2.
2. Anaerobic bacteria grow in the absence of free O2
3. Facultatively anaerobic bacteria grow in either the absence or the presence of
free oxygen.
4. Microaerophilic bacteria grow in the presence of minute quantities of free
oxygen
Some bacteria form spores when growth ceases due to starvation or other causes
Spores are more resistant than normal cells to heat, drying, radiation, and chemicals.
Spores can remain alive for many years; however, they can convert back to normal
cells at proper conditions
Gram staining
a method to differentiate two types of bacteria based on the structural differences
in their cell walls (Hans Christian Gram, 1884)
Chemically, gram stain is weakly alkaline solution of crystal violet
bacteria that retain the crystal violet dye called Gram-positive bacteria. In contrast,
Gram-negative bacteria do not retain the violet dye and are colored red or pink.
Compared with Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria are more resistant
against antibodies because of their impenetrable cell wall.
Ex gram (+): Bacillus, clostridium, lactobacillus
Ex gram (-): E.coli, salmonela, pseudomona
Gram differences
FUNGI

Plant devoid of
chlorophyll unable to
synthesize their own
foods
range in size and shape
from single-celled yeasts
to multicellullar
mushrooms
YEAST & MOLD
Yeast
widely distributed in nature (food, soil, in the air, on
the skin and in the intestines of animals)
depend on higher plants and animals for their energy
Unicellular spherical to ovoid
Size: 1 to 5 m in width; 5 to 30 rn in length
The cell wall quite thin in young cells but thickens
with age.
 Asexual reproduction BUDDING

A small bud (or daughter cell) is formed on the surface of a mature cell. The bud
grows and is filled with nuclear and cytoplasmic material from the parent cell.
When the bud is as large as the parent, nuclear apparatus in both cells is
reoriented and the cells are separated. The daughter cell may cling to the parent
cell, often even after the cells are divided
Saccharomeces cerevisiae wine, beer, leavening of bread
Mold
filamentous fungi
A single cell or spore (conidia) is germinated to form a long thread, hyphae,
which branches repeatedly as it elongates to form a vegetative structure
called a mycelium. Since a mycelium is capable of growing indefinitely, it can
attain macroscopic dimensions.
 Find everywhere
Aspergillus, penicillium,
rhizopus
used in the
production of
antibiotics, enzymes,
food and food
additives
Animal and plant cell
Both are eucaryotic cell
Animal cells and plant cells have
features in common, such as a nucleus,
cytoplasm, cell membrane,
mitochondria and ribosomes.
Plant cells also have a cell wall, and
often have chloroplasts and a
permanent vacuole.
Dissolved substances pass into and
out of cells by diffusion.
Water passes into and out of cells by
osmosis.
Animal and plant cells similarities
part function

nucleus contains genetic material, which controls

the activities of the cell
cytoplasm most chemical processes take place here,
controlled by enzymes
cell membrane controls the movement of substances into
and out of the cell
mitochondria most energy is released by respiration
here
ribosomes protein synthesis happens here
PlantCell
The size within the range of 20-40 m in diameter and 100-200 m long
However, plant cells have distinctive features such as a rigid wall, a large
vacuole, and the presence of chloroplasts

3 EXTRA PARTS OF PLANT CELLS:

1) cell wall --> strengthens the cell
2) Chloroplast --> the site of photosynthesis in the plant cell, which
contains the green pigment chlorophill that is responsible for trapping the
light energy for the production of carbohydrates
3) permanent vacuole --> filled with cell sap
Differences between plant and animal cell:
differences between plant & microbial cells:

1. Plant cells are 10 to 100 times larger than bacterial and fungal cells (20-40 m
in diameter and 100-200 m long)
2. The metabolism of plant cells is slower than microbial cells the maintenance
of sterility for a longer period of time.
3. Plant cells tend to grow in clumps which cause sedimentation, poor mixing,
plugging the inlet and outlet lines, wall growth, and so on.
4. Plant cells are more sensitive to shear than microbial cells.
5. Metabolic production in plant cells is subject to more complex regulatory
mechanisms than metabolic production in microbial cells.
6. Plant cells are more genetically unstable than microbial cells.
 Energy

for supporting biosynthesis activities (e.g. growth, work)

Source of energy: C & light
Grouping organism according to energy pathway: autothophic
& heterotrophic
Autotrophs are organisms that can produce their own food
from the substances available in their surroundings using light
(photosynthesis) or chemical energy (chemosynthesis).
Heterotrophs cannot synthesize their own food and rely on
other organisms both plants and animals for nutrition.
Autotrophic
organism that produces complex organic compounds (C such as
carbohydrates, fats, proteins, cell wall etc) from inorganic materias e.g. CO2
as principal, carbonates/simples inorganic compounds (e.g. ammonium
sulfate, magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride) by using basic energy
sources such as sunlight --> primary producers
Subdivided on the basis of their ability to utilize the energy for cell growth:
phototrophs and chemotrophs
1. Phototrophs use light as an energy source (e.g. plants) to convert
water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air into glucose
2. Chemotrophs Carbon dioxide is the main source of carbon; energy
from chemical reactions usually inorganic sources (H2S, CH4, CO2). e.g
bacteria lives in waste water, volcanoes, deep sea ocean vents, the
atmosphere, mines)
Examples: plants, algae, n some bacteria
 Heterotrophic
cannot produce organic compounds from inorganic sources and therefore rely on
consuming other organisms in the food chain.
use organic compounds as a source of energy and organic material for synthesis of
cellular components.
Grouping as:
1. photoautotropic: light as energy source, CO2 as C source (higher plants)
2. Photoheterotrophic: light as energy source, organic comp. as C source
3. Chemoautotropic: chemical as energy source, CO2 as C source; have ability to
use reduced inorganic comp as oxidizable energy sources (NH3, NO2, H2S etc)
4. Chemoheterotrophic: chemical as energy source, organic comp. as C source
(fungi, great number of bacteria)