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By the end of this chapter, you should:

i) Understand cells
ii) Understand unicellular organisms and
multicellular organisms
iii) Understand that cells form tissues,
organs and systems in the human body
iv) Realise that humans are complex
organisms
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ë
Understanding Cells

Living organisms are made up of

one or more cells
ë Cells are the most basic unit of
organisms which can function on
their own Cells carry out life
processes such as respiration,
division, excretion and growth
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˜ Cells are the building blocks of an
organism

 Cells work together to keep an

organism alive

 Cells of living things exists in many

sizes and shapes hey can be round,
oval, long, short, with tails and so
on
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¢ Robert Hooke, a British Scientist,
was the first person to study cells
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Using a microscope

Cells are very tiny and cannot be

seen with the naked eye

ë Cells of living organisms can be

observed using a microscope
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ðarts of a microscope Functions
Eye piece o magnify the image of the
specimen
Objective lens o magnify the specimen
Body tube o hold the eye piece at a
fixed distance away from the
objective lens
Coarse focus knob o raise or lower the body
tube quickly for focusing
Fine focus knob o raise or lower the body
tube gently for sharp focusing
Arm and base For holding and supporting
the microscope
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ðarts of a microscope Functions

Clip o hold the slide on the stage

in position
Stage o put the slide on

Diaphragm o control the amount of light

entering the lens
Mirror o direct reflected light
towards the diaphragm
Condenser o concentrate light from the
mirror onto the specimen
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he correct way to use a compound light
microscope:

(a) ðlace the microscope on a flat surface in a well-

well-
lighted area

(b) ðosition the low power objective lens above the

hole of the stage

(a) Raise the condenser as high as it can go and

open the iris of the diaphragm fully
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d Look through the eye piece and adjust the mirror
to obtain a bright field of view

e ðlace a slide with the specimen on the stage and

hold it in place with the clip

f) Lower the objective lens using the coarse focus

knob until it is just above the slide
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g) Look through the eye piece urn the coarse
focus knob counter-
counter-clockwise until the object is in
focus

h) If necessary, change to a high power objective

lens

i) Adjust the fine focus knob until a sharp image is

obtained
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ãeneral structure of a cell

A typical cell is made up of cell membrane

which contains a living substances called
u

u
a) ðrotoplasm consists of a  
 and

u
b) he nucleus is spherical in shape and is
covered by a nucleus membrane
c) Cytoplasm is a colourless jelly-
jelly-like material
surrounded by cell membrane
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d) he cell membrane is a thin film
which is partially permeable to the
surrounding substances
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Structure of animal cells

ãenerally, each animal cell is made up of cell

membrane and protoplasm (which consists of
cytoplasm and nucleus)

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An animal cells
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ë Animal cells do not have cell walls
or chroplasts

˜ here is a great variety of forms

and functions among animal cells
Figure ë  shows some examples of
animal cells

(draw picture ðaramecium, red blood cell and nerve cell)

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Structure of plant cells

4 




he basic structure of plant cells is similar to that of

animal cells having a cell membrane, cytoplasm and
a nucleus

ë All plant cells have a cell wall which gives them

almost fixed shape
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
 
˜ ðlant cells often have one large vacuole,
whereas animal cells usually have many
small ones

 Most plant cells that are under the light

contain chloroplasts which are green in
colour

 ðlant cells vary in their shapes, sizes,

structures and functions
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Structure ðresent in Function
Cell membrane All cells Ñ Encloses the
cytoplasm
Ñ Controls the

movement of
materials in and
out of cells
Cell wall ðlant cells only Ñ Supports and
(a non-
non-living gives shape to the
layer of cells
cellulose)
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Structure ðresent in Function
Cytoplasm All cells Ñ his is where
(jelly--like
(jelly chemical reactions
substance) take place inside the
cell
Ñ Stores dissolved

material
Nucleus Almost all Ñ Controls all cellular

cells activities
(mature
red blood
cells do
not have
nuclei)
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Structure ðresent in Function
Chloroplast Most plant cells ÑChlorophyll
(contains green that are under absorbs light for
pigments called light u


 

u)


u) to produce food
and oxygen

acoule Most plant cells Ñ Holds useful

(cell sap) and some substances and
animal cells wastes
Ñ Supports the
plant when it is
full of water
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Comparison between animal cells and plant cells

Animal cells ðlant cells

m
  m

Ñ  

 

Ñ 
    



Ñ    


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Differences
Aspects

ãenerally smaller m ãenerally bigger

Usually irregular
and may vary m
Fixed by the cell
during life

Ñ Have a cell wall

Ñ No cell wall Ñ Many plant cells
Ñ No chloroplast |  

under light have

Ñ With small or no chloroplasts
vacuoles Ñ Often have a
large vacuole
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Life ðrocesses of Unicellular and Multicellular
Organisms

Life processes are processes conducted by all

living things to enable them to survive Non-
Non-
living things do not perform any life processes

ë All living things perform life processes such as

digestion, respiration, movement, excretion,
reproduction, growth and response towards
stimuli
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Usually at the May be one
ð
  

Side of the
centre of the
cells cells

ãlycogen Ô 
  Starch
granules granules
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Unicellular Organisms

Unicellular organisms are simple organisms that

are made up of only one cell
ë Unicellular organisms in the animal kingdom are
V

 and  



˜ Unicellular organisms in the ðlant kingdom are



 

 and 







 Unicellular organisms are very tiny and can only
be seen with a microscope, so unicellular
organisms are also known as microorganisms or
microbes
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Multicellular Organisms

Multicellular organisms are organisms which have

more than one cell (multi:many)

ë Multicellular organisms in the animal

kingdom are mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds,
Fish and Hydra

˜ Multicellular organisms in the plant kingdom are

Mosses, algae (Chondrus and Spirogyra), ferns and
Most of the flowering plants