What is inside all cells
Proteins
Proteins—perform most of the cell’s functions
Nucleic acids
Nucleic acids—store, transmit, and process
information
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates—provide chemical energy, carbon,
support, and identity
Plasma membrane
Plasma membrane—serves as a selectively
permeable membrane barrier (lipids)
Ribosomes
Ribosomes—sites of protein synthesis
Chromosome(s)
Chromosome(s)—structures made of nucleic acids
that serve to transmit hereditary information
Cytoplasm
Cytoplasm—internal cellular fluid (cytosol)
Types of cells
Cells are divided into two fundamental types based on
morphology:
three domains
Light Microscopes
use a beam of light to focus in
a specimen
Electron Microscopes
use a bean of electrons
focused on a specimen instead of light
Two main types of electron microscopes
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM): view surface of specimen
provide 3-D exterior views
Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM):
view ultrastructure of specimen (how it is put together) can show fine detail within cells
Magnification
the ratio of an objects image to its actual size
Resolution
the measure of the clarity of an image; the
minimum distance two points can be separated and still
be distinguished as two points.
What is the resolving power of light and electron microscopes?
The resolving power of a light microscope is approximately 200 nanometers, while that of an electron microscope is about 2 nanometers.
This significant difference allows electron microscopes to visualize much smaller structures than light microscopes.
What can be imaged with a light microscope and an electron microscope?
Live or fixed specimens can be imaged with a light microscope, but only fixed specimens can be imaged with an electron microscope.
Light microscopes allow observation of living cells, while electron microscopes provide higher resolution images of fixed samples.
What are the differences between a light microscope and an electron microscope?
Light microscopes use visible light for illumination. Electron microscopes use a beam of electrons.
Specimen preparation for light microscopes takes minutes to hours, while for electron microscopes it can take days.
Light microscopes can image live or dead specimens, whereas electron microscopes can only image dead or dried specimens.
Light microscopes have a resolving power of about 0.25 to 0.3 micrometers, while electron microscopes have a resolving power about 250 times higher.
Light microscopes can magnify objects from 500X to 1500X, while electron microscopes can magnify from 100,000X to 300,000X.
Images produced by light microscopes are colored, while those from electron microscopes are black and white.
Specimens for light microscopes are stained with colored dyes, while those for electron microscopes are coated with heavy metals to reflect electrons.
These differences highlight the unique capabilities and limitations of each type of microscope in biological research.
Cells have four common components
1) An enclosing plasma membrane which separates the cell’s interior from the environment
4) Cytoplasm made of cytosol in which other components of
the cell are found
3) DNA – the genetic material of the cell
4) Ribosomes which synthesize proteins
Prokaryotic cells
Contain at least one chromosome
Many protein-synthesizing ribosomes
phospholipid components differ in bacteria and archaea
cytoplasm
How do phospholipid components differ between bacterial and archaeal cells?
Bacterial phospholipids consist of fatty acids bound to glycerol.
Archaeal phospholipids use branched isoprenoid chains bound to glycerol.
These differences contribute to the distinct membrane structures and functions in these two domains of life.
What are prokaryotic cells similar to?
Prokaryotic cells are believed to be similar to the first cells that existed on Earth.
These cells are characterized by their simplicity and lack of a nucleus.
What is the structure of prokaryotic DNA and plasmids?
Prokaryotic DNA typically consists of a single, circular chromosome that contains a large DNA molecule associated with proteins, which provide structural support. (supercoiled)
Additionally, prokaryotic cells may contain plasmids, which are smaller, circular DNA molecules that can carry additional genetic information
Plasmids often play a role in antibiotic resistance and other traits that can be beneficial for survival.
What is the structure of ribosomes in Prokaryotes
Macromolecular machines
– Have large and small subunit
– Consist of RNA molecules and protein
– Used for protein synthesis
– Ribosomes in bacteria and archaea similar in size
and function
Primary structure of RNA and protein components
different