Profile
Settings
Refer your friends
Sign out
A cell is the tiniest unit that can survive on its own, and it is something that makes up the tissues of the body and whole living organism. A cell consists of 3 parts: nucleus, cell membrane and cytoplasm. The cell membrane is the part of a cell that surrounds the cell, and it controls the outflow and inflow of substances. The cytoplasm is the fluid that is inside a cell. At the same time, the nucleus is the main structure that lies inside the cell and contains most of the cell’s DNA and the nucleolus. You will get to know about cell structure and organization in this article.
It is the cytoplasm where most of the chemical reactions occur, and almost all proteins are made. You will get to know about the cell structure in detail below.
Cell structure
Ideas revolving around the cell structure have changed drastically over the years. Biologists in earlier times used to see cells as uncomplicated membranous sacs that contained fluid and a small number of floating particles. But today, biologists have concluded that cell structure is a lot more complex than they initially thought.
Cells come in several different sizes, types and shapes. A cell structure contains 3 parts: the nucleus, cell membrane and cytoplasm. Inside this cytoplasm lies thousands or even more different structures known as organelles. There is also a plant cell structure 3d model that will help you understand its structure in a detailed manner.
Nucleolus and Nucleus
A nucleus is formed by a nuclear membrane around a nucleoplasm that is a kind of fluid. The nucleus is the command and control centre of a cell. It is because it regulates all the activities that take place in a cell and act as a carrier for genes that are the structures containing information regarding heredity. The nucleus contains threads of chromatin, which consists of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid); this DNA is the cell’s genetic material.
The nucleolus contains RNA (ribonucleic acid) and is a very dense region in the nucleus. It is an area where a ribosome is formed. How a cell is going to function, and the basic cell structure are all determined by the cell’s nucleus.There is usually just one nucleus in a cell, but the nucleus might divide under some conditions, but the cytoplasm does not.
Cell membrane
A membrane encloses each cell in the body. This membrane separates everything inside the cell (intracellular) from everything that lies outside the cell (extracellular). A cell membrane also controls the material that flows in and out of the cell. The material in the cell should have access to the membrane to go in or out of the cell. A cell membrane is double layered and made up of phospholipid molecules. The proteins in the membrane act as receptor points; they also act as carrier molecules, provide identification markers, act as a channel for materials passage, and give the necessary structural support.
The cell membrane is very flexible due to its chemical structure. The lipids help in giving the cell membrane not just flexibility but also help maintain the cell’s chemical climate, monitor proteins, and assist in the transfer of molecules in and out of a cell membrane.
Cytoplasm
The cytoplasm is a thick solution, and it fills each cell and is surrounded by a cell membrane that encloses it from the outside. The cytoplasm is made up of salts, proteins, and water. Eukaryotic cells like mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and nucleus lie in the cytoplasm.
The cytoplasm is very organised; though it looks like it is, there is no form of structure in it. Protein scaffolds that are known as cytoskeleton are what provides cytoplasm with the structure it requires.
Animal Vs Plant Cell
Plant cells, in general, are generally bigger in comparison to animal cells. Where plant cells are between 10 to 100 micrometres, animal cells are 10 to 30 micrometres.
There are no cell walls in animal cells, but there is a membrane. On the other hand, there is a cell wall made up of cellulose in plant cells.
Due to plants’ strong cell walls, they tend to have a rigid and fixed shape that is generally rectangular. On the other hand, it is entirely different from animal cells. Animal cells do not have cell walls making them irregular in shape.
Conclusion
Cells are described as building blocks in all the living things on earth. There are trillions of cells in the normal human body. Cells help provide structure to the body and help take in nutrients and convert those into energy. Cells correspondingly contain hereditary material. To understand the cell structure, you can go through a plant cell structure 3d model that will help you in understanding it a lot better.
A cell structure has 3 parts: the nucleus, the cell membrane and the cytoplasm. The cell membrane is what surrounds the cell from the outside, whereas the nucleus is a structure that lies within the cell and contains the cell’s DNA. The cytoplasm is a thick solution that fills the cells and is surrounded by a membrane. This article also helped you understand what cell structure and organization is.
