SBL -100

CeLLULAR STRUCTURE AND

FUNCTION
LECTURE 3
2023-24 SemESTER II
Anita Roy
School of Biological Sciences,
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

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Animation of cell membrane
 Ions and macromolecules require specific channels or
transporters for movement in/out of the cell. These
Movement of small molecules by passive diffusion transporters or channels are proteins embedded in the
through the lipid bilayer lipid bilayer.
Aquaporin – the water channel
 THE ENDOMEMBRANE SYSTEM
1. Endomembrane (endo-‘within’) system consists of the
endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the Golgi apparatus,
endosomes and secretory vesicles, lysosomes and
vacuoles. These are present in a jelly like “CYTOPLASM”.

2. This group of membrane bound organelles work

together in protein and lipid synthesis; its processing,
packaging and transport to their respective locations
inside a cell.

3. The basic elements of the boundary membrane arise

from the endoplasmic reticulum, but many of the
membrane proteins and the soluble internal proteins are
taken up from the cytosol. Synthesis of a few lipid
elements such as sphingomyelin and glycolipids begins in
the ER and is completed in the Golgi.
 ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
1. ER membrane is continuous with outer nuclear
membrane. It is a network of tubular structure.

2. The ER may be rough or smooth depending on the

presence or absence of ribosomes on their surface.

3. Proteins that are synthesized by the ribosomes on the

rough ER enter the ER lumen (space enclosed by the ER
membranes).

4. The proteins are folded by “chaperone proteins” present

in the lumen to achieve their functional conformation.
Misfolded proteins are marked for degradation and
exported to the cytoplasm. This achieves “PROTEIN
HOMOEOSTASIS”.

5. Proteins are also modified in the ER by addition of sugar

moieties – a process called “GLYCOSYLATION”.
Transmission electron micrograph of a portion of the rough ER.
The division of the rough ER into a cisternal space (which
is devoid of ribosomes) and a cytosolic space is evident.
6. ER is also involved in the synthesis of lipids –phospholipids.

Electron micrograph of a Leydig cell from the testis showing the extensive
smooth ER where steroid hormones are synthesized.
 STRUCTURE OF THE ER

TpoR
LC3
 THE GOLGI APPARATUS - DISCOVERY

In 1898, Golgi applied a metallic stain to nerve cells from the brain and discovered a darkly stained reticular network located near
the cell nucleus.

This network, which was later identified in other cell types and named the Golgi complex, helped earn its discoverer the Nobel
Prize in 1906.

Confocal microscopy image (light microscopy) of a cell. The Golgi is depicted in red
and the ER in green.
 THE GOLGI APPARATUS
1. The structure of the Golgi shows flattened, disk-like, membranous cisternae with dilated rims and associated vesicles and
tubules.

2. The Golgi is primarily a processing plant for proteins and certain lipids like glycolipids.

3. The Golgi complex is divided into several functionally distinct compartments arranged along an axis from the cis or entry face
closest to the ER to the trans or exit face at the opposite end of the stack.
4. Proteins from the ER via ERGIC first enters the Cis Golgi Network (CGN) which is primarily a sorting station that distinguishes
between proteins to be shipped back to the ER and those that are allowed to proceed to the next Golgi stack.

5. Proteins then enter the cisterna of the Golgi network beginning from Cis-medial and ending with the trans cisternae. Proteins
are modified further by further processing of the glycosylation (sugar moieties attached to the protein).

6. Proteins then reach the Trans Golgi Network (TGN) where they are packaged into vesicles that are destined to deliver them to
various parts of the cell such as plasma membrane, lysosomes or simply secreted out of the cell.

7. Vesicles bud from the peripheral tubular domain of each cisterna carrying the protein cargo. The vesicles are guided on tracks
of microtubules.
7. ER resident proteins are retained while others are then exported to their destination. This export occurs by a controlled
pathway via the Golgi apparatus and is called the “SECRETORY PATHWAY”.

I. Materials follow the biosynthetic (or secretory) pathway from the

endoplasmic reticulum, through the ERGIC (endoplasmic reticulum Golgi
intermediate compartment), the Golgi complex, and out to various
locations including lysosomes, endosomes, secretory vesicles, secretory
granules, vacuoles, and the plasma membrane.

II. Movement of vesicles occurs along tracks composed of microtubules.

III. Materials follow the endocytic pathway from the cell surface to the
interior by way of endosomes and lysosomes, where they are generally
degraded by lysosomal enzymes.
DEMONSTRATION OF DIFFERENT PROTEIN DIFFUSION RATES IN
MEMBRANE
 Let’s recapitulate………………………………………….
Key features of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells :

PROKARYOTIC CELL EUKARYOTIC CELL

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 Key differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

PROKARYOTIC CELL EUKARYOTIC CELL

Typical size of the cell is ~ 2 µm in length. An average eukaryotic cell will have a
diameter of ~ 10 µm
Cell with an outer membrane (Gram Cell has a cell membrane. May have a rigid
negative), rigid cell wall and cell cell wall as in plant cells.
membrane.

The cytoplasm shows the presence of a Eukaryotic cells have a prominent nucleus
condensed nucleoid that contains the chromosomes. Nucleus
has an outer nuclear membrane.
No membranous structure is seen within Several membrane bound organelles are
the prokaryotic cell seen such as nucleus, mitochondria,
endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, lysosomes
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 Key differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

PROKARYOTIC CELL EUKARYOTIC CELL

Average doubling time in general is inorder The doubling time is in the order of hours
of tens of minutes. For E. coli the doubling to days. The average doubling time for
time is ~ 20 minutes fibroblast is ~ 24 hr

Prokaryotes are unicellular organisms Can range from unicellular protozoa and
yeast to multicellular sponges to highly
developed mammals
The last feature of eukaryotes discussed here requires specialized cells in the body such
as neurons for the brain and cardiac muscle cells for the heart.

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CELLULAR COMPLEXITY

Cell and Molecular Biology,

Karp (Chapter 1)