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NCERT: Science and Technology
Lecture -01
Introduction to Science and
Technology
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Introduction to Science and Technology
Insight into Science and Technology syllabus
Cell : Basic Unit of Life
About a cell
Insight into Science and Technology Syllabus:
Cell : Basic Unit of Life
If we are ever asked whether or not we have ever seen a cell with our naked eyes, the
answer should be yes because eggs are a perfect and easy example of cells that we see
in our everyday lives. The yolk can be considered to be the nucleus.
In 1665, Robert Hooke was the first person to have discovered a cell.
In 1674, Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek was the first person to observe human cells and
bacteria under his microscope more powerful than the microscopes of his time.
In 1831, Robert Brown discovered the Nucleus of the cell.
Cell Theory proposed by Schleiden and Schwann:
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During 1838 and 1839, Schleiden and Schwann
proposed the ‘Cell Theory.’ They stated that all
plants and animals are made up of cells and these
cells are the basic unit of life.
After a few years, another famous scientist
Virchow added the third point to the Cell
Theory of Schleiden and Schwann. He opined
that every cell divides in itself and originates on
its own
About a Cell:
Structure of a Cell: Three main parts of cells-
Cell Membrane/Plasma Membrane: The nucleus and cytoplasm are enclosed by the
cell membrane. The inner cell membrane and
the surrounding medium are separated by the
cell membrane. It is a living structure but is
semi-permeable or selectively permeable in
nature. This allows the passing of water but
blocks other bodies. It is composed of
phospholipids (lipids are fats) and proteins
(chemical composition).
Cytoplasm: Between the cell membrane and the nucleus is a substance called
cytoplasm that resembles jelly. Cell organelles are located in the cytoplasm.
Nucleus: The cell's nucleus, a compact, spherical substance, is located in the middle.
The membrane divides the cytoplasm from the nucleus.
Classification of Cells: There are two types of cells, plant cells and animal cells. In plant
cells, the parts of the nucleus and cytoplasm are the same as in the animal cell but
there is an outer layer covering the cell membrane which is known as the Cell wall.
Other Parts of the Cell:
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Cell wall: These are only found in plant cells. The cell
wall helps the plants endure harsh conditions and
gives mechanical strength. The cell wall is composed
of cellulose (chemical composition) and is a non-living
structure. Cell walls are also found in fungi and
bacteria. When found in fungi, the chemical
component found would be Chitin and when found
in bacteria, the chemical compounds found would be
peptidoglycans. It is to be remembered that the cell wall is freely permeable in
nature.
Experiment:
Two beakers of water with 1 liter were taken. In beaker A, 100 gms of salt is mixed,
and in beaker B, 50 gms of salt is mixed.
The amount of free water would be more in beaker B than in beaker A because of
the higher concentration of salt in beaker A.
Free water would flow from beaker B to beaker A because of the process of osmosis.
Osmosis is the passage of water (diffusion of solvent molecules) through a semi-
permeable membrane from a low solute concentration ( in this case beaker B because
of less quantity of salt) region to a high solute concentration region (in this case
beaker A because of more quantity of salt).
In the case of the movement of salt, molecules will start moving from beaker A to
beaker B because of diffusion. Diffusion of a substance (solute) through a permeable
membrane transports it from a region of high solute concentration (solution- in this
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case beaker A with more salt concentration) to a region of low concentration (in this
case, beaker B with less salt concentration).
Example: When we put salt on a plate of salad, the entire water inside the piece of
cucumber comes out. This is called osmosis and whatever permeates into the
cucumber is known as diffusion.
Cell Organelles: A cell organelle is a sub-cellular structure that has one or more
distinct functions to perform inside
the cell, just like an organ does in the
body. The more important cell
organelles are the ribosomes,
mitochondria, and nucleus. The cell
has a variety of organelles that are
divided into three groups based on
whether or not they have a membrane.
Mitochondria: They are referred to as the “powerhouses” of the cell which
provide energy in the form of ATP (Adenosine Tri-phosphate). ATP captures
chemical energy obtained from the breakdown
of food molecules and releases it to fuel other
cellular processes. These are a double
membrane-bound structure.
• The matrix, a viscous fluid found in
mitochondria, is made up of a combination
of proteins and enzymes. There is some
complexity in the structure of the
mitochondrial inner membrane. This serves
to increase the surface area inside the organelle. Its numerous folds produce a
layered structure known as cristae. Contributing to the synthesis of ATP
molecules are the inner membrane proteins and cristae. Along with the nucleus,
mRNA is found in the mitochondria.
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o Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single-stranded RNA (Ribo Nucleic Acid)
molecule that is complementary to one of the DNA strands of a gene. The
mRNA is an RNA version of the gene that leaves the cell nucleus and moves
to the cytoplasm where proteins are made.
Plastids: Plastids are the large cell
organelles present only in plant cells. It
has its own DNA. There are three types
of plastids- Chromoplast, leucoplast, and
chloroplast.
• Chloroplasts: Chlorophyll are
pigments found in chloroplasts, which are in charge of absorbing light energy
necessary for photosynthesis.
• Chromoplast: This imparts a yellow, orange, or red color to the plant portion.
• Leucoplasts: These are colorless plastids of different sizes and shapes that store
nutrients like oil fats, and proteins, respectively. Example: Potato.
