Do you know what all living things are made of ? We are made of cells.
Cells are the building blocks of life. Cells are tiny structures that make all of us. Just like us, cells take in external energy and convert that to usable energy using which they carry out their functions.
This is a diagrammatic representation of cell:
There are two types of cells, plant cells and animal cells. This diagram over here is the representation of an animal cell.
We will look at each of these organelles individual and study their functions.
Nucleus:
Let’s start with the brain of the cell. The large round-shaped yellow structure in this diagram is the nucleus (the brain of a cell). The nucleus is known as the brain of the cell because it commands the cell functions and manages all cellular activities. A nucleus also contains a structure known as the nucleolus within it.
Nucleolus:
As seen in the diagram, the nucleus contains a nucleolus. The function of a nucleolus is to produce something called ribosomes. Ribosomes are tiny structures that help in the construction of proteins in the cell using amino acids. Proteins are crucial in a cell. A cell requires proteins to carry out cellular functions and repair any damaged parts of the cell.
In case you are wondering what amino acids are. Amino acids are small structures that come together to form a protein, which is why they are used to construct proteins.
Ribosomes:
The ribosomes made at the nucleolus leave the nucleus to do their job of synthesizing (making) proteins. Once the ribosomes are out of the nucleus, they are now free to wander around the cell. Some of them stick to an organelle known as the endoplasmic reticulum.
Endoplasmic reticulum:
There are two types of endoplasmic reticulum, the rough endoplasmic reticulum, and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum.
Rough endoplasmic reticulum:
The rough er (endoplasmic reticulum) works specifically with the ribosomes by helping them transport proteins. Ribosomes released from the nucleus often end up sticking to the rough er. The ribosomes that attach to the rough endoplasmic reticulum use the help of the organelle to synthesize proteins and transport them to all parts of the cell. Proteins and other materials come out of the endoplasmic reticulum in small vesicles. Vesicles are small fluid sacs that store material and help transport them.
Smooth endoplasmic reticulum:
Firstly, the smooth er doesn't contain any ribosomes like the rough er. The smooth endoplasmic reticulum is where the synthesis of important lipids occurs. It also produces and secretes a hormone known as steroid.
Golgi apparatus:
These materials in the vesicles travel through the cytoplasm to reach the Golgi apparatus, otherwise known as the Golgi body. Inside the Golgi apparatus, the proteins are shaped into structures that can be used by the cells. The Golgi apparatus can also attach other substances to these proteins, such as carbohydrates. Once this process is over, the Golgi apparatus transports these proteins in vesicles to wherever they are required in the cell.
Mitochondria:
Mitochondria is a membrane-bound organelle that generates most of the energy that is required in a cell. The mitochondria are the main site of a process known as cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is the process through which a cell creates all its energy. The end product of cellular respiration is called ATP (Adenosine triphosphate). ATPs are small particles that store the energy produced, and these ATPs give the cell the energy it requires to function.
Vacuoles:
Vacuoles have various functions in animal cells. Their common functions are to store substances that are typically waster or harmful and they help in maintaining cell acidity. The specific function of a vacuoles varies from one anima cell to another. as they different cells store different substances in the vacuole.
Lysosome:
Lysosomes act as the garbage collectors of a cell. They take damaged cell parts and digest them using the enzymes that are present in them.
Cell membranes:
A membrane is a selectively permeable wall. It opens for friendly substances, like carbohydrates, but remains closed for dangerous substances like viruses and bacteria, which is why the name selective permeable. Permeable means it allows something to pass through, and selectively permeable means it allows selected substances to pass through. There are many membranes in a cell, but they all have a similar working mechanism and function, which is to protect the organelle.
Cytoplasm:
Cytoplasm is a jelly like fluid which contains all the different organelles in a cell.
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