BGY3002 Lecture 1: History and Basic Properties of Cells

Cell Structure and Function

• The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all living organisms.

Cellular Organelles

• Mitochondria is the primary site of energy production in a cell, responsible for generating energy for the cell through cellular respiration.

Chloroplasts in Plant Cells

• Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells responsible for photosynthesis, the process of converting light energy into chemical energy.

Endoplasmic Reticulum

• The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a type of organelle responsible for several functions including protein synthesis, folding, and transport, as well as lipid synthesis and detoxification.

Detoxification

• The smooth ER is also responsible for detoxifying harmful substances in a cell by adding a carbohydrate molecule to the toxin, making it harmless.

Golgi Apparatus

• The Golgi apparatus is a complex organelle responsible for processing and modifying proteins and lipids synthesized by the ER, and then packaging them for transport to other parts of the cell or for secretion outside the cell.