Cell Structure and Function

Cellular Functions

• Cells perform various vital functions: movement, conductivity, metabolic absorption, secretion, excretion, respiration, reproduction, and communication.
• Movement involves generating forces for producing motion.
• Conductivity is the ability to conduct a response to stimuli, resulting in excitation.
• Metabolic absorption allows cells to intake and utilize surrounding nutrients and substances.
• Secretion involves cells releasing fluids such as mucus and saliva.
• Excretion enables cells to eliminate waste products from metabolic processes.
• Respiration is the uptake of oxygen for ATP energy transformation from nutrients.
• Reproduction supports tissue growth through cell enlargement and division.
• Communication among cells is crucial for maintaining a stable, dynamic environment.

Eukaryotic Cell Structure

• The nucleus is the largest membrane-bound organelle, typically found at the cell's center, surrounded by nucleoplasm and a double-layered nuclear envelope with nuclear pores.
• The nucleolus, DNA, and histones inside the nucleus are essential for cell division, genetic control, DNA replication, repair, and transcription.
• Cytoplasm is an aqueous solution (cytosol) comprising half the eukaryotic cell's volume, containing enzymes and ribosomes critical for protein synthesis.

Cytoplasmic Organelles

• Ribosomes: Complexes of RNA and protein, essential for synthesizing proteins, formed in the nucleolus.
• Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER): A network of channels extending from the nuclear membrane, involved in synthesizing, folding, and transporting proteins and lipids; also senses cellular stress.
• Golgi Complex: A smooth membrane network near the nucleus for processing and packaging proteins into secretory vesicles that have specific destinations, including the plasma membrane.
  • Clathrin-coated vesicles are involved in transport and maintaining organelle shape.
• Lysosomes: Sac-like structures filled with enzymes that digest cellular substances into amino acids, fatty acids, and sugars; their enzymes can cause cellular damage when released during injury.

Explore the intricate details of cell structure, adaptation, injury, and death in this comprehensive quiz. Delve into topics like ischemic injury, oxidative stress, and how cells respond to different forms of stress. Perfect for students in the pharmaceutical and medical sciences.