Basic Cell Physiology

• Two major components of cell: nucleus and cytoplasm
• Nucleus is separated from the cytoplasm by nuclear membrane
• Cytoplasm is separated from surrounding fluids by a cell membrane
• Cell membrane, also called as plasma membrane
• The different substances that make up the cell are collectively called protoplasm
• Protoplasm is composed of:

  water, electrolytes, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates
• Cell is composed of 70-85% of water concentration
• Cell contains water except for fat cells (adipose cells)
• Important ions in the cell include potassium, magnesium, phosphate, sulfate, bicarbonate, and smaller quantities of sodium, chloride and calcium
• Ions - Provides inorganic chemicals for cellular reactions and are necessary for the operation of some cellular control mechanisms
• Protein - the second most abundant substances in most cells
• Protein normally constitute to 10%, 20% of cell mass
• Protein can be divided into two types: structural protein and functional proteins
• Phospholipids & cholesterol: Are several types of substances that are grouped together because of their common property of being soluble in fat solvents
• Phospholipids and cholesterol: mainly insoluble in water and therefore are used to form the cell membrane and intracellular membrane barriers that separate the different cell compartments
• Makes up of 2% of total cell mass: Phospholipids & cholesterol
• Triglycerides: also called as neutral fats
• Sodium: Extracellular fluid
• Calcium: Extracellular fluid
• Chlorine: Extracellular
• Bicarbonate: Extracellular
• Glucose: Extracellular
• PO2: Extracellular
• pH: Extracellular
• Potassium: Intracellular
• Mg2+ : Intracellular
• Phosphates: Intracellular
• Sulfates: Intracellular
• Module 1 Topics


  • Basic Cell Physiology
  • Transport Across Cell Membranes
  • Osmosis
  • Diffusion Potential, Resting Membrane Potential, and Action Potential
• Nucleus


  Separated from the cytoplasm by nuclear membrane
• Cell membrane


  Also called plasma membrane, separates cytoplasm from surrounding fluids
• Protoplasm


  Different substances that make up the cell
• Components of Protoplasm


  • Water
  • Ions
  • Proteins
  • Lipids
  • Carbohydrates
• Protoplasm is composed of 70-85% water concentration
• Many cellular chemicals are dissolved in water
• Chemical reactions take place among the dissolved chemicals or at the surfaces of the suspended particles or membranes
• Important ions in the cell

  • Potassium
  • Magnesium
  • Phosphate
  • Sulfate
  • Bicarbonate
  • Sodium
  • Chloride
  • Calcium
• Proteins


  After water, the most abundant substances in most cells
• Proteins normally constitute 10-20% of cell mass
• Types of Proteins


  • Structural proteins
  • Functional proteins