Cell

• The Golgi apparatus processes and packages proteins and lipids into vesicles for transport within the cell or secretion outside the cell.
• Cells are the basic building blocks of life
• Cells take in raw materials and convert them to new molecules
• Cells are like chemical factories that carry out different functions to keep us alive
• Most cells are too small to be seen without microscopes
• Light and Electron microscopes can be used to see cells and their parts
• Cutting along the length or at right angles to the cell allows for different perspectives
• A cell consists of protoplasm, made up of cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus
• Cell membrane surrounds the cytoplasm and is partially permeable
• Plant cells have a cell wall made of cellulose, fully permeable, and gives the cell a fixed shape
• Cytoplasm is found between the cell membrane and the nucleus, containing organelles
• Nucleus controls cell activities and is essential for cell division
• Chromosomes are thread-like structures made of DNA found within the nucleus
• Endoplasmic Reticulum has two types: rough ER (RER) and smooth ER (SER)
• Rough ER is a network of flattened spaces lined with a membrane and transports proteins
• Ribosomes are responsible for protein synthesis and can be attached to RER or free in the cytoplasm
• Smooth ER synthesises substances like fats and steroids and is involved in detoxification
• Golgi apparatus chemically modifies substances, stores, and packages them for secretion
• Vesicles containing substances made by the ER fuse with the Golgi body for modification and secretion
• Mitochondria are oval organelles for aerobic respiration and release energy for cellular activities
• Chloroplasts are oval structures in plant cells containing chlorophyll for photosynthesis
• Vacuoles are fluid-filled spaces enclosed by a partially permeable membrane for storing substances
• Plant cells have a large central vacuole, while animal cells have numerous small vacuoles
• Differences between plant and animal cells include cell wall, vacuoles, and chloroplasts
• Differentiation is the process by which a cell becomes specialised for a specific function
• Examples of specialised cells: red blood cells, root hair cells, intestinal cells, nerve cells
• Red blood cells contain haemoglobin, lack a nucleus, and have a circular biconcave shape
• Muscle cells contain many mitochondria and contractile protein fibres for movement
• Root hair cells have long and narrow extensions to increase absorption rate of water and mineral salts
• Stem cells can develop into other specialised cells and have the potential to treat diseases