Updated Spring 2009
Summary & Objectives Chapter 3 – “The Cell”
Summary
A. Human cells are small and contain sub-compartments called organelles. This sub-cellular structure of
cells is highly organized.
B. The functions of an organism are determined by the collective function of all an organism’s cells
working together.
C. Cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane that is made of a phospholipid bilayer, proteins,
carbohydrates, and cholesterol.
D. The plasma membrane separates the inside of a cell (intracellular fluid) from the outside of a cell
(extracellular fluid), controls what substances move into and out of cells, functions in cell-cell
recognition, and helps cells communicate.
E. Movement across the plasma membrane can occur by simple diffusion, osmosis, facilitated diffusion,
active transport, endocytosis, or exocytsosis.
F. Organelles are found inside cells and are surrounded by plasma membranes creating compartments
with specialized function.
G. The main organelles in human cells are the nucleus, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi complex,
lysosomes, mitochondria, and components of the cytoskeleton.
H. The human body contains many different types of cells. Cell-types are categorized by protein and
organelle content and shape.
I. In the presence of oxygen, cells produce energy (ATP) through cellular respiration (glycolysis, transition
reaction, citric acid cycle, and electron transport chain). In the absence of oxygen, cells produce energy
through fermentation.
Objectives
1. Summarize cell theory.
2. Describe the structure of a phospholipid bilayer and a plasma membrane and describe the fluid-mosaic
model.
3. Compare and contrast the different forms of membrane transport:
a. Identify which forms of membrane transport move molecules with or against a concentration
gradient.
b. Identify which types of molecules are transported across membranes using simple diffusion,
facilitated diffusion, osmosis, active transport, exocytosis, and endocytosis.
4. Describe the size and structural relationships between cells and organelles.
5. Identify the location and shape of the major organelles from pictures and slides or by description.
6. Identify the major functions of each organelle and consequences or diseases that result from lack of
function of an organelle.
7. Briefly describe how cells produce ATP in the presence or absence of oxygen.
Highlighted Book Terms:
cell theory, organelle, eukaryotic, prokaryotic, plasma membrane, cytoplasm, intracellular fluid,
extracellular fluid, fluid-mosaic model, active transport, simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis,
exocytosis, endocytosis, selectively permeable, vesicle, nucleus, chromosome, ribosome, endoplasmic
reticulum, golgi complex, lysosomes, mitochondria, cytoskeleton, microtubule, cilia, flagellum, cellular
respiration, glycolysis, citric acid cycle, electron transport chain, fermentation
Additional terms you should know (some from lecture):
concentration, concentration gradient, “down/with a gradient”, “up/against a gradient”, Tay-Sach’s
Disease, immotile cilia syndrome, aerobic metabolism, anaerobic metabolism
