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Cell Theory

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31 views15 pages

Cell Theory

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iraq2004312
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Cell theory

LS1001

Prof. Surajit Das


Complete definition of cells
It was put forward by Lowey and Siekevitz (1963) as follows:

“A cell is the smallest but complete expression of the


fundamental structure and function of all living organisms,
which is capable of independent existence and self
reproduction in a suitable non-living medium”

It has following characteristics:

1. A cell membrane: It is a boundary regulating all exchanges


of matter and energy

2. A metabolic machinery: It uses the energy trapped by the


cell or obtained from foodstuffs

3. A biosynthetic machinery: It helps in the synthesis of


proteins (RNA and ribosomes)

4. A specific genetic programme: It permits the reproduction


of new cells of the same type
Cell – basic unit of life
What is a Cell?
• Cell is a basic structural, functional and biological unit of all living
organisms (Unicellular and multicellular)
• Term originated from Latin Word “Cella” meaning small room and
discovered by Robert Hook in 1665 while studying cork under microscope

Robert Hook Microscope Cells of Cork

• It is a self-replicating structures that are capable of responding to changes in


the environment and often called building block of life
• Study of cell is called cell biology
Robert Hook published findings about Cells in his book entitled Micrographia in
which he gave 60 ‘observations of various objects under a coarse, compound
microscope

•In 1665, he observed cells in cork and coined the term "cells”.

•Hooke did not know their real structure or function

•He had thought that cells were actually empty cell walls of plant tissues

•With microscopes of low magnification at that time, Hooke was unable to see
internal components of the cells he was observing

•So he thought cells were dead and his observations gave no indication of the
nucleus and other organelles found in most living cells

In 1673, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is another scientist who saw cells soon after
Hooke did

•He made use of a microscope containing improved lenses that could magnify
objects almost 300-fold

•Under these microscopes, Leeuwenhoek found motile objects and he states


that motility is a quality of life therefore these were living organisms
Over time, he wrote many more papers in which described many specific
forms of microorganisms like bacteria and protozoa

The cells in animal tissues were observed after plants were because the
tissues were so fragile and susceptible to tearing, it was difficult for such thin
slices to be prepared for studying

In 1804, Karl Rudolphi and J.H.F. Link were awarded the prize from Royal
Society of Science) for "solving the problem of the nature of cells",
meaning they were the first to prove that cells had independent cell walls

Later in 1838 concept of cell theory came into existence

Robert Brown (1827-33) noticed that pollen grains in water jiggled


around called “Brownian motion” and he discovered the nucleus.
Cell Theory

•In biology, cell theory is a scientific theory which describes the properties
of cells

•Cell theory is the foundation of biology and is the most widely accepted
explanation of the function of cells

•With continual improvements made to microscopes over time,


magnification technology advanced enough to discover cells in the 17th
century

•After the discovery of cells, many debates started about properties, role and
function of cells

•Eventually in 1838, Cell theory was formulated by Matthias Schleiden and


Theodor Schwann. Other scientists like Rudolf Virchow also contributed to
the theory
Schleiden suggested:
1. Cells or result of cells contribute to structural part of a plant
2. Cells are made by a crystallization process either within other cells or from
the outside

Schwann suggested:
1. Like plants, structurally animals are composed of cells or the product of cells

The following are the three basic principles to this cell theory:

1. All living organisms are composed of one or more cells


2. The cell is the most basic unit of life
3. All cells arise from pre-existing, living cells (Contributed by Rudolf
Virchow in 1855)
Essential features of Cell Theory

Following are the essential features of cell theory:

1. Cells are fundamental units of structure and function


in all living organisms

2. Cells are physiological units of living organisms

3. Cells are hereditary units

4. New cells originate from the pre-existing cells only

5. Cell is the smallest unit of life. All activities of living


organisms are the outcome of the activities of its
constituent cells
Significance of cell theory

•Modern concept of cell theory emphasizes the structural


and functional relationship among the diverse living forms
from bacteria to man

•All cells irrespective of their function and position have a


nucleus embedded in the cytoplasm and bounded by cell
membrane (unity in their structural plan)

•Same metabolic processes occur in all the cells primitive


or specialized (unity of function)

•This implies that all the living things have originated from
the same primitive ancestral types that originated 2-3
billion years ago
Objections to cell theory
Cell Principle
•In 1858, a German biologist Rudolph Virchow found that all living
cells arise from pre-existing cells ('omnis cellula e cellula')

•In 1866 Ernst Haeckel suggested that nucleus might store and
transmit the hereditary information. He proposed a link
between ontogeny (development of form)
and phylogeny (evolutionary descent), summed up in the phrase
"ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny".

•The improvement made in the field of microscopes and techniques


for the study of cells, enabled scientists to collect enormous
information on the structural and functional organisation of cells

•As a result of these developments the cell


theory had to be
modified and cell principle was formulated
Important Features of Cell Principle
Such objections necessitated modification of cell theory

The modified form of cell theory is described as “Cell Principle or Cell doctrine”
Cell theory vs Cell Principle

Cell principle is better than cell theory


because:

1. It is applicable to all the living things like


plants, animals and micro-organisms

2. Cell principle incorporates all the modern


findings

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