UMARU MUSA YAR’ADUA UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
BIO 101 LECTURE NOTE

WEEK ONE

⮚ The Cell as the basic unit of Living Organisms.

⮚ Types of Cells.
⮚ Forms of Living Cells.
⮚ Cellular Organisation.

CELLS AS THE BASIC UNIT OF LIFE

All living things are made up of tiny microscopic units as their building blocks, this

microscopic units are known as cells, which carry out all the processes that categorised the

organism as a living thing.

Definition: The cell is the basic structural and functional unit in all animals in other words it

is the smallest bit of living matter that can exist independently.

Cell history

● In 1665 an English botanist called Robert Hooke used a simple microscope to examine

the cork from a tree bark, He observed a honey comb structures which he named cells.

● Later between 1808 –1809 the works of Mirbel and Lamarck confirmed Hook’s idea.

● In 1834 Felix Dujardin discovered the living part of the cell which he named “sarcode”

now known as the protoplasm.

● In 1839 Theodor Schwann a German zoologist discovered that animals are made up of

cells.
 Cell theory

Jointly Theodor Schwann and Mathias Schleiden jointly formulated what is referred to as the

cell theory, thus summarised as follows.

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

II.The cell is the structural and functional units of all living organism.

III.All existing cells come from the reproduction of pre-existing cells.

IV.A cell contains information for its structural and functional development in its nucleic acid.

TYPES OF A CELL

There are two major types of cell

1) Prokaryotic cell; Are mostly unicellular lacking true nucleus thus their genetic material

lay free in the cytoplasm in a region known as nucleoid. E.g bacteria

2) Eukaryotic cell: Are mostly multicellular except protoctista. There DNA is enclosed

inside a nucleus. E.gprotoctists, fungi and animals.

Forms in which living cells exists

Living cells can exist in the following forms

1. Single and free living cells: An organism that consist of one cell is said to be called

unicellular, acellular or monads. Such animals lives independently without relying on other

cells, thus is able to show all the basic characteristics of living things e.g Amoeba, Euglena,

Paramecium and Chlamydomonas.

An Amoeba

2. Single cells living as a colony: Many cells exists as a living single colony with each member

cell independent of the other in body metabolism, but are connected with delicate strands of

cytoplasm. e.gVolvox, Pandorina and Eudorina.

 A colony of volvox

3. Single cells living as filaments: Living cells may also exists as a filament. Filaments are

made up of cylindrical cells joined end-to-end in a single row e.g Spirogyra, Oscillatoria and

Aphanizomenon.

A Filament of Spirogyra

4. As Multicellular: A multicellular organism is an organism that consists of more than two

cells interdependent on each other in performing a particular function. Humans are reported to

have about 10 trillion cells performing different functions either as tissues, organs or systems.

ORGANISATION OF LIFE

All living things especially animals are highly organised depending on the complexity of their

morphology and physiology. This organisation occurs in levels such that the simplest

organisms are found at the lowest level.

Levels of organisation of life

There are four levels of organisation of life in organisms these are:

CELLS ----- TISSUES ----- ORGANS ----SYSTEMS

The Cell
 The cellular level is the most fundamental level of organisation. Organisms that are found under

this category are made up of a single cell, examples of such organisms includes among animals;

Amoeba, paramecium, bacteria e.t.c. While under plants we have euglena, clamydomonas, and

chlorella.

The Tissue

A tissue is a group of similar cells forming a continuous layer in an organism performing a

specific function. Certain organisms are found to exist under the tissue level of organisation

where their whole structure is made up of a few collection of cells jointly working as a living

individual example of such organisms includes; hydra, jelly fish, sea walnuts, e.t.c.

In multicellular organisms such as higher plants and animals different kinds of tissues were

found each of which performs unique functions

Types of tissues in Animals

In animals there four different types of tissues classified according to their function.

1. Epithelial Tissues: Epithelial tissue are group of cells covering the body surface. It is made

up of closely packed cells with almost no intercellular space. Epithelial tissues are specialised

to form a covering or lining of the internal body surfaces (known as ectothelium) and the

external body surfaces (known as the endothelium). Each epithelial tissue regardless of the

type, is usually separated by a thin sheet of connective tissue called basement membrane. The

basement membrane provides structural supports and also binds it to neighbouring structures.

Types of Epithelial tissue

Epithelial tissue can be divided into two groups depending on the number of layers it is

composed. Epithelial tissues which are only one cell thick is known as simple epithelium while

the tissues that are made up of more than one cell are called stratified epithelium.

I. Simple epithelium
 Simple epithelium can be subdivided into 5 types according to the shape and function of their

cells.

a. Squamous (pavement) epithelium:

Squamous cells have the appearance of thin, flat plates, with a horizontal flattened, elliptical

nuclei. This type of tissue form the lining of cavities such as mouth, blood vessels

Squamous epithelial tissue

b. Cuboidal epithelium:

This type of epithelium is made up of cells that are roughly square or cuboidal in shape. Each

cell has a spherical nucleus at the centre of the cytoplasm. Cuboidal cells are mostly found in

the lining of kidney tubules and duct glands.

Simple cuboidal epithelium

c. Simple columnar epithelium

Columnar epithelium cells are elongated and column shaped. The nuclei are elongated and are

usually located near the base of the cells. Columnar epithelium forms the lining of the stomach
 and intestines. Some columnar cells are specialised for sensory reception such as in the nose,

ears and taste buds.

Simple columnar epithelium

d. Ciliated columnar epithelium:

These are simple columnar epithelial cells, but in addition they possess a fine hair like out

growths on their free surfaces called cilia. These cilia are capable of rapid rhymic wave like

beating in a certain direction which allows mucus to flow. Ciliated epithelium is usually found

in the air passage like nose, uterus and fallopian tubes of females.

Ciliated columnar epithelium

e. Glandular epithelium: Columnar epithelium with goblet cells is called glandular epithelium,

the presence of these goblet cells enable the tissue to synthesis and secrete certain substances

such as enzymes, hormones, milk, mucus, sweat, wax and saliva.

 Glandular epithelium

II. Stratified epithelium:

Stratified epithelium are group of different types of cells forming two or more layers .Mostly

stratified epithelium is found in body lining that have to withstand wear and tear. E.g the

mammalian skin and the lining of the mouth cavity.

FUNCTIONS OF EPITHELIAL TISSUE

● Protection: Epithelial cells found in the skin protect underlying tissue from mechanical injury,

harmful chemicals, invading viruses and bacteria and from excessive water loss.

● Sensation: Some special columnar epithelium with sensory receptors help in transmission of

impulses to the brain.

● Secretion: Glandular epithelium helps in secretion of specific chemicals needed by the body.
● Absorption: Certain epithelial cells lining the small intestine absorbs nutrients from the

digestive system.

● Excretion: Epithelial tissue in the kidney excrete waste product from the body through selective

reabsorption of the kidney tubule.