Molecular and Cellular Biology
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to Cells
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What is a cell?
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Cell theory
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Prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cells
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Cell size and surface area-to-volume ratio
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Microscopy basics (light vs. electron)
Chapter 2: Cell Structure and Organelles
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Cell membrane and fluid mosaic model
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Cytoplasm and cytoskeleton
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Nucleus, nucleolus
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Mitochondria, ER, Golgi, lysosomes, ribosomes, peroxisomes
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Plant-specific: chloroplasts, cell wall, central vacuole
Chapter 3: Biological Macromolecules
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Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
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Monomers vs. polymers
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Functions and examples of each Enzymes and how they work (activation energy, denaturation)
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Chapter 4: Membrane Structure and Transport
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Phospholipid bilayer
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Passive transport (diffusion, osmosis, facilitated diffusion)
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Active transport (pumps, endocytosis, exocytosis)
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Tonicity (hypertonic, hypotonic, isotonic)
Chapter 5: Energy and Metabolism in Cells
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ATP and energy coupling
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Cellular respiration overview: glycolysis, Krebs cycle, ETC
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Anaerobic vs. aerobic respiration
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Photosynthesis intro (basic—not full plant biology)
Chapter 6: Protein Synthesis and the Central Dogma
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DNA → RNA → Protein
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Transcription and translation steps
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mRNA, tRNA, rRNA
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Codons, anticodons, ribosomes
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Protein folding and processing
Chapter 7: Cell Cycle and Division
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Interphase (G1, S, G2)
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Mitosis (PMAT + cytokinesis)
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Cell cycle checkpoints
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Cancer as uncontrolled cell division
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Chapter 8: Cell Communication and Signaling
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Types of signals: autocrine, paracrine, endocrine
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Signal transduction pathways
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Ligand-receptor binding
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Second messengers (cAMP, etc.)
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Examples: insulin signaling, neurotransmitters
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Chapter 9: Experimental Techniques in Cell Biology
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Gel electrophoresis
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Western blotting
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Microscopy (TEM, SEM, confocal
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Cell fractionation
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Spectrophotometry basics
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Model organisms (yeast, HeLa cells)
Chapter 1 : Introduction to Cells
What is a Cell?
A cell is the basic unit of life. Every living organism has them, from tiny ants to massive dinosaurs. Cells are extremely small so small that humans have approximately 37 trillion cells in their bodies. In comparison, a mouse has approximately 50 billion cells in their body. Now that's a big difference.
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Now you might ask what is a cell, well, a cell is like a little factory in our body, that do different jobs to keep us alive. Each cell has parts called organelles, which work together to keep our body functioning like the nucleus which is the control center for our cells or the mitochondria which makes our energy.
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Living things can either have one cell or many cells
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​Unicellular Organism: Most organisms have only one cell which does everything necessary for survival like bacteria, protists, or etc.​
This is a cartoon-like image of a cell with all of the organelles
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Multicellular Organisms: Some organisims like humans have multiple cells. These cells work together to make sure the organism stays healthy, grows, and perform all the necessary functions.
​Cells grow, divide, and replace themselves regularly. When you get hurt, your cells multiply to heal the wound. Cells coordinate activities by communicating with each other (we'll get deeper in that later), which make the organism function properly
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​There are key organelles found in cells:
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Organelle
Functions
Nucleus
Controls the cell and stores DNA
Cytoplasm
Jelly-like fluid that holds organelles
Mitochondria
Produces energy (ATP)
Regulates what enters and leaves the cell
Cell membrane
Ribosomes
Makes proteins
Lysosomes
Breaks down waste and damaged cell parts
Vacuole
Stores water, nutrients, and waste
​Transports materials within the cell
Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)
Golgi Apparatus
Modifies, packages, and ships proteins
Chloroplasts
Performs photosynthesis in plant cells
Cell Theroy
During 1665 Robert Hooke published .... which was