Chapter 4
Cell Structure and Function
![What are Cells?](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10687.jpg)
Cells are the smallest and basic units of life, whether it is a single cell that forms the entire organism, e.g., in a bacterium or trillions of…
![Cell Size](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10688.jpg)
Cell sizes vary widely among and within organisms. Bacterial cells range between 1-10 micrometers (μm)and are considerably smaller than most…
![Prokaryotic Cells](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10690.jpg)
Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains—Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common organisms, such as…
![Cytoplasm](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10967.jpg)
The cytoplasm consists of organelles and a framework of protein scaffolds called the cytoskeleton suspended in an aqueous solution, the cytosol. The…
![Endoplasmic Reticulum](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10969.jpg)
The Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) in eukaryotic cells is a substantial network of interconnected membranes with diverse functions, from calcium storage…
![Ribosomes](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10692.jpg)
Ribosomes translate genetic information encoded by messenger RNA (mRNA) into proteins. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells have ribosomes. Cells…
![Microtubules](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10693.jpg)
There are three types of cytoskeletal structures in eukaryotic cells—microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. With a diameter…
![Peroxisomes and Mitochondria](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10694.jpg)
Peroxisomes and mitochondria are two important oxygen-utilizing organelles in eukaryotic cells. Mitochondria carry out cellular respiration—the…
![The Extracellular Matrix](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10695.jpg)
In order to maintain tissue organization, many animal cells are surrounded by structural molecules that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM).…
![Tissues](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10696.jpg)
Cells with similar structure and function are grouped into tissues. A group of tissues with a specialized function is called an organ. There are four…
![Studying Mitochondrial Structure and Function in <em>Drosophila</em> Ovaries](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/thumbs/54989_t.png)
Analysis of the mitochondrial structure-function relationship is required for a thorough understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of mitochondrial…
![From Constructs to Crystals – Towards Structure Determination of β-barrel Outer Membrane Proteins](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/thumbs/53245_t.png)
Membrane proteins serve important functions in cells such as nutrient transport, motility, signaling, survival and virulence, yet constitute only ~1%…