The Mighty Mitochondria

The Mighty Mitochondria

The Mighty Mitochondria is the the organelle that brings power to the entire cell. Without the mitochondria breaking down nutrients to produce energy for the other organelles, the cell would die. The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell; the sun to the solar system; the glue that holds everything together.

Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Mitochondria

The mitochondria is definitely the most important part of the cell. It's impossible to think otherwise... Literally.

Without Mitochondria?

Could you imagine life without the Mighty Mitochondria? The answer is no, because without the mitochondria, you wouldn't be able to survive.
*ba dum tss*

PROVIDE THE POWER

Mitochondria Explained

The mitochondria produces an energy called ATP. ATP is produced when the mitochondria takes proteins being stored in the cell and converts it to energy. This energy is what keeps us alive and allows us to do basic things in everyday life. It keeps our hearts beating, our blood pumping through our veins, and our brain awake. Every part of our body is powered by energy produced by the mitochondria.

ENERGY, ENERGY, ENERGY!

Mitochondria use the nutrients in our bodies to produce enough energy for all of the organelles in the cell to successfully do their job. The vacuoles may store waste, but what powers them? The mitochondria. Lysosomes break down waste within the cell, but where do they get the energy to do this? The mitochondria. Without the mitochondria, none of the other parts of a cell would be able to function.

Nucleus: The Most Important Organelle by Hannah Iacobelli

What is the nucleus?

Where is the nucleus?

What does it do?

What makes up the nucleus?

The Nucleus Song

Works Cited

"Definition of Nucleus in English:." Nucleus. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2015. <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/nucleus>.

"Biology." For Kids: Cell Nucleus. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2015. <http://www.ducksters.com/science/biology/cell_nucleus.php>.

"The Nucleus Song." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRo73dzVfuo>.

The Vacuole

The Vacuole

"I'm your chubby, fluid-filled buddy"

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WHERE IS THE VACUOLE FOUND?

 The vacuole can be found in both plant and animal cells.

                                     The plant cell

                            The animal cell

FUN FACTS

• The vacuole is much larger in a plant cell than it is in an animal cell.                                                                     
•  In a plant cell the vacuole can occupy up to half of the cell's volume.                                                                     
•  There is usually only one or two vacuoles in a plant cell, whereas there are multiple smaller ones in animal cells.

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WHAT DOES THE VACUOLE DO?

IT'S ME THE VACUOLE... I AM THE BIGGEST ORGANELLE! (IN THE PLANT CELL)

             Key Duties of the Vacuole

• Isolates waste that may be a threat to the cell and disposes of it.
• Prevents cell from being contaminated.
• Stores nutrients and water for the cell.
• In plant cells the vacuole supports the cell wall.

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THE MOST IMPORTANT ORGANELLE!

The vacuole is the most important organelle in the cell.

In animal and plant cells the vacuole acts like a garbage disposal. It collects and gets rid of all waste. Without the elimination of waste the cell would be over crowded and contaminated, and not be able to do it's duties of a cell, and very likely the cell will die. Therefore, without the vacuole, there would be no cell. Can you function properly if you are full of waste and poison? Neither can a cell.

In plant cells the vacuole acts like a lunch bag. Without the vacuole there would be no stored nutrients that the cell can rely on. Without stored nutrients and water the cell can easily die. Think about when you go all day at school without food. You rely on your lunch bag that is storing your food for you. Without those stored nutrients for the day you become less and less responsive and alert. As does a cell. A cell relies on it's stored nutrients and water to keep it going.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ORGANELLE - THE NUCLEOLUS

THE NUCLEOLUS: THE BRAINS OF THE NUCLEUS

THE NUCLEOLUS: WHERE IS IT?

The nucleolus is located within the nucleus of an eukaryotic cell. The nucleolus lacks its own membrane and simply sits inside the nucleus.

Figure 1: The above image displays the nucleus of a cell. The nucleolus is labelled as the purple centre.

THE NUCLEOLUS: HOW IT FUNCTIONS:

The nucleolus produces the components for ribosomes, which then move out of the nucleus to produce proteins. In the most prominent substructure within the nucleus, the nucleolus is where the site of rRNA transcription and processing, and of ribosome assembly take place. rRNA is short for ribosomal ribonucleic acid. These are essential for protein synthesis in all living organisms. It constitutes the predominant material within the ribosome, which is approximately 60% rRNA and 40% protein by weight.

Figure 2: The above video explains the functions of the organelles found in a plant cell. The nucleus and nucleolus is described near 2:20.

THE NUCLEOLUS: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

As mentioned above, the nucleolus plays a vital role in building ribosomes and rRNA. Ribosomes are the protein builders or the protein synthesizers of the cell. Without the nucleolus, the cell would not be able to create ribosomes, therefore unable to creating proteins. Without the nucleolus, the cell WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FUNCTION!

Figure 3: The above image clearly displays the nucleolus in the centre of the nucleus in a cell. 

THE NUCLEOLUS: COMPARED TO A CITY

The cell is often compared to a city, where the golgi bodies are post offices or UPS trucks, endoplasmic reticulum are the highways and roads, ribosomes are the factories and construction sites. The nucleus controls the cell activities and contains the nucleolus and the DNA which dictates cell activities and provides regulations to the cell. This is functionally equivalent to the City Hall which is responsible for execution of the law. The nucleolus however, controls the executive activity within the nucleus of the cell and contains the chromosomes and the DNA of the cell. This can be compared to the mayor of the city who controls and has the power to veto the rest of the politicians and executives in the City Hall.



Figure 4: The above image illustrates the "cell city." The nucleolus would be found in the municipal government.

THE NUCLEOLUS: A SUMMARY 

• The nucleolus is not surrounded by a membrane.
• The nucleolus is the nuclear subdomain that assembles ribosomal subunits in eukaryotic cells.
• The nucleolus is the site of rRNA transcription and processing, and of ribosome assembly.
• The nucleolus, whose primary function is to assemble ribosomes, is the largest structure in the cell nucleus.
• The nucleolus disassembles at the beginning of mitosis and begins to reassemble in telophase.

Figure 5: The above image is of the nucleolus in the nucleus.

WITHOUT THE NUCLEOLUS, THERE WOULD BE NO CELL, THEREFORE NO LIFE! IT'S LIKE A BODY WITH NO BRAIN, IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ORGANELLE IN THE CELL!

How To: Keep All Organisms Alive ft. Chloroplast

Vote 4 Cell Wall, cuz you know....why not?

Cell Wall

Cell membranes surround every type of plant, both animal and plant cells. More specifically plant cells have and extra barrier of protection that surrounds the cell membrane called the Cell wall, these walls are made of cellulose that are only found around plant cells and a few other organisms. Cellulose is a specialized sugar that is classified as a structural carbohydrate and not used for energy. 



If a plant cell is like a water balloon, the cell wall is like a cardboard box that protects the balloon. The balloon is protected from any harmful materials and provides support allowing the cell to  function properly.

        

"The Importance of Cell Walls"

       

Cell Wall Functions:

• Provide support and limited plasticity
• Prevent loss of water
• Protection from insects and pathogens
• Filter
• Prevent over expansion caused by too much water

Plant cell wall consists of three layers: the primary cell wall, secondary cell wall and the middle lamella.

The middle lamella - It is first layer formed during cell division. This layer  is rich in pectin. It is the outermost layer,  joins together adjacent plant cells and holds them together.

The primary cell wall -It is formed after the middle lamella. It is composed of pectin compounds, hemicellulose and glycoproteins. The layer consists of a framework of cellulose micro-fibrils, in a gel-like matrix. It is thin, flexible and extensible layer.

The secondary cell wall - It is a thick layer formed inside the primary cell wall. It is extremely rigid and provides strength. It is composed of cellulose,hemicellulose and lignin.

A cell wall is not an impenetrable fortress around the delicate plant cell. There are small holes, called plasmodesmata, in the cell walls between plant cells. The cell membranes of neighboring cells are able to connect through these holes. The connections allow the transfer of nutrients, waste, and ions. Molecules can also pass through the spaces within the cell walls, avoiding the cells completely.