* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Ribosomes
Tissue engineering wikipedia , lookup
Cell growth wikipedia , lookup
Cell culture wikipedia , lookup
Cellular differentiation wikipedia , lookup
Cell encapsulation wikipedia , lookup
Cytoplasmic streaming wikipedia , lookup
Extracellular matrix wikipedia , lookup
Organ-on-a-chip wikipedia , lookup
Signal transduction wikipedia , lookup
Cell nucleus wikipedia , lookup
Cell membrane wikipedia , lookup
Cytokinesis wikipedia , lookup
Biology 普通生物學 Biology (7th edition) Campbell, Reece 授課老師: 賴金美 (LS303) [email protected] Overview: The Importance of Cells • All organisms are made of cells. • The cell is the simplest collection of matter that can live. 10 µm • Concept 6.1: To study cells, biologists use microscopes and the tools of biochemistry • Scientists use microscopes to visualize cells too small to see with the naked eye • Light microscopes (LMs) – Pass visible light through a specimen – Magnify cellular structures with lenses Light microscope (LM) Two important parameters: --- magnification 1000X ~ the ratio of an objects image to its real size --- resolving power (or resolution) ~ a measure of the clarity of the image Limit: ~ 0.2 mm (200 nm) Resolution: bad good – Can be used to visualize different sized cellular Length of some nerve and muscle cells 0.1 m Chicken egg Light microscope • Different types of microscopes Human height 1m Unaided eye 10 m 1 cm structures Frog egg Most plant and Animal cells 10 µ m Measurements 1 centimeter (cm) = 102 meter (m) = 0.4 inch 1 µ m 1 millimeter (mm) = 10–3 m 100 nm 1 micrometer (µm) = 10–3 mm = 10–6 m 1 nanometer (nm) = 10–3 mm = 10–9 m 10 nm Nucleus Most bacteria Mitochondrion Smallest bacteria Viruses Ribosomes Proteins 1 nm Lipids Small molecules Figure 6.2 0.1 nm Atoms Electron microscope 100 µm Electron microscope 1 mm – Use different methods for enhancing visualization of cellular structures TECHNIQUE RESULT (a) Brightfield (unstained specimen). Passes light directly through specimen. Unless cell is naturally pigmented or artificially stained, image has little contrast. [Parts (a)–(d) show a human cheek epithelial cell.] 50 µm (b) Brightfield (stained specimen). Staining with various dyes enhances contrast, but most staining procedures require that cells be fixed (preserved). Figure 6.3 (c) Phase-contrast. Enhances contrast in unstained cells by amplifying variations in density within specimen; especially useful for examining living, unpigmented cells. (d) Differential-interference-contrast (Nomarski). Like phase-contrast microscopy, it uses optical modifications to exaggerate differences in density, making the image appear almost 3D. (e) Fluorescence. Shows the locations of specific molecules in the cell by tagging the molecules with fluorescent dyes or antibodies. These fluorescent substances absorb ultraviolet radiation and emit visible light, as shown here in a cell from an artery. (f) Confocal. Uses lasers and special optics for “optical sectioning” of fluorescently-stained specimens. Only a single plane of focus is illuminated; out-of-focus fluorescence above and below the plane is subtracted by a computer. A sharp image results, as seen in stained nervous tissue (top), where nerve cells are green, support cells are red, and regions of overlap are yellow. A standard fluorescence micrograph (bottom) of this relatively thick tissue is blurry. 50 µm However, most subcellular structures, or organelles, are too small to be resolved by the LM. Until 1950s, with the introduction of the electron microscope Electron microscope (EM) --- Focus a beam of electrons through a specimen (TEM) or onto its surface (SEM) Limit: ~ 2 nm (0.002 nm theoretically) (a hundredfold improvement over the light microscope) “ Cell ultrastructure “ • The scanning electron microscope (SEM) – Provides for detailed study of the surface of a specimen. TECHNIQUE RESULTS 1 µm Cilia (a) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Micrographs taken with a scanning electron microscope show a 3D image of the surface of a specimen. This SEM shows the surface of a cell from a rabbit trachea (windpipe) covered with motile organelles called cilia. Beating of the cilia helps move inhaled debris upward toward the throat. Figure 6.4 (a) • The transmission electron microscope (TEM) – Provides for detailed study of the internal ultrastructure of cells Longitudinal section of cilium (b) Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A transmission electron microscope profiles a thin section of a specimen. Here we see a section through a tracheal cell, revealing its ultrastructure. In preparing the TEM, some cilia were cut along their lengths, creating longitudinal sections, while other cilia were cut straight across, creating cross sections. Figure 6.4 (b) Cross section of cilium 1 µm Isolating Organelles by Cell Fractionation Why? to study the function of the organelles • Cell fractionation – Takes cells apart and separates the major organelles from one another • The centrifuge – Is used to fractionate cells into their component parts (separate the cell components by size and density) • The process of cell fractionation APPLICATION Cell fractionation is used to isolate (fractionate) cell components, based on size and density. TECHNIQUE First, cells are homogenized in a blender to break them up. The resulting mixture (cell homogenate) is then centrifuged at various speeds and durations to fractionate the cell components, forming a series of pellets. Figure 6.5 Homogenization Tissue cells 1000 g (1000 times the force of gravity) 10 min Homogenate Differential centrifugation Supernatant poured into next tube used microscopy to identify the organelles in each pellet 20,000 g 20 min 80,000 g 60 min Pellet rich in nuclei and cellular debris 150,000 g 3 hr Pellet rich in mitochondria (and chloroplasts if cells are from a plant) Figure 6.5 Pellet rich in “microsomes” (pieces of plasma membranes and cells’ internal membranes) Pellet rich in ribosomes used biochemical methods to determine the metabolic functions associated with each type of organelle. Cytology Biochemistry Cell biologists can isolate organelles to study their functions (a) rpm (revolutions per minute) (b) x g (force of gravity) Cytology and biochemistry complement each other in correlating cellular structure and function. Concept 6.2: Eukaryotic cells have internal membranes that compartmentalize their functions • Two types of cells make up every organism – Prokaryotic – Eukaryotic • All cells have several basic features in common – They are bounded by a plasma membrane – They contain a semifluid substance called the cytosol – They contain chromosomes – They all have ribosomes • Prokaryotic cells – Do not contain a nucleus – Have their DNA located in a region called the nucleoid Pili: attachment structures on the surface of some prokaryotes Nucleoid: region where the cell’s DNA is located (not enclosed by a membrane) Ribosomes: organelles that synthesize proteins Plasma membrane: membrane enclosing the cytoplasm Cell wall: rigid structure outside the plasma membrane Bacterial chromosome Capsule: jelly-like outer coating of many prokaryotes 0.5 µm Flagella: locomotion organelles of some bacteria (a) A typical rod-shaped bacterium (b) A thin section through the bacterium Bacillus coagulans (TEM) • Eukaryotic cells – Contain a true nucleus, bounded by a membranous nuclear envelope. – Are generally quite a bit bigger than prokaryotic cells ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM (ER) Rough ER Smooth ER Nuclear envelope Nucleolus NUCLEUS cytoplasm Chromatin Flagelium Plasma membrane Centrosome CYTOSKELETON Ribosomes Microvilli Golgi apparatus Mitochondrion Lysosome - Containing a variety of membranebounded organelles. Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic cells (原核) (真核) Differ in size and complexity Basic features: plasma membrane, cytosol, chromosomes, ribosomes, … Difference: as indicated by their names: Chromosomes location Prokaryotic Eukaryotic nucleoid nucleus (no membrane) (containing membranous nuclear envelope) cytoplasm only ribosome (organelles) size 1-10 mm 10-100 mm • The logistics of carrying out cellular metabolism sets limits on the size of cells • A smaller cell – Has a higher surface to volume ratio, Surface area increases while total volume remains constant which facilitates the exchange of materials into and out of the cell 5 1 1 Total surface area (height width number of sides number of boxes) 6 150 750 Total volume (height width length number of boxes) 1 125 125 Surface-to-volume ratio (surface area volume) 6 1.2 6 • The plasma membrane – Functions as a selective barrier – Allows sufficient passage of nutrients and waste Outside of cell Carbohydrate side chain Hydrophilic region Inside of cell 0.1 µm Figure 6.8 A, B (a) TEM of a plasma membrane. The plasma membrane, here in a red blood cell, appears as a pair of dark bands separated by a light band. Hydrophobic region Hydrophilic region Phospholipid Proteins (b) Structure of the plasma membrane A Panoramic View of the Eukaryotic Cell • Eukaryotic cells – Have extensive and elaborately arranged internal membranes, which form organelles ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM (ER) Rough ER Smooth ER Nuclear envelope Nucleolus NUCLEUS Chromatin Flagelium Plasma membrane Centrosome CYTOSKELETON Microfilaments Intermediate filaments Ribosomes Microtubules Microvilli Golgi apparatus Peroxisome Mitochondrion Lysosome In animal cells but not plant cells: Lysosomes Centrioles Flagella (in some plant sperm) • A plant cell Nuclear envelope Nucleolus Chromatin NUCLEUS Centrosome Rough endoplasmic reticulum Smooth endoplasmic reticulum Ribosomes (small brwon dots) Central vacuole Tonoplast Golgi apparatus Microfilaments Intermediate filaments CYTOSKELETON Microtubules Mitochondrion Figure 6.9 Peroxisome Plasma membrane Chloroplast Cell wall Plasmodesmata Wall of adjacent cell In plant cells but not animal cells: Chloroplasts Central vacuole and tonoplast Cell wall Plasmodesmata Concept 6.3: The eukaryotic cell’s genetic instructions are housed in the nucleus and carried out by the ribosomes. • The nucleus – Contains most of the genes in the eukaryotic cell (some genes are located in mitochondria and chloroplasts) • The nuclear envelope – Encloses the nucleus, separating its contents from the cytoplasm Nucleolus Chromatin Nucleus Nuclear envelope: Inner membrane Outer membrane Nuclear pore Pore complex Rough ER • The nuclear envelope – Is a double membrane (separated by a space of 20-40 nm) - Nuclear pore Nucleus (100 nm in diameter) - Nuclear lamina - Nuclear matrix - Chromatin Nucleus 1 µm Nucleolus Chromatin Nuclear envelope: Inner membrane Outer membrane (a complex of proteins and DNA) Nuclear pore - nucleolus Pore complex (rRNA & protein) Rough ER Surface of nuclear envelope. 1 µm Ribosome 0.25 µm Close-up of nuclear envelope Pore complexes (TEM). Nuclear lamina (TEM). Ribosomes: Protein Factories in the Cell • Ribosomes – Are particles made of ribosomal RNA and protein – Carry out protein synthesis • --- free ribosomes : in cytosol bound ribosomes : attached to outside of the ER or nuclear envelop Ribosomes ER Cytosol Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Structurally identical and can alternate Bound ribosomes between the Large two roles Free ribosomes subunit 0.5 µm TEM showing ER and ribosomes Small subunit Diagram of a ribosome Concept 6.4: The endomembrane system regulates protein traffic and performs metabolic functions in the cell • The endomembrane system – Includes many different structures ~ including the nuclear envelope, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, vacuoles, and the plasma membrane. (related either through direct physical continuity or by the transfer of membrane segment as tiny vesicles.) • The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) – Accounts for more than half the total membrane in many eukaryotic cells Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) endoplasmic - “within the cytoplasm” reticulum - “ little net ” * cisternae (membranous tubules and sacs; reservoir for a liquid) cytosol --- ER lumen (cisternal space) * smooth ER: lacks ribosomes rough ER : containing ribosomes (cytoplasmic surface) • The ER membrane – Is continuous with the nuclear envelope • There are two distinct Smooth ER Nuclear envelope Rough ER regions of ER – Smooth ER, which lacks ribosomes ER lumen Cisternae – Rough ER, which contains ribosomes Ribosomes Transport vesicle Smooth ER Figure 6.12 Transitional ER Rough ER 200 µm Smooth ER: functions in diverse metabolic processes in various cell types, including synthesis of lipids, metabolism of carbohydrates, store Ca 2+ and detoxification of drugs and poisons. * steroids: sex hormones (testes and ovaries are rich in smooth ER) * Liver cells (detoxification ex. sedative phenobarbital however, increase toleurance) * Muscle cell: sER store Ca2+ Ca2+ pump (cytosol ER lumen) Rough ER : * synthesize secretory proteins. ex. Pancreas: insulin ~ most secretory proteins are glycoproteins (the carbohydrate is attached to the protein in the ER) Transport vesicles Smooth ER Rough ER Nuclear envelope * membrane factory: membrane production ER lumen Cisternae Ribosomes Transport vesicle Transitional ER The Golgi Apparatus: Shipping and Receiving Center • The Golgi apparatus – Receives many of the transport vesicles produced in the rough ER – As a center of manufacturing, warehousing, sorting, and shipping – Consists of flattened membranous sacs called cisternae • Functions of the Golgi apparatus include – Modification of the products of the rough ER – Manufacture of certain macromolecules (ex. pectin and noncellulose polysaccharides) • Golgi apparatus: has a distinct polarity Golgi apparatus “cisternal maturation model” cis face (“receiving” side of Golgi apparatus) 1 Vesicles move 2 Vesicles coalesce to 6 Vesicles also form new cis Golgi cisternae from ER to Golgi transport certain Cisternae proteins back to ER 3 Cisternal maturation: Golgi cisternae move in a cisto-trans direction Figure 6.13 5 Vesicles transport specific proteins backward to newer Golgi cisternae 0.1 0 µm 4 Vesicles form and leave Golgi, carrying specific proteins to other locations or to the plasma membrane for secretion trans face (“shipping” side of Golgi apparatus) TEM of Golgi apparatus Lysosomes: Digestive Compartments • A lysosome --- acidic pH (pH5) – Is a membranous sac of hydrolytic enzymes – Can digest all kinds of macromolecules – Hydrolytic enzymes and lysosomal membrane are made by rER Golgi • Lysosomes carry out intracellular digestion by – Phagocytosis (吞噬作用) digestion products pass into the cytosol and become the nutrientsfor the cell. - autophagy: recycle the cell’s own organic material. ex. Liver. • Lysosomes carry out intracellular digestion by – Phagocytosis Nucleus 1 µm Lysosome Lysosome contains active hydrolytic enzymes Food vacuole fuses with lysosome Hydrolytic enzymes digest food particles Digestive enzymes Lysosome Plasma membrane Digestion Figure 6.14 A Food vacuole (a) Phagocytosis: lysosome digesting food • Autophagy Lysosome containing two damaged organelles 1µm Mitochondrion fragment Peroxisome fragment * Tay-Sachs disease: a lipid-digesting enzyme is missing or inactive Lysosome fuses with vesicle containing damaged organelle Hydrolytic enzymes digest organelle components Lysosome Vesicle containing damaged mitochondrion Figure 6.14 B Digestion (b) Autophagy: lysosome breaking down damaged organelle Vacuoles: Diverse Maintenance Compartments • A plant or fungal cell – May have one or several vacuoles • Food vacuoles – Are formed by phagocytosis • Contractile vacuoles – Pump excess water out of protist cells • Central vacuoles – Are found in plant cells, enclosed by tonoplast. – Hold reserves of important organic compounds and water largest ~ 80% function: storage, waste disposal, protection, and growth. Central vacuole Cytosol Tonoplast Nucleus Central vacuole Cell wall Chloroplast Figure 6.15 5 µm The Endomembrane System: A Review • Relationships among organelles of the endomembrane system 1 Nuclear envelope is connected to rough ER, which is also continuous with smooth ER Nucleus Rough ER 2 Membranes and proteins produced by the ER flow in the form of transport vesicles to the Golgi Figure 6.16 Smooth ER cis Golgi Nuclear envelop 3 Golgi pinches off transport Vesicles and other vesicles that give rise to lysosomes and Vacuoles trans Golgi Plasma membrane 4 Lysosome available 5 Transport vesicle carries 6 Plasma membrane expands for fusion with another proteins to plasma by fusion of vesicles; proteins vesicle for digestion membrane for secretion are secreted from cell • Concept 6.5: Mitochondria and chloroplasts change energy from one form to another • Mitochondria – Are the sites of cellular respiration • Chloroplasts – Found only in plants, are the sites of photosynthesis Other membranous organelles Mitochondria & Chloroplasts --- main energy transformers of cells. --- not part of the endomembrane system. membrane proteins are made by free ribosomes in the cytoso and by ribosomes contained within themselves. --- containing ribosomes, and a small amount of DNA. --- semiautonomous organelles (growth and reproduce) Mitochondria: cellular respiration (generates ATP by extracting energy from sugars, fats, and other fuels with the help of O2) Chloroplasts: photosynthesis (only in plants and algae) Mitochondria: Chemical Energy Conversion • Mitochondria – Are found in nearly all eukaryotic cells • Mitochondria are enclosed by two membranes – A smooth outer membrane – An inner membrane folded into cristae Mitochondrion Intermembrane space Outer membrane Free ribosomes in the mitochondrial matrix Inner membrane Cristae Matrix Mitochondrial DNA 100 µm Chloroplasts: Capture of Light Energy • The chloroplast – Is a specialized member of a family of closely related plant organelles called plastids (ex. amyloplast, chromoplast) – Contains chlorophyll – Are found in leaves and other green organs of plants and in algae Chloroplast Chloroplast structure includes - Thylakoids, membranous sacs - Stroma, the internal fluid Ribosomes Stroma Chloroplast DNA Inner and outer membranes Granum 1 µm Thylakoid Peroxisomes: Oxidation • Peroxisomes – – (proteins are made primarily in the cytosol, lipids are made in the ER, and within the peroxisome itself) Single membrane Contain enzyme that transfer hydrogen from various substrates to oxygen, producing hydrogen peroxide as a by-product. Chloroplast Peroxisome Mitochondrion * Break fatty acid down to smaller molecules mitochondria * Detoxification in liver Also contain enzyme that converts the H2O2 to water Figure 6.19 1 µm Concept 6.6: The cytoskeleton is a network of fibers that organizes structures and activities in the cell • The cytoskeleton – Is a network of fibers extending throughout the cytoplasm Microtubule Figure 6.20 0.25 µm Microfilaments Cytoskeleton --- composed of three well-defined filamentous structures - Microtubules (tubulin) - Microfilaments (actin) - Intermediate filaments Roles of the Cytoskeleton: Support, Motility, and Regulation The cytoskeleton ~ Gives mechanical support to the cell (maintain shape) ~ provides anchorage for many organelles and cytosolic enzyme molecules ~ Is involved in cell motility (changes in cell location or more limited movements of part of the cell) which utilizes motor proteins Cytoskeletal elements and motor proteins work together with plasma membrane molecules to allow whole cells to move along fivers outside the cell. (change in cell location) The vesicles that bud off from the ER travel to the Golgi along tracks built of cytoskeletal elements. (movements of part of the cell) Figure 6.21 A, B ATP Vesicle Receptor for motor protein Motor protein Microtubule (ATP powered) of cytoskeleton (a) Motor proteins that attach to receptors on organelles can “walk” the organelles along microtubules or, in some cases, microfilaments. Vesicles Microtubule 0.25 µm (b) Vesicles containing neurotransmitters migrate to the tips of nerve cell axons via the mechanism in (a). In this SEM of a squid giant axon, two vesicles can be seen moving along a microtubule. (A separate part of the experiment provided the evidence that they were in fact moving.) There are three main types of fibers that make up the cytoskeleton Table 6.1 Microtubules --- hollow tubes; 25 nm (13 columns of tubulin molecules) --- tubulin molecules: a dimer consisting a-, and b-tubulin --- dynamic (200 nm~25 mm in length) --- * compression-resisting --- 1. shape and support the cell 2. serve as tracks for moving the organelles (with motor protein) ex. ~ guide secretory vesicles: (Golgi apparatus plasma membrane) ~ chromosome movements in cell division --- construction of centrosomes, cilia and flagella Centrosomes and centrioles ~ in many cells, microtubules grow out from a centrosome (near nucleus) “microtubule-organizing center” (MTOC) * A pair of centrioles (not essential for organizing microtubule assembly; most plants lack centrioles) 9 triplet MT • Cilia and flagella – Contain specialized arrangements of microtubules – Are locomotor appendages that protrude from some cells • Flagella beating pattern • Ciliary motion Figure 6.23 Direction of swimming • Cilia and flagella share a common ultrastructure ~ each has a core microtubules sheathed in an extension of the plasma membrane. moter protein Figure 6.24 A-C Outer microtubule doublet Dynein arms 0.1 µm “9+2” pattern Central microtubule (9 doublets & 2 central microtubule) Outer doublets cross-linking proteins inside Microtubules Radial spoke Plasma membrane Basal body (a) (b) 0.5 µm 0.1 µm Triplet (c) structurally identical Cross section of basal body to a centriole Plasma membrane • The protein dynein --- motor protein - Is responsible for the bending movement of cilia and flagella - “ATP” driving the conformational change of dynein Microtubule doublets ATP Dynein arm (a) Powered by ATP, the dynein arms of one microtubule doublet grip the adjacent doublet, push it up, release, and then grip again. If the two microtubule doublets were not attached, they would slide Figure 6.25 A relative to each other. * radial spokes ATP Outer doublets cross-linking proteins 1 2 Anchorage in cell (b) In a cilium or flagellum, two adjacent doublets cannot slide far because they are physically restrained by proteins, so they bend. (Only two of the nine outer doublets in Figure 6.24b are shown here.) Figure 6.25 B 3 Microfilaments (Actin Filaments) ~ Are built from molecules of the protein actin ~ bear tension (pulling forces) ~ In combination with other proteins, they form a 3D network just inside the plasma membrane, helping support the cell’s shape. Microvillus “Cortex” outer cytoplasmic layer --- semisolid gel ~ Ex. found in microvilli Plasma membrane Microfilaments (actin filaments) Intermediate filaments Figure 6.26 0.25 µm • Microfilaments that function in cellular motility – Contain the protein myosin in addition to actin – Contraction of the muscle cell results from the actin and myosin filaments sliding past on another, shortening the cell Muscle cell Actin filament Myosin filament Myosin arm Figure 6.27 A (a) Myosin motors in muscle cell contraction. • Amoeboid movement (localized contraction) – Involves the contraction of actin and myosin filaments Cortex (outer cytoplasm): gel with actin network Inner cytoplasm: sol with actin subunits Extending pseudopodium Figure 6.27 B (b) Amoeboid movement Pseudopodia extend and contract through the reversible assembly of actin subunits into microfilaments and of microfilaments in networks that convert cytoplasm from sol to gel. • Cytoplasmic streaming ~ Is another form of locomotion created by microfilaments ~ Both actin-myosin interactions and sol-gel transformation brought by actin may involved in. ~ Common in large plant cells, speeds the distribution of materials within the cell. Nonmoving cytoplasm (gel) Chloroplast Streaming cytoplasm (sol) Figure 6.27 C Parallel actin filaments (b) Cytoplasmic streaming in plant cells Cell wall Intermediate filaments --- 8~12 nm, specialized for bearing tension --- are a diverse class of cytoskeletal elements (belong to a family of protein containing “keratins”) --- are more permanent fixtures of cells than microfilaments and microtubules. --- Maintenance of cell shape (reinforcing the shape of a cell) fix organelles in place Formation of nuclear lamina Concept 6.7: Extracellular components and connections between cells help coordinate cellular activities Cell Walls of Plants • The cell wall – Is an extracellular structure of plant cells that distinguishes them from animal cells – Are made of cellulose fibers embedded in other polysaccharides and protein – May have multiple layers • Plant cell walls – Are made of cellulose fibers embedded in other polysaccharides and protein – May have multiple layers Central vacuole of cell Plasma membrane Secondary cell wall Primary cell wall Central vacuole of cell Middle lamella 1 µm Central vacuole sticky polysaccharide: pectins Cytosol Plasma membrane Plant cell walls Figure 6.28 Plasmodesmata The Extracellular Matrix (ECM) of Animal Cells • Animal cells – Lack cell walls – Are covered by an elaborate matrix, the ECM • The ECM – Is made up of glycoproteins and other macromolecules • Functions of the ECM include - Support Adhesion Movement Regulation * The most abundant glycoprotein in the ECM of most animal cells is collagen. * Collagen accounts for about half of the total protein in the human body. --- embedded in a network of proteoglycans. (glycoprotein – up to 95% carbohydrate) EXTRACELLULAR FLUID Collagen A proteoglycan complex Polysaccharide molecule Carbohydrates Core protein Fibronectin Plasma membrane Integrin Figure 6.29 Integrins Microfilaments CYTOPLASM Proteoglycan molecule Intercellular Junctions Plants: Plasmodesmata • Plasmodesmata – Are channels that perforate plant cell walls Cell walls Interior of cell Interior of cell Figure 6.30 0.5 µm Plasmodesmata Plasma membranes Intercellular Junctions help integrate cells into higher levels of structure and function • In animals, there are three types of intercellular junctions Tight junction Tight junctions prevent fluid from moving across a layer of cells - Tight junctions, 0.5 µm - Desmosomes - Gap junctions Tight junctions Intermediate filaments Desmosome Gap junctions Space between cells Figure 6.31 Plasma membranes of adjacent cells 1 µm Extracellular matrix Gap junction 0.1 µm The Cell: ~ A Living Unit Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts 5 µm • Cells rely on the integration of structures and organelles in order to function Figure 6.32