Identifying the Distinctions Between a Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cell

The cell is a living thing and is typically referred to as the ‘basic unit of all life’. Scientific history states that the first organism on Earth was a single celled organism, which then evolved over millions of years into what life on Earth is today. Cells are also the lowest level of organization in the human body, as cells make up tissues, which then make up organs, to organ systems, to lastly organisms. The two types of cells are prokaryotes and eukaryotes, with eukaryotic cells being much more complex and typically the ones found in animals. Both prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells contain many organelles that have their own specific functions to allow the cell to maintain life. The complexity of the human cell is best shown in cellular processes, the relationships and functions of the cell organelles and the deep structures inside the cell.

Cells frequently go through relatively complex cellular processes, such as cell growth, cell replication, and protein creation. The life cycle of a cell has 3 phases, G1, S and G2 phase, and cell growth takes place during the G1 and G2 phases. In G1 phase, the sizes of the organelles inside of the cell increase, and during G2 phase, the genetic material (DNA & RNA) increase. However, if excessive cell growth takes place, where even normal limitations are surpassed, a cell growth disease called cancer occurs. Cell replication, or rather, cell division, is another unique process that takes place in a cell. This process, called mitosis, a ‘mother’ cell, goes through many phases and steps to finally be divided into 2 ‘daughter’ cells. During mitosis, the cell goes through 5 key phases, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase and cytokinesis. The cell, right before mitosis, undergoes interphase, which is a long process that the cell uses to copy its DNA. The first step of mitosis after interphase is prophase, where the cell makes chromosomes very compact and also breaks down the nuclear membrane. The next step is metaphase, where the chromosomes in the cell line up horizontally along with center. After metaphase, anaphase occurs, where sister chromatids separate and line up along the top and bottom of the cell. Finally, in telophase and cytokinesis the cell completes its division and 2 identical daughter cells are created from the mother cell. Protein creation, commonly referred to as protein synthesis, is a complex cellular process where new proteins are made for the cell. These proteins are essential for the life of the cell because they are heavily involved in common cellular activities. Proteins are made in protein synthesis using amino acids from DNA and RNA in the cell. Protein synthesis, mitosis and cell growth are complex cellular processes which help to understand the true complexity of the human cell.

Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells consist of a watery jelly like fluid called cytoplasm along with various structures with specific functions called organelles. Cytoplasm is the fluid that is surrounded by the membrane and surrounds organelles in the cell. The cell membrane is the bilayer membrane that is the outer surrounding of the cell, and it determines what goes in and out of the cell. The Golgi complex, or the Golgi apparatus is an organelle that transports and converts material from the endoplasmic reticulum into different substances. Structures that are very related to the Golgi complex are lysosomes. Lysosomes make themselves apart from the Golgi complex, and they contain various chemical reaction boosters called enzymes. These enzymes are vital for the cell because they assist with the cleaning of the cell. The endoplasmic reticulum, on the other hand, is a structure that stores substances and structures for future or later use by other organelles in the cell. There are 2 different types of endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the rough ER, and the smooth ER. The core difference between the 2 ERs is that the rough ER has attached ribosomes making it seem like a rough surface, while the smooth ER lacks these ribosomes, making it seems rather smooth. Mitochondria, or mitochondrion is an essential organelle that produces key substances for the cell, such as ATP. ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate and is an energetic compound. One of the core organelles in the cell is the nucleus, which consists of RNA, DNA, and the chromosomes and genes that come in them. The nucleus also consists of the nucleolus and is surrounded by a nuclear membrane. Certain organelles such as flagella and capsules are specific to prokaryotic cells. The understanding of cell organelles and their functions and relationships are key to the extreme complexity of the cell.

The deep structures inside the cell are chromosomes, genes, DNA, and RNA. Inside the cell, and inside the nucleus are chromosomes. Chromosomes are structures made of proteins and acids that carry genes. Genes are a series of repeating nucleotides that determine the amount, the order, and the type of amino acids to be synthesized. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is another material that holds genetic information about a being. It is a double helix model as opposed to the single helix model that is RNA. RNA (ribonucleic acid), on the other hand, is another nucleic acid that plays a key role in protein synthesis. RNA comes in 3 forms, transfer RNA, messenger RNA and ribosomal RNA. These structures that are found deep inside the cell also demonstrate that deepness and complexity of the human cell.

The human cell, even with understanding of the core functions, remains a very complex structure. The main understanding of the complexity of the human cell comes from an understanding of the deep structures within the cell, the functions of the organelles within the cell along with their relationships, and the advanced cellular processes and functions of the cell.