Thursday, December 9, 2010

Hypotonic Solution

The concentration of dissolved substances is lower in the solution outside the cell than inside the cell. The water wants the concentration to be equal. So, the water will rush into the cell to lower the concentration outside the cell. But, there is so much water in the cell, so the cell will burst. Think of it this way. When you make kool-aid, there's sometimes more of the kool-aid mix at the bottom. So, what do you do in that situation? The easy thing to do is to add more water. Then, everything is perfectly mixed. This is a perfect example for a hypotonic solution.

Isotonic Solution

The concentration of dissolved substances is the same on the outside of the cell as it is on the inside. Nothing happens to the cell. See, water likes things to be even. For example, lets say we have sugar, and the amount of sugar is the same on the inside and on the outside. The water won't move, because everything is even and equal.

Cilia and Flagella

 Some cell surfaces have cilia and flagella, which are structures that aid in feeding. Cilia and flagella can be distinguished by their structure and by the nature of their action. Cilia are short, numerous, hair-like projections that move in a wave like motion. Flagella are long projections that move n a whip-like motion. Flagella and cilia are the major means of locomotion in unicellular organisms.

This is cilia.

And, this is flagella.

Mitochondria

Mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles in plant and animal cells that transform energy for the cell. It is folded, so it is easy to store. Those folds are called cristae.

Chloroplasts

Chloroplasts are cell organelles that capture light energy and produce food to store for a later time. Chloroplasts are only in plant cells. They turn light energy into chemical energy. Inside chloroplasts are chlorophyll, stroma, thylakoid and grana. Chlorophyll is a green pigment that traps the light energy. It gives leaves and stems their green color.

This is what a chloroplast looks like.

And, this is the color the chlorophyll makes plants.

Lysosomes

Lysosomes are organelles that contain digestive enzymes. They digest excess or worn out organelles, food particles and engulfed viruses or bacteria.

Vacuoles

Vacuoles are membrane-bound spaces used for temporary storage of materials. Vacuoles are larger in plant cells. This is because plant cells have to hold more water. It has so much water because it has to maintain its shape.

The blue thing in the middle is the vacuole. It's much smaller in animal cells. This is a plant cell.