What are human cells structures made from ?

[victor43]

Hello could someone tell me what are the following cell structures actually made of or from ? So structures such as mitochondrion, cell membrane, cytoplasm, microtubles, golgi, nucleas, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, microfiliaments and etc ? Would these parts of the human cell be made from cells themselves ? If yes then what kind of cells ?

 

Thanks

[MonDie]

No, they aren't made of cells. Molecules: fatty acids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, (poly)peptides (proteins), and of course the cytoplasm, which is just water and various solutes.

 

The membrane a lipid bilayer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipid

The Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) also have membranes. In fact that's how things are transported through the cell. There are small membranous sacs called vesicles. If something in the ER needs to get to the Golgi, a vesicle pinches off from the ER's membrane and fuses into the Golgi's.

 

The cytoplasm consists of H2O and various solutes and the cell structures suspended within it.

 

Ribosomes consist of peptide subunits and ribosomal RNA.

Nuclease, ending in "ase", is an enzyme. Enzymes are proteins.

 

Microfilaments are made of actin, another protein. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actin

Edited November 11, 2015 by MonDie

[Xalatan]

You can understand cellular organelles in terms of membranous organelles, non-membranous organelles, and inclusions.

 

Organelles like endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus, mitochondrion, and nucleus, they are basically membranous compartments, the membrane composed of phospholipids. Each membranous compartment has its own set of proteins/contents, and this defines its function. Eg. Cytochrome C and ATPase on the inner mitochondrial membrane; ribosomes on the ER. Lysozyme and protons in lysosomes, catalase in peroxisomes.

 

Then there are non-membranous organelles like centrioles, cytoskeleton, they provide structural support for the cell, and they are made from microtubules (tubulin protein is the quantal unit), intemediate filaments and microfilaments (actin is protein also). They make up things like mitotic spindles, basal bodies, flagella, cilia, belt desmosomes etc.

 

Inclusions are substances like glycogen and lipid droplets stored in cells.