Notes on Cell Structures

Cytology is the study of cell structure Cell is the simplest collection of matter that can live Hooke discovered "cells" Schleidan "all plants are composed of living cells" Schwann "all animals are made of living cells" Virchow "existing cells give rise to new cells" Cell Theory <Tab/>"All organisms are composed of one or more living cells" <Tab/>"Cell is the most basic unit of function" &…

…channels called plasmodesmata through which the plasma membrane of bordering cells connect link cells together like a cell continuum * Animal cells have three main types of intercellular junctions * Tight junction is when the membranes of neighboring cells are actually fused together * Desmosomes also called anchoring junction fasten cells together into strong sheets; strengthened by intermediate filaments * Gasp/communicating junction provide cytoplasmic channels between adjacent animal cells that allow exchange for ions; common in animal embryos