Cell Biology Assignment: Cell Structure, Function, and Processes

This assignment explores key concepts in cell biology. It begins with a detailed examination of the structure and function of various cellular components, including phospholipids, glycoproteins, and cholesterol, and the role of hydrophilic channels and channel proteins. The assignment then analyzes the movement of water and oxygen across the alveoli membrane, detailing the processes of osmosis and simple diffusion. Finally, it addresses the types of cell divisions, specifically mitosis and meiosis, that occur in a healthy biological male after reaching adulthood, explaining their roles in tissue repair and sperm production. The assignment provides a comprehensive overview of these fundamental biological processes.

Running head: CELL BIOLOGY
CELL BIOLOGY
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1CELL BIOLOGY
Structure and Function of Phospholipid:
A phospholipid molecule is consists of a polar head and a non-polar tail. Polar head is
hydrophilic and contains glycerol molecule and phosphate group. Non-polar tail have two
uncharged and hydrophobic fatty acid chains.
Phospholipids provide rigid barrier to cells against water and other extracellular fluids
and maintains cellular structure.
Structure and Function of Glycoprotein:
Glycoproteins are the proteins in which the glycosylated chains are attached with the
amino acid chains.
In immune system, the glycoproteins bind with lectin molecules. In the epithelial cells,
they help in protecting the cells. Another type of glycoproteins known as cadherin and they help
in gluing different cells together.
Structure and Function of Cholesterol:
The bulky structure of the cholesterol involves four hydrocarbon rings fused together
with the smaller hydrocarbon chains attached to it.
The molecule is the main steroid in the body, which helps in hormone production and
also present in the cell membrane and is an abundant component of the lipid raft.
Structure and Function of Hydrophilic Channel:
A hydrophilic channel is a protein molecule that consists of a specific arrangement of
amino acids so that it is incorporated within a membrane.

2CELL BIOLOGY
The channel provides a passageway for some molecules to pass which are hydrophilic in nature.
Some of those examples include water, polar ions and various others.
Structure and Function of Channel Proteins:
The structure of channel proteins involve many subunits of proteins that are arranged in a
specific way that form hydrophilic passage way across the lipid membrane. The channels can be
either gated or non-gated.
The function of this protein is to allow charged ions and water across the plasma
membrane.
Passage of Water and Oxygen across Alveoli Membrane:
Both the water and oxygen moves across the alveoli membrane down their concentration
gradient. While the movement of the oxygen is taken into consideration, the partial pressure of
the oxygen is much lower in the blood capillaries in comparison to the pressure inside the
alveoli. Hence the oxygen moves through the alveoli membrane by simple diffusion method
following its concentration gradient. While considering the water movement, the osmotic
pressure of the blood is much higher than the osmotic pressure inside the alveoli. Thus the
movement of water across the semi-permeable alveoli membrane occurs by osmotic process
from the higher solute concentration to the lower concentration.
Hence, it can be concluded that the movement of water and oxygen across the alveoli
membrane has only one difference. The movement of water across the alveoli membrane occurs
via osmosis and the movement of oxygen across the alveoli membrane occurs via simple
diffusion method.

3CELL BIOLOGY
Type of Cell Divisions in a Healthy Biological Male after Reaching Adulthood:
The cell division process in a healthy biological male will continue to take place and both
the mitosis and the meiosis division will be taking place.
The cells of different tissues will be continuously subjected to damage and death. In order
to replace them the mitotic cell division is necessary. The example of those cells include the
fibroblast cells and skin cells.
The meiotic cell division occurs mainly in order to produce the sperm cells in a healthy
adult male. The diploid cells present in the testes goes through the meiosis division in order to
produce the haploid sperm cells.