The Cell: Smallest Living Level of Organization
THE CELL - Smallest living component of biological systems.
Two basic types of cells:
Prokaryotic (no nucleus or other membrane-bounded organelles)
Eukaryotic (nucleus and many membrane-bounded organelles).
Some facts and structures of import in prokaryotes (organisms composed of prokaryotic cells):
* prokaryotes are unicellular or colonial--there's no division of labor among cells.
* prokaryotic organisms are commonly called "bacteria," although not all prokaryotes are true bacteria. Close enough for our purposes, though.
* prokaryote cell wall is composed of a protein/sugar molecule called peptidoglycan, unique to prokaryotes.
* prokaryotic flagellum (whiplike "tail") is used for locomotion. (It superficially resembles the flagella we'll see in eukaryotic cells, but it is NOT the same at all.)
-composed of a protein called flagellin
-moves with rotation from the base
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And while we're on the subject......
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