For the first week, we ventured down the pathway of The Cell which is known to be the smallest unit that is capable of performing life functions. What are these “life functions” though? They include growth, metabolism, stimulus response and replication. Apart from this, one point which stood out to me was the question which was asked, “Why can viruses be smaller than the Dialister bacteria?” Being that the Dialister bacteria is the smallest free-living cell measuring 0.5 x 0.5 x 1.6 micrometres, this intrigued me. After reviewing Mr. Matthew’s Youtube videos, I was encouraged to do further research on this particular topic.
Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are HUGE unicellular microorganisms. They are typically a few micrometers long and have many shapes including curved rods, spheres, rods, and spirals. Viruses (from the Latin noun virus, meaning toxin or poison) is a sub-microscopic particle (ranging in size from 20–300 nm) that can infect the cells of a biological organism. Viruses are the smallest and simplest life form known. They are 10 to 100 times smaller than bacteria. The biggest difference between viruses and bacteria is that viruses must have a living host – like a plant or animal – to multiply, while most bacteria can grow on non-living surfaces.
Another particular topic which caught my attention was the differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotes are organisms without a cell nucleus, or any other membrane-bound organelles. Most are unicellular, but some prokaryotes are multicellular). Eukaryotes are organisms whose cells are organized into complex structures by internal membranes and a cytoskeleton. The most characteristic membrane bound structure is the nucleus as this feature gives them their name. Animals, plants, fungi, and protists are eukaryotes. We were also taught the differences and similarities between plant and animal cells (Images attached below). Mr. Matthew’s videos were extremely informative and helped me to understand these topics better. 🙂
Biochem and I 