The Cell and its Importance to Biotechnology

Module 2, BI 140

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the structure and function of different cell types

• Understand different types of large molecules unique to living organisms

• Analyze how the nature of cells are used in biotechnology

• Evaluate the potential use of cells in the future of biotechnology

What is a CELL?

• Most basic unit of life

• Smallest structure and functional unit of an organism

• Type of cells

• Prokaryote

• Eukaryote

Cell Essential Functions

• Cell growth and reproduction

– Cells grow and reproduce as long as they are in the appropriate environment conditions and have available nutrients

• Cells change

– Cells can change overtime depending on the environment and nutrients

• Cells regulate

– Cells can regulate itself and the environment around it

Cell Organization

• Cells are organized according to the environment they are in

• Cell membrane controls the transfer of molecules into and out of cells

Comparison of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Property Prokaryotes Eukaryotes

Main groups Bacteria and archaea Animals and plants

Size Smaller Larger

Internal organelles Very simple Very complex

Growth Very fast Slow

Protein synthesis Little to no extra folding Extra folding and modifications

Can cause diseases Yes Yes

DNA structure Circular and usually smaller Linear and usually larger

Reproduction Cell division Asexual and sexual

Use in biotech Manufacturing simple proteins Manufacturing complex proteins

DNA location Cytoplasm Nucleus

Biochemicals

• Elements (H, C, N, O, S, P, Na, K, Cl, Ca,…)

• Molecules (water, ammonia, carbon dioxide…)

• Macromolecules

– Lipids

– Carbohydrates

– Proteins

– Nucleic Acids (DNA, RNA)

Lipids and Carbohydrates

• Lipids (fats, oils, cholesterol)

– Energy storage

– Hormones

– Structure and function of cell membrane

• Carbohydrates

– Energy metabolism

– Structure material for plants

– Cell regulation

Proteins

• Proteins are responsible for doing things (functioning) in an organism

• A protein is a sequence of nucleic acids

– There are 20 types of amino acids each with distinct properties

• A protein’s function depends on:

– The amino acid sequence

– The 3D structure

– The location in the cell, body, environment

– Other molecules around it

Nucleic Acids

• Deoxiribonucleic acid (DNA)

– General code used to make proteins

– Base pairing: A, T, C, G

• Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

– The actual code used to make proteins

• Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

– The cells energy source

Complexity of the Cells

• Everything interacts:

– Proteins with other proteins

– Nucleic acids with other nucleic acids

– Proteins with nucleic acids and vice versa

– Biochemicals with all of the above

• Determining and tracking of these interactions is ongoing research

Use of Cells in Biotechnology

• Cells hold the instructions to making proteins

– Those instructions can be changed

• Cells are where proteins are made

– Proteins can also be changed

Use of Cells in Biotechnology

• We will get in more detail as the course goes on, but nucleic acids and proteins are the key to almost every biotechnology.

• Vaccines are parts of proteins called antigens which stimulate the immune system to protect against a disease

• Therapeutic proteins are (sometimes) fully functional proteins intended to treat a disease