Organoids are important structures that are interconnected. Human health depends on how well this mechanism is debugged. What methods exist for studying the structure and functioning of cells, read the article.
Organoids: what is it?
These are the structural components of the cell. They are responsible for important functions in the human body, ensuring its vital functions. These specialized parts of the cell got this name because they are comparable to the organs of the whole organism. Being permanent structures, organelles are in the cytoplasm. The main ones are ribosomes, mitochondria, lysosomes, Golgi complex, microtubules, endoplasmic reticulum, microfilaments.
The organelles of cells in their structure are the same in humans, plants and animals, but with their own characteristics, this is different. If they are of animal origin, they also include microfibrils, centrioles. Plastids enter plant cells. Organoids are not a cell membrane, nucleus, nucleoli, flagella, cilia, chromosomes.
What is a cell?
A cell is the basic unit of living things in structure and function. She is characterized by all the signs of a living: growth, division, heredity, energy, metabolism, irritability and much more. To explore all this, there are methods to study the structure of the organelles of the cell.
There are many types of cells , and there are only two types of cells : prokaryotic and eukaryotic. Common is only the presence of a membrane.
Prokaryotes
These are organisms that do not have a cell nucleus and other membrane organelles. A single large-sized DNA ring molecule contains almost all of the cell’s genetic material.
Examples of prokaryotes are archaea and bacteria, including algae.
Eukaryotes
These are larger cells. In their structure there are organelles. They differ from prokaryotes by the presence of a nucleus in which several linear DNA molecules are located. Their number is different for different species. There may be only two molecules, or maybe several hundred. From the inside, they attach to the membrane of the nucleus and form chromatin.
Eukaryotes contain internal membranes that form other organelles. Most organisms inside the cells have mitochondria, and plants and algae also have plastids.
What functions do organoids perform?
It depends on the type of cells. If they are of animal origin, their functions are as follows:
- Transportation of water and nutrients, elimination of harmful waste products, protection from adverse effects. This is achieved through plasma membranes, which are important organoids. They are a thin film consisting of proteins and lipids.
- Ensuring the connection of organelles with the nucleus. It is carried out by the cytoplasm, a semi-fluid medium with which the cell is filled.
- Participation in the synthesis of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, transportation of substances. This is ensured by the endoplasmic reticulum.
- Synthesizing energy by mitochondria. In these organoids, the oxidation of organic substances occurs.
- Photosynthesis. This function is characteristic of plant cells, which include plastids.
- Participate in the reaction of the splitting of molecules of complex composition due to lysosomes.
Cytological studies
Methods for studying the structure and functions of cells are different:
- The main one is light microscopy using an appropriate microscope. But under it, you can consider drugs that have undergone special training. For their preparation, glass slides and objects for consideration are used, which are colorless structures. To conduct a study, they need to be painted, and each time in different shades.
- Phase contrast microscopy. This method examines living cells. The basis is the fact that the density and light refraction of the transparent cells of individual sections are different.
- To study the structure of the organelles of the cell allows the method of fluorescence microscopy. In research, the fundamental factor is the ability of substances to produce radiation at the time of absorption of light energy.
- To study the structure of the organelles of the cell allows the method of autoradiography. It is based on the fact that substances labeled with isotopes are recorded. This method allows you to see those parts of the cell to which the labeled substances have joined.
- What method allows studying the structure of organelles of a cell? This is carried out using cytological studies, which are carried out by different methods. One of them is electron microscopy, which studies the structure of very small organelles of cells. The length of light waves exceeds them in size. This method allowed us to consider the components of the cell on which the protein is synthesized.
- To study the structure of cell organelles allows the fractionation method. To do this, first destroy the cell, and then using a special device - a centrifuge - to isolate the structure.
- To study the structure of cell organelles allows the method of using cell culture, in which the cells, organs, tissues of the body of a plant, animal, person are stored for a long time in order to grow them in a specially prepared medium. This method has a huge advantage. Using a microscope, one can observe the vital processes of cells.
The importance of cytological methods
What method allows studying the structure of cell organelles in biology? Cytological studies that have been widely used in medicine. Studying the structure of cells, the physiological state of the body is investigated, these methods allow us to identify benign and malignant tumors, diseases of the blood, respiratory tract, nervous, genitourinary and digestive systems. A timely diagnosis helps the person to cure and recover completely.
Cytochemical studies
For their conduct, smears or fingerprints of blood, tumors, organs or parts of them, the brain are taken. For research, color chemical reactions are used. They determine various substances located in the cytoplasm of cells. Special reagents stain them. The degree and nature of the color are indicators for determining the amount or activity of the substances being investigated. Such studies are simple, but not very accurate.
When evaluating the results, the Astaldi principle is used. The degree of color intensity, its similarities and differences is revealed. According to this criterion, the elements that have been studied are divided into groups, there are only four of them: negative reaction (-), weakly positive (+), positive (++), sharply positive (+++). Most often, cytochemical studies are carried out to determine the following indicators:
- lipids;
- glycogen;
- nucleic acid;
- gland;
- enzymes and their activity;
- alkaline and acid phosphatases;
- exterases;
- cationic protein and many other indicators.
Biochemical studies
There are different methods for studying the cell: microscopic, cytochemical, biochemical. The latter is used when it is necessary to establish an accurate diagnosis of metabolic disorders in the human body, which are inherited. As an object of study, they take blood, biological fluid, urine, tissues, cells, products of the conversion of energy and substances that occur in the human body with and without pathologies.
Changes in the body that lead to the development of various diseases are manifested in the form of changes in the concentration of components, the absence of one of them or the appearance of a new one. It is important how fluids and chemical components are distributed between the structures of the whole organism and a single cell. Of interest are the processes of transformation and regulation with the help of hormones and enzymes, as well as the exchange of the body with the environment. Substances of organic and inorganic origin, as well as macromolecules, which include protein and nucleic acid, are subject to research.
Methods of biochemical research are quantitative and qualitative. The latter are simple, they are less time-consuming and specific. They are used for screening of a mass nature. More accurate are quantitative methods. They are used when you need to do selective screening. People with hereditary metabolic disorders must undergo biochemical studies. Indications for this are the following symptoms:
- coma;
- cramps
- jaundice;
- vomiting
- excessive sweating, unpleasant urine odor;
- stunting;
- violation of physical development;
- individual intolerance to products of certain groups;
- decreased or loss of vision, as well as hearing.
Methods for studying cell structure are constantly being improved. This is necessary in order to obtain accurate information about the state of the metabolic processes of the substance in the body, tissue, cell. These methods are complex, very time-consuming and costly, since their implementation requires special, expensive equipment. Currently, a new trend in the biochemical method of research is widespread, allowing you to get an assessment of the analysis in a few minutes or seconds. For this, mechanized systems, automatic analyzers, electronic measuring instruments are used.