A living system is a one-of-a-kind assemblage of various organic and inorganic components. Earth’s crust consists of almost similar substances like a living cell, yet living systems are different from the non-living system. If we crack open a living cell, it is filled with various organic and inorganic substances. The sum total of cellular components is commonly referred to as the Cellular Pool.

It is intriguing to learn and understand the various components which maintain a living system using chemical compounds of various kinds. Read further to understand cellular pools in detail.

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What is Cellular Pool?

Biochemistry is the science of studying biochemical processes that involve the conversion, generation, or reduction of biomolecules in cells and organisms. In living organisms, a biomolecule is a chemical substance. Biochemicals mostly made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, and phosphorus fall within this category. Biomolecules are the fundamental building elements of life and play critical roles in living creatures.

The cellular pool is the collection of diverse types of biomolecules, chemicals, and ions present in a cell. Many different types of inorganic and organic biomolecules make up a living organism. Inorganic compounds, such as water and minerals, are always micro-biomolecules (small in size, low in molecular weight, easily soluble in water, and diffusible). In contrast, organic molecules can be micro (e.g. monosaccharides, amino acids, etc.) or macro (e.g. polysaccharides, polysaccharides, polysaccharides, polysaccharides, polysaccharides, polysaccharides, polysaccharides (large-sized, high molecular weight, insoluble or slightly soluble and non-diffusible, e.g., proteins, fats, nucleic acids, etc.). 

Phases of Cellular pool

There are two types of it: aqueous and non-aqueous.

1. Aqueous phase: Chemicals distributed in water create a true or colloidal solution in the aqueous phase. Crystalloids are substances that create true solutions, while colloids are substances that make colloidal solutions. A true solution is homogeneous in nature with a particle size of 1 nm or less, while the colloidal solution is heterogeneous with particle size 1-100 nm.
2. Non-aqueous phase: Chemicals are deposited in diverse structures such as chromatin, cell membrane, and cell wall in the non-aqueous phase. Living and non-live matter are both made up of the same sorts of elements. Still, the relative abundance of C and H in relation to other elements is larger in any living thing than in non-living matter or the earth’s crust.

Constituents of Cellular Pool

The cellular pool consists of various substances. They can be categorised into two types of constituents: Inorganic and Organic. Inorganic substances are those that do not contain carbon in addition to hydrogen. Carbon and hydrogen are found in organic molecules.

Fig: Table of Elements and Inorganic constituents in living organisms

Inorganic Constituent

1. Water: 70% to 90% of the cellular pool is made up of water. It makes up 65 per cent (about two-thirds) of the human body. In the cell, 95 per cent of the water is in its state, while just 5% is in its mixed form. Water aids in the maintenance of life processes. Be a result, water is referred to as an elixir or cradle of the lips, as life cannot exist without it.
2. Oxygen: Oxygen is required for life since it is primarily used in aerobic cell respiration of nutrients inside the mitochondria to make energy-rich ATP molecules. Only 5% of the energy available is released when there is no oxygen present.
3. Salts and Ions: Sodium chloride, especially in ionic form, plays a key role in the body’s metabolic operations. Potassium (K+), chloride (Cl–), and magnesium (Mg2+) are the most abundant ions inside the cell.

Organic Constituent

1. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are organic substances made up of the elements C, H, and O in a 1:2:1 ratio. Saccharides are the common name for these sugars. Carbohydrates are the most common storage molecules, and most organisms use them as a source of energy by breaking these bonds and releasing energy to keep them alive.
2. Proteins: Proteins are polymeric molecules made up of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. Only roughly 20 amino acids are biologically significant out of a total of about 100. Proteins are essential for the development of structures in living organisms. Protein, like carbohydrates and fats, maybe broken down when energy is released. Protein is not stored in the body and is generally only used as a significant source of energy in times of hunger.
3. Lipids: Lipids are a large category of insoluble hydrocarbons that serve a variety of functions. These polymers are made up of alcohols (such as glycerol) and fatty acids bonded together by ester bonds. True fats, for example, are complex lipids that are vital chemical compounds that give energy. Animal fats also offer insulation against heat loss.
4. Nucleic Acid: Polynucleotides are polymers of nucleotides interconnected by phosphodiester linkages and referred to as nucleic acids. Each nucleotide is made up of three parts: a pentose sugar (ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA), a phosphate group, and an inorganic nitrogen-base (a purine or a pyrimidine). In most organisms, DNA serves as the genetic material and regulates the production of structural and functional proteins. In all plant viruses, such as TMV, RNA serves as genetic material and aids in protein synthesis.

How to Obtain Cellular Pool

Take a tissue and fold it in half (Soft plant tissue or animal tissue). Any live tissue should be pulverised in trichloroacetic acid using a mortar and pestle (Cl₃CCOOH). The result will be a thick sludge. If you strain it through cheesecloth or cotton, you’ll get two fractions. The filtrate, or acid-soluble pool, is one, while the retentate, or acid-insoluble fraction, is the other. Proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and other substances are found in the acid-insoluble pool, whereas the acid-soluble pool comprises hundreds of organic molecules.

Various compounds and enzymes have been identified from the acid-soluble pool by scientists. Following the extraction of the constituents, the extract is subjected to a series of separation techniques until a compound is separated from the others. A chemical is isolated and refined, in other words.

How Does Cell Maintain a Specific Cellular pool?

Every cell requires to maintain the specific concentration of a particular constituent. Less amount of water may cause dehydration here as excessive water can cause cell swelling. The right concentration maintains osmolarity and ensures the cell is functioning properly. Through the selective intake of materials from the outside, internal metabolism, and selective elimination of certain substances, cells are able to retain their unique cellular pool. This is accomplished by the plasma membrane and the membranous coating of cell organelles. Selective permeability and retentivity are features of the membranes.

Function of the Cellular Pool

The chemicals in the cellular pool serve as raw materials for the cell organelles and the cell to carry out numerous biochemical activities. Ions allow electrical signals to flowly throughout the body. Electrolytes perform a critical role in the body, regulating osmotic pressure in cells and assisting muscle and nerve cell activity.

Summary

The cellular pool is the collection of diverse types of biomolecules, chemicals, and ions present in a cell. There are two types of it: aqueous and non-aqueous. Inorganic substances are those that do not contain carbon in addition to hydrogen. Carbon and hydrogen are found in organic molecules. Salts and Ions: Potassium (K+), chloride (Cl–), and magnesium (Mg2+) are the most abundant ions inside the cell. Proteins are polymeric molecules made up of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. Lipids are insoluble hydrocarbons that serve a variety of functions. Every cell requires to maintain a specific concentration of a particular constituent. The right concentration maintains osmolarity and ensures the cell is functioning properly. Electrolytes perform a critical role in the body, regulating osmotic pressure in cells and assisting muscle and nerve cell activity.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) on Cellular Pool

Q.1. What is the cellular pool?
Ans: The sum total of different types of biomolecules, compounds and ions present in a cell is called the cellular pool.

Q.2. What are the constituents of the cellular pool?
Ans: The cellular pool contains both organic and inorganic substances.

Q.3. What are the characteristics of a small molecule in the cellular pool?
Ans: Small-sized molecules have low molecular weight i.e., less than 1000 Daltons, higher solubility and simple conformation.

Q.4. What per cent of the cellular pool consists of water?
Ans: 70-90% of the cellular pool consists of water.

Q.5. What is the function of the Cellular pool?
Ans: The chemicals in the cellular pool serve as raw materials for the cell organelles and the cell to carry out numerous biochemical activities.

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