Question

Non- living components of cells are referred to as
A. Hyaloplasm
B. Ergastic substances
C. Non-protoplasmic contents
D. All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life. it is made up of various living and non-living substances. The non-living substances are present in the cell wall whereas the living components of the cell are formed by various cell organelles.

Complete Answer:
Cells consist of various cell organelles. They form the living component of the cell which also include the protoplasm of a cell. The various living components are cell organelles like chloroplast, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria etc.
The various non-living inclusion are metabolic by products. They are either organic or inorganic in nature. Such non-living components are also called as non-protoplasmic contents, because they are not included in the protoplasm. They can also be called as ergastic substances.

The various type of ergastic substances include:
- Reserve food material such as carbohydrate, protein and fats.
- Secretary products such as pigments and enzymes.
- Excretory products such as tannin, gums, and latex.

- Reserve food materials are produced by plants and stored in them. The breakdown of these materials lead to the release of energy for metabolic reaction. It includes starch proteins and lipids. Starch is a polysaccharide formed from many glucose units. On reacting with iodine, it gives blue- black color.
- The proteins are formed from units of amino acids. These proteins are in the form of crystals known as aleurone grain. The protein in plants can be of two types - fibrous protein and globular proteins. Lipids are the heterogeneous compounds containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
- The secretary products are released from the cells and help in their reactions. They are ergastic substances without any presence of food. They can be in the form of pigments which provide various colors, and enzymes which help in metabolic reaction.
- Excretory products are the metabolic by-products which are of no use to the plants. They can be either nitrogen containing or non-nitrogen containing. For example- Alkaloids, tannins, gums and resins.
- Hyaloplasm is the fluid part of cytoplasm which is mainly made up of water, minerals, ions and sugars. It gives a glass-like clear appearance to the cell cytoplasm.

So, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: Cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life. Cell contents are divided into living and non- living components. The non- living components include ergastic substances. These can be identified using physical processes and microscopic examinations.