Cells

Question 1

what is a cell?

Answer 1

a cell is the smallest possible unit of life (organisms can be a single cell, or they can be made of millions of different cells)

Question 2

what three features does a plant cell have that an animal cell doesn’t?

Answer 2

• chloroplast
• vacuole
• cell wall

Question 3

what are the features of an animal cell?

Answer 3

• cytoplasm
• nucleus
• ribosome
• mitochondria
• cell membrane

Question 4

what is the function of a nucleus?

Answer 4

• controls the activity of the cell (by making proteins)
• contains the chromosomes - strands of DNA which carry genes (each gene codes for a protein)

Question 5

what is the function of a cell membrane?

Answer 5

• boundary between the cytoplasm and the cell’s surroundings
• controls what substances enter and leave the cell

Question 6

what is the function of cytoplasm?

Answer 6

• jelly like liquid where chemical reactions occur

Question 7

what is the function of mitochondria?

Answer 7

• carries out some reactions of aerobic respiration, producing ATP (energy carrier molecule)

Question 8

what is the function of ribosomes?

Answer 8

• synthesis (assemble) proteins from amino acids

Question 9

what is the function of chloroplasts?

Answer 9

• absorb light energy and use it to carry out the chemical reactions of photosynthesis, making biological molecules for plant cells

Question 10

what is the function of the cell wall?

Answer 10

• made of cellulose (a carbohydrate) in plants
• helps to keep plant cells in a fixed shape (keeps the plant upright)

Question 11

what is the function of a vacuole?

Answer 11

• filled with a watery liquid called cell sap - stores dissolved sugars, mineral ions and other substances

Question 12

what do all cells contain?

Answer 12

• cell membrane
• cytoplasm