Name That Organelle
This organelle controls many cell activities and contains the cell’s genetic information.
What is the nucleus?
Which organelle actually builds proteins?
What are ribosomes?
Which structure gives plant cells extra support and is not found in animal cells?
What is the cell wall?
What is the main job of the cell membrane?
To control what enters and leaves the cell.
A cell contains a nucleus, mitochondria, and a cell membrane but no cell wall. Is it most likely a plant or animal cell?
Animal cell.
A cell needs a large amount of energy to perform its job. Which organelle would you expect it to have many of?
What are the mitochondria?
A cell's ribosomes stop functioning. What important molecule would the cell have difficulty producing?
What are proteins?
A scientist observes a cell containing chloroplasts, a cell wall, and a large central vacuole. What type of cell is it?
What is a plant cell?
A harmful substance is outside a cell. Explain how the cell membrane can help protect the cell.
It can prevent or limit certain substances from entering the cell.
A scientist discovers a cell that requires an unusually large amount of energy. Which organelle would you predict is especially abundant?
Mitochondria.
A cell can no longer break down worn-out cell parts and cellular waste. Which organelle is most likely malfunctioning?
What is the lysosome?
Put these structures in the correct order for protein production and transport: Golgi, nucleus, ribosome, rough ER.
Nucleus → ribosome → rough ER → Golgi
Both plant and animal cells need energy. Name the organelle found in both that helps release usable energy from food.
What are mitochondria?
The cell membrane allows some substances through while blocking others. What property of the membrane does this describe?
Selective permeability.
A cell is producing proteins, but none of them are leaving the cell. Name one structure that could be malfunctioning and explain your reasoning.
Golgi, vesicles, or cell membrane, with a reasonable explanation.
A cell produces proteins normally, but the proteins are not being modified, packaged, or prepared for transport. Which organelle is malfunctioning?
What is the Golgi apparatus?
A protein is successfully made by a ribosome but cannot travel through the rough ER. How could this affect the protein's journey through the cell?
It may not be properly transported to the Golgi for further processing and packaging.
A plant cell's large central vacuole suddenly loses most of its water. Predict one change you might observe in the plant.
It may wilt/lose firmness because the cells lose internal pressure.
A cell membrane suddenly allows everything to freely enter and leave the cell. Why would this threaten the cell's survival?
The cell could no longer regulate its internal conditions, disrupting homeostasis.
A toxin destroys the cell membrane but leaves all of the organelles inside unharmed. Explain why the cell would still probably die.
It could no longer regulate what enters and leaves, so it couldn't maintain homeostasis.
Explain why a cell could not function normally if its nucleus were removed, even if all of its other organelles remained.
The nucleus contains DNA/instructions that direct cell activities, so the cell would eventually be unable to properly control its functions or make needed proteins.
The Golgi apparatus is working normally, but the ribosomes have stopped working. Explain why the Golgi would eventually have very little protein to package.
The ribosomes make the proteins. Without them, proteins would not be produced and sent through the ER to the Golgi.
A student says, “Plant cells don't need mitochondria because they have chloroplasts.” Explain why the student is incorrect.
Chloroplasts capture light energy to make glucose, while mitochondria help release usable energy from that glucose. Plant cells need both.
During our bubble membrane lab, the “membrane” could bend, move, and sometimes reseal after being disturbed. What characteristics of the actual cell membrane did this model represent?
Its flexibility/fluidity and ability to self-repair or reseal small openings.
A cell's nucleus, ribosomes, rough ER, and Golgi are all functioning. However, its cell membrane cannot release anything from the cell. Predict what could happen over time.
Materials/proteins meant for export could build up inside, disrupting normal cell function and homeostasis.