Cell Characteristics
What characteristic makes a frog a living organism?
A frog is made of cells, uses energy, grows, reproduces, responds to stimuli, and maintains homeostasis.
What is the basic unit of life?
The cell.
What are specialized cells?
Cells that have specific structures and functions that allow them to perform particular jobs.
What organ pumps blood?
The heart.
Why does a frog need lungs?
To obtain oxygen and remove carbon dioxide through gas exchange.
Name one characteristic shared by all living things.
They are made of cells. (Other acceptable answers: use energy, grow, reproduce, respond to stimuli, maintain homeostasis.)
Why don't all cells have the same structure?
Different cells have different jobs, so their structures are specialized for their specific functions.
What type of cell allows the frog's heart to contract?
Specialized cardiac muscle cells.
What organ helps digest food?
The stomach. (The intestines also play an important role in digestion and nutrient absorption.)
How does a frog's muscular system help it survive?
Its muscles allow it to move, jump, swim, find food, and escape predators.
How does a frog provide evidence that living things are made of cells?
A frog's body is made of many different types of cells that work together to keep the organism alive.
How can a model help scientists compare cells?
A model can show similarities and differences in cell structures and help explain how those structures relate to cell functions.
How does a muscle cell's structure help it perform its function?
Its specialized structures allow it to contract, producing movement.
What is the relationship between cells, tissues, and organs?
Similar cells work together to form tissues, and different tissues work together to form organs.
How do a frog's organs work together as a system?
Different organs perform specialized jobs and work together to obtain nutrients and oxygen, transport materials, remove wastes, and maintain the frog's life.
Why can the frog be considered a biological system?
Its cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems work together and depend on one another to keep the frog alive.
How would you compare a muscle cell and a nerve cell?
They are specialized to help digest and absorb nutrients from food.
Why are cells in the frog's intestines specialized for their job?
They are specialized to help digest and absorb nutrients from food.
Explain how the heart's structure supports its function.
Specialized cardiac muscle cells allow the heart to contract and pump blood throughout the frog's body.
How could a frog's specialized structures help it escape a predator?
Specialized muscle and skeletal structures allow the frog to move and jump quickly.
Explain how different levels of organization work together to keep a frog alive.
Cells form tissues, tissues form organs, and organs work together in organ systems to perform the functions necessary for the frog to survive.
Predict what might happen if a cell lost a structure necessary for its function.
Different cells perform different jobs, and their combined functions allow tissues, organs, and organ systems to work properly.
How does specialization allow different cells to work together?
Different cells perform different jobs, and their combined functions allow tissues, organs, and organ systems to work properly.
Choose one frog organ and explain how its cellular structure supports its function.
The heart contains specialized muscle cells that contract, allowing the heart to pump blood.
Explain how the frog's cells, organs, and body systems help it survive in its ecological role.
Specialized cells form tissues and organs that perform important functions such as movement, digestion, breathing, and circulation. These systems work together to help the frog obtain food, avoid predators, reproduce, and survive in its environment.