Organelles
What organelle is considered to be the "brain" of the cell? Why?
The nucleus -- it controls all of the activities of the cell.
What is the lowest level of organization? Why?
The cell - it is the building block of life (smallest unit of life).
What is the difference between a eukaryotic cell and a prokaryotic cell?
Eukaryotic - cells that have a nucleus
Prokaryotic - cells that lack a nucleus (usually much simpler)
Name an example of a differentiated cell in the human body
What is the "jelly-like" substance within a cell called? What is its primary purpose?
The cytoplasm - to hold all of the other organelles in place.
What is an example of the third step of the levels of organization within a human?
Heart, Lung, Brain, Skin, etc. (All organs)
What makes plant cells "boxy"?
They have a cell wall.
What is cell differentiation? Define it.
Cells are different structures and have different functions depending on where in the body they are found and what they need to accomplish.
What organelle is considered the "powerhouse" of the cell? Why does it have that nickname (what process is it responsible for)? Explain.
The mitochondria - this is the organelle responsible for breaking down glucose into a form of usable energy (ATP). This process is called cellular respiration.
What is the correct order of the levels of organization?
Cells --> Tissues --> Organ --> Organ system --> Organism
What types of cells would you find within humans? There are two vocabulary words we use.
Eukaryotic;animal.
What is a stem cell? Why are they important?
They are unspecialized cells that are able to turn into different types of cells. This is important for when the body needs to repair itself and restore certain cells.
What are chloroplasts responsible for? Would you find them in all cells? Why or why not?
They are responsible for photosynthesis, the process in which autotrophs chemically create their own food. These would only be found in autotrophic organisms' cells, like plant cells.
What is the difference between an organelle and an organism?
An organelle is a structure found within a cell. They all have different shapes and sizes depending on the type of cell. An organism is an entire living thing, which is make up of cells that contain organelles.
There are two organelles that you would find in a plant cells and not in an animal cells. What are these organelles/what are their jobs?
Chloroplasts - photosynthesis
Cell Wall - provide structure/protection to the plant cell
How does cell differentiation work?
When cells divide, they have identical DNA to each other. These cells bare able to turn different genes on and off, turning them into specialized cells with unique structures and functions.
There is an organelle that is significantly bigger in plant cells than it is in animal cells. What is the organelle? Why does this difference exist?
The vacuole - the plant cells need to be able to store more food/water to access especially during hours the sun is not available (photosynthesis cannot take place).
Give a correct description for each of the 5 levels of organization.
cells - smallest unit of life
tissues - group of similar cells that share a similar function
organs - group of similar tissues that share similar functions
organ systems - two or more organs that work together towards a common goal
organism - a living being
What is the cell membrane? What vocabulary term do we use to describe it? Explain.
The cell membrane is often thought of as the "gatekeeper" of the cell. It is in charge of deciding what enters and exits the cell. We refer to the cell membrane as "selectively permeable" because of this trait.
What is stem cell therapy? Why can it be labeled as controversial? (Think about embryonic stem cells)
Where stem cells are used to repair tissues/regenerate cells. This can be controversial because it calls for the destruction of embryos in order for stem cells to be used for differentiation.