Cell Structures
This structure acts as a selective barrier, allowing some substances to pass while blocking others.
What is the cell membrane?
This organelle controls the cell’s activities by storing genetic material.
What is the nucleus?
One principle of the cell theory states that all living things are made of these.
What are cells?
These two groups of organisms differ by whether or not they contain a nucleus.
What are prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
This organelle is often called the “powerhouse of the cell” because it makes energy.
What is the mitochondrion?
This organelle packages and ships proteins and lipids inside the cell.
What is the Golgi apparatus?
This organelle breaks down sugar molecules to release energy in the form of ATP.
What is the mitochondrion?
Evidence from early microscopes helped scientists conclude that new cells come from this source.
What is pre-existing cells?
Identify one structure found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
What are ribosomes?
What would happen to a plant if its chloroplasts stopped working?
What is the plant could not make its own food and might die without another source of energy?
Predict what would happen to a cell if its ribosomes were damaged or destroyed.
What is the cell would not be able to produce proteins, leading to failure in growth, repair, and essential functions?
Compare the functions of the smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum.
What is the rough ER helps make and transport proteins, while the smooth ER makes lipids and detoxifies?
When Schleiden studied plants and Schwann studied animals, they both made the same conclusion. What was it?
What is all living things are made of cells?
Compare how DNA is stored in prokaryotic cells versus eukaryotic cells.
What is prokaryotes have free-floating DNA, while eukaryotes have DNA inside a nucleus?
Both plant and animal cells need to stay balanced. Compare how the cell wall in plants and the cell membrane in animals help with this.
What is the cell wall gives plants shape and support, while the cell membrane controls what goes in and out of animal cells?
Construct an explanation for why vacuoles in plant cells are typically much larger than those in animal cells.
What is plant cells use vacuoles for storing water and maintaining pressure (turgor) to support the plant, while animal cells don’t rely on them for structure?
How does the structure of the cell wall help plant cells maintain their shape, while animal cells rely on other systems?
What is the rigid cell wall provides support and protection, while animal cells rely on the cytoskeleton for structure?
Explain how the invention of the microscope provided evidence that supported and expanded the cell theory.
What is it allowed scientists to observe cell division, structures, and living organisms at the cellular level?
Construct an explanation for why eukaryotic cells can form multicellular organisms while prokaryotes generally cannot.
What is eukaryotic cells have specialized organelles and more complex organization that allow them to divide labor, unlike prokaryotes?
What would happen to a cell if it had no ribosomes?
What is it would not be able to make proteins, so it couldn’t grow, repair, or do many important jobs?
Compare the function of mitochondria and chloroplasts in energy transformation.
What is mitochondria produce energy (ATP) from food through cellular respiration, while chloroplasts capture sunlight to produce food (glucose) through photosynthesis?
Explain how ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, and the Golgi apparatus work together to create and transport proteins.
What is ribosomes make proteins, the ER modifies/finishes them, and the Golgi packages and distributes them?
Some viruses can replicate but are not considered alive. How does this challenge cell theory, and how can it still be defended?
What is viruses are not made of cells, so they don’t fit the cell theory; but the theory still holds true for all living things, since viruses are non-living particles?
Justify why antibiotics can kill bacterial cells (prokaryotes) without harming human cells (eukaryotes).
What is because bacterial cells have unique structures like cell walls and ribosome types that antibiotics target, which humans don’t have?
Bacteria are simple cells (prokaryotes) that are easier to target for antibioitcs while animal cells are more complex.
If you had to choose the most important organelle for a cell’s survival, which would you pick and why?
(Must be able to justify your answer accurately!)
What is answers may vary — students should explain with evidence, such as the nucleus controls instructions, mitochondria make energy, or the membrane keeps the cell alive by protecting it?