Keeping Up With the Organelles
Like Dr. K directs the activities of Chamlian, I direct the things a cell does.
I am the “boss” of the cell. What am I?
The nucleus.
Like a security guard, I control what gets to enter and exit all cells. What am I?
The cell membrane.
Is a nucleus found in plant cells, animal cells or both?
Both.
A cell has a thin, flexible outer barrier controlling what enters and exits. Name the structure.
Cell membrane.
A cell’s membrane is damaged and can no longer control what enters or leaves. Why could this eventually cause the entire cell to stop functioning?
Harmful substances could enter and needed substances could leave, disrupting the cell’s activities.
I am the gel-like fluid that fills much of the cell and holds its materials. I look like jello. What am I?
Cytoplasm.
Like a storage facility, I store materials like food, water and waste. What am I?
A vacuole.
Plant cells.
A structure is described as a “tiny cell structure that carries out a specific function.” What vocabulary word is being defined?
Organelle.
A cell has working ribosomes but a damaged endoplasmic reticulum. It can still make proteins, but what problem might it have afterward?
It may have trouble transporting the proteins to where they need to go.
Body builders drink protein shakes to maintain strong muscles.
I make proteins for the cell to keep it strong and supported. What am I?
Ribosomes
I am the powerhouse of the cell. I convert energy stored in food into energy the cell can use. What am I?
Mitochondria.
Are mitochondria found in plant cells, animal cells or both?
Both.
Why does a plant cell need both a cell wall and a cell membrane?
The cell wall provides support and protection, while the cell membrane controls what enters and exits.
Two cells are identical except Cell A has many more mitochondria than Cell B. What can you reasonably infer about Cell A?
Cell A probably needs or uses more energy.
I help make and transport proteins and other substances throughout the cell. I look like a 3D maze cube. What am I?
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
I use sunlight to help make food. What am I?
Chloroplasts.
Are cell walls found in plant cells, animal cells or both?
Plant cells.
A scientist finds two cells. Cell A contains chloroplasts. Cell B does not. Which cell can use sunlight to make food?
Cell A.
A plant cell’s chloroplasts stop functioning, but its mitochondria still work. Why would the cell eventually have an energy problem anyway?
Without functioning chloroplasts, the cell cannot make food using sunlight. Eventually there would be less stored energy from food available for the mitochondria to convert into usable energy.
I sort, package and send materials around the cell just like Amazon prime delivery. What am I?
A cell needs to produce a large amount of protein. Which two structures would be especially important for making and transporting those proteins?
Ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum.
A student observes a cell with a cell wall, chloroplasts, and one large central vacuole. What type of cell is it, and what evidence supports your answer?
A plant cell; it has a cell wall and chloroplasts and typically has one large central vacuole.
A cell can no longer efficiently convert the energy stored in food into usable energy. Which organelle is most likely malfunctioning?
What are the mitochondria?
A cell can make proteins normally, but those proteins are not being properly packaged and sent to their destinations. The nucleus, ribosomes, and ER are all functioning normally. Which organelle is most likely damaged, and how did you eliminate the other three?
The Golgi apparatus. The nucleus directs activities, ribosomes make proteins, and the ER helps make/transport them. Since those steps are working but packaging and sending are not, the Golgi apparatus is the problem.