Weird Science

Cells

100

Some students are comparing the parts of a cell to the parts of the body. Which part best represents the cell membrane and why?

A.    The feet represent the cell membrane because they help you to move.

B.    The brain represents the cell membrane because it controls your body.

C.    The stomach represents the cell membrane because it breaks down food.

D.    The skin represents the cell membrane because it surrounds and protects your organs.

200

Which of these statements explains a key difference between unicellular and multicellular organisms?

A.    Only multicellular organisms can photosynthesize.

B.    The cells of unicellular organisms are much smaller than the cells of multicellular organisms.

C.    Multicellular organisms have cell walls that provide structure and support for their cells, but unicellular organisms do not.

D.    All cells have organelles that carry out specific functions, but multicellular organisms also have cells that carry out specific functions.

300

Who was Robert Hooke?

17th century Scientist who contributed to understanding the functions of cells .

400

Compare how unicellular and multicellular organisms perform the tasks needed for life?

• Single cell, all tasks: A unicellular organism, such as bacteria, amoebas, or paramecium, consists of a single cell that performs all necessary functions for survival independently.
• Multiple, specialized cells: Multicellular organisms, such as plants, animals, and fungi, are composed of many cells that are specialized for specific functions.

And more Cells

100

    Some engineers are creating models of several unicellular organisms. Which of these would all of the models have in common?

cell walls.

B.    They would all have parts to help them move around their environment.

C.    They would all have chloroplasts to trap sunlight and create their own food.

D.    They would all have one cell with smaller parts that do different jobs within the cell.

200

What is the difference between a plant cell and an animal cell? 

• Cell Wall: Plant cells possess a rigid, outer cell wall primarily composed of cellulose, located outside the plasma membrane. This cell wall provides structural support, protection, and a fixed shape to the plant cell. Animal cells lack a cell wall.
• Chloroplasts: Plant cells contain chloroplasts, the sites of photosynthesis, according to Khan Academy. These organelles contain chlorophyll and convert light energy into chemical energy (sugars) for the plant. Animal cells lack chloroplasts as they are heterotrophs and obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

300

The cell theory describes three basic characteristics of cells and living things.

What are they?

1. All living organisms are composed of one or more cells.
2. The cell is the basic unit of structure and organization in organisms.
3. All cells arise from pre-existing cells through cell division. 

400

Levels of organization: Specialized cells group together to form tissues, which then combine to create organs, and these organs then work together to form organ systems, allowing for increasingly complex functions.

• Muscle cells are specialized for contraction and movement.
• Nerve cells (neurons) transmit signals throughout the body.
• Skin cells provide protection.