B1 - Cell Biology

Question 1

What are cells?

Answer 1

Building blocks of all living organisms

Question 2

What are the two types of cells and give examples.

Answer 2

• Eukaryotes (animal and plant cells)
• Prokaryotes (bacterial cells)

Question 3

What are some differences between eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells?

Answer 3

• Prokaryotic cells are smaller than the eukaryotic cells.
• Prokaryotic cells do not have their genetic material enclosed in a nucleus like eukaryotic cells.

Question 4

What are some features of a eukaryotic cell?

Answer 4

-Cell membrane
- Cytoplasm
- Nucleus

Question 5

What are some features of a prokaryotic cell?

Answer 5

• Cell membrane
• Cytoplasm
• Cell wall

Question 6

What organelles do both animal and plant cells contain?

Answer 6

• Nucleus
• Cytoplasm
• Cell membrane
• Mitochondria
• Ribosomes

Question 7

What is the function of a nucleus?

Answer 7

Contains the genetic material and controls the cell.

Question 8

What is the function of cytoplasm?

Answer 8

Liquid substance in which chemical reactions occur and contains enzymes.

Question 9

What is the function of a cell membrane?

Answer 9

Controls what enters and exits a cell.

Question 10

What is the function of mitochondria?

Answer 10

The site of aerobic respiration, providing energy for the cell.

Question 11

What is the function of ribosomes?

Answer 11

Where protein synthesis occurs.

Question 12

What organelles do plant cells have that animal cells don’t?

Answer 12

• Permanent vacuole
• Cell wall
• Chloroplasts

Question 13

What is the function of a permanent vacuole?

Answer 13

Contains cell sap and improves the cell’s rigidity.

Question 14

What is the function of a cell wall?

Answer 14

Made from cellulose and provides strength to the cell.

Question 15

What is the function of a chloroplast?

Answer 15

• Where photosynthesis takes place, providing food for the plant.
• Contains chlorophyll (makes the cell green) which harvests the light needed for photosynthesis.

Question 16

What organelles do bacterial cells contain?

Answer 16

• Cytoplasm
• Cell membrane
• Cell wall
• Single circular strand of DNA
• Plasmids

Question 17

What is a plasmid?

Answer 17

Small rings of DNA

Question 18

What does the prefix ‘centi’ mean?

Answer 18

Multiply unit by 0.01

Question 19

What does the prefix ‘milli’ mean?

Answer 19

Multiply unit by 0.001

Question 20

What does the prefix ‘micro’ mean?

Answer 20

Multiply unit by 0.000,001

Question 21

What does the prefix ‘nano’ mean?

Answer 21

Multiply unit by 0.000,000,001

Question 22

What is cell specialisation?

Answer 22

A process that involves the cell gaining new sub-cellular structures in order to be suited for its role.

Question 23

How are sperm cells specialised?

Answer 23

Function: To fertilize an egg cell.
- Long tail to help it swim to the egg.
- Lots of mitochondria to release energy to allow the sperm to move.

Question 24

How are nerve cells specialised?

Answer 24

Function: To carry nerve impulses around the body.
- Branching dendrites at each end to connect to other nerves or muscles.

Question 25

How are muscle cells specialised?

Answer 25

Function: To help the body to move.
- Long fibers allow it to carry electrical impulses up and down the body.
- Bands of protein that change shape to contract and relax the muscle.
- Lots of mitochondria to release energy for muscle contraction.

Question 26

How are root hair cells specialised?

Answer 26

Function: To absorb water and minerals from the soil.
- Long root hair to give it a large surface area for absorption of water and minerals into the cell.
- No chloroplasts due to being underground.

Question 27

How are palisade cells specialised?

Answer 27

Function: To carry out photosynthesis to make glucose for the plant.
- Tall, thin shape to give it a large surface area to maximize the absorption of light.
- Lots of chloroplasts to absorb light energy for photosynthesis.

Question 28

How are xylem cells specialised?

Answer 28

Function: Transports water and solutes from the roots to the leaves.
- Spirals of liginin in the cells make them stronger.
- Start of alive then the liginin grows and they die, leaving the long hollow tubes with liginin behind.

Question 29

What is cell differentiation?

Answer 29

The process by which a cell changes from a less specialized type to a more specialized type.