Cells Reading Guide

Question 1

What is a prokaryote? What are some typical features of prokaryotic cells?

Answer 1

Prokaryote means before nucleus. Prokaryotes are unicellular organisms that do not have a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles. Their DNA is located in the nucleoid. They have a cell wall made of peptidoglycan and many have a polysaccharide capsule.

Question 2

What happens to a cell’s surface area and volume as a cell’s radius increases? What about the surface area to volume ratio? What implications does this have for cell function?

Answer 2

As the radius of a cell increases, the surface area increases as a square of the radius and the volume increases as a cube of the radius. As a cell increases in size, its surface area to volume ratio decreases. As a cell grows it becomes less efficient. A way to become more efficient is to divide.

Question 3

What is a eukaryote? What are some typical features of eukaryotic cells?

Answer 3

Eukaryotic cells have membrane-bound organelles and a nucleus. Typical features of eukaryotic cells include the endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus, chloroplasts, mitochondria, and rod-shaped chromosomes.

Question 4

1) What is the function of the plasma membrane?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 4

1)Separates cell from external environment; controls passage of organic molecules, ions, water, oxygen, and wastes into and out of cell
2) both
3) both

Question 5

1) What is the function of the cytoplasm?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 5

1) Provides turgor pressure to plant cells as fluid inside the central vacuole; site of many metabolic reactions; medium in which organelles are found
2) both
3) both

Question 6

1) What is the function of the nucleus?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 6

1) Cell organelle that houses DNA and directs synthesis of ribosomes and proteins
2) eukaryotes
3) both

Question 7

1) What is the function of the ribosome?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 7

1) synthesize proteins
2) both
3) both

Question 8

1) What is the function of the mitochondria?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 8

1) ATP production/cellular respiration
2) eukaryotes
3) both

Question 9

1) What is the function of the peroxisome?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 9

1) Oxidize and thus break down fatty acids and amino acids, and detoxify poisons
2) eukaryotes
3) both

Question 10

1) What is the function of the vacuole?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 10

1) function in storage and transport
2) eukaryotes
3) both

Question 11

1) What is the function of the cell wall?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 11

1) Protection, structural support, and maintenance of cell shape
2) both
3) plant

Question 12

1) What is the function of the lysosome?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 12

1) Digestion of macromolecules; recycling of worn-out organelles
2) eukaryotes
3) animal

Question 13

1) What is the function of the chloroplast?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 13

1) plant cell organelles that carry out photosynthesis
2) eukaryotes
3) both

Question 14

1) What is the function of the rough endoplasmic reticulum?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 14

1) makes phospholipids, modifies proteins
2) eukaryotes
3) both

Question 15

1) What is the function of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 15

1) synthesis of carbohydrates, lipids, and steroid hormones, stores calcium ions
2) eukaryotes
3) both

Question 16

1) What is the function of the golgi apparatus?
2) Is it found in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or both?
3) Is it found in animal cells, plant cells, or both?

Answer 16

1) Modifies, sorts, tags, packages, and distributes lipids and proteins
2) eukaryotes
3) both

Question 17

What is the cytoskeleton and what are the functions of the cytoskeleton?

Answer 17

Maintains cell’s shape, secures organelles in specific positions, allows cytoplasm and vesicles to move within cell, and enables unicellular organisms to move independently

Question 18

What are the three types of fibers that make up the cytoskeleton?

Answer 18

microfilaments, intermediate filaments, microtubules

Question 19

What are microfilaments?

Answer 19

narrowest, function in cellular movements, comprised of two globular protein intertwined stands. Enables actin to engage in cellular events that require motion. Provide rigidity and shape to the cell.

Question 20

What are intermediate filaments?

Answer 20

strands of fibrous proteins wound together that beat tension to maintain the cell’s shape, and anchor the nucleus and organelles in place. The most diverse group of cytoskeleton elements.

Question 21

What are microtubules?

Answer 21

small hollow tubes, widest components of the cytoskeleton, help cells resist compression.

Question 22

What are flagella? What types of cells possess flagella (singular flagellum)?

Answer 22

Long structures that extend from the plasma membrane and enable the cell to move.

Question 23

How do flagella differ from cilia?

Answer 23

Cilia extend along the plasma membrane’s entire surface and are short. A cell has many cilia. Flagella is long and the cell only has one.