Chapter 8 Vocab Cards

Question 1

cell

Answer 1

basic unit of all forms of life

Question 2

cell theory

Answer 2

fundamental concept of biology

Question 3

cell membrane

Answer 3

thin, flexible barrier that surrounds all cells; regulates what enters and leaves the cell

Question 4

nucleus

Answer 4

the center of an atom, which contains the protons and neutrons

Question 5

eukaryote

Answer 5

organism whose cells contain a nucleus

Question 6

prokaryote

Answer 6

unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus

Question 7

cytoplasm

Answer 7

fluid portion of the cell outside the nucleus

Question 8

ribosome

Answer 8

cell organelle consisting of RNA and protein found throughout the cytoplasm in a cell; the site of protein synthesis

Question 9

endoplasmic reticulum

Answer 9

internal membrane system found in eukaryotic cells; place where lipid components of the cell membrane are assembled

Question 10

golgi apparatus

Answer 10

organelle in cells that modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and other materials from the endoplasmic reticulum for storage in the cell or release outside the cell

Question 11

vacuole

Answer 11

cell organelle that stores materials such as water, salts, proteins, and carbohydrates

Question 12

lysosome

Answer 12

cell organelle that breaks down lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins into small molecules that can used by the rest of the cell

Question 13

chloroplast

Answer 13

organelle found in cells of plants and some other organisms that captures the energy from sunlight and converts it into chemical energy

Question 14

mitochondrion

Answer 14

cell organelle that converts the chemical energy stored in food into compounds that are more convenient for the cell to use

Question 15

cell wall

Answer 15

strong, supporting layer around the cell membrane in some cells

Question 16

lipid

Answer 16

macromolecule made mostly from carbon and hydrogen atoms; includes fats, oils, and waxes

Question 17

selectively permeable

Answer 17

property of biological membranes that allows some substances to pass across it while others cannot; also called semipermeable membrane

Question 18

homeostasis

Answer 18

relatively constant internal physical and chemical conditions that organisms maintain

Question 19

diffusion

Answer 19

process by which particles tend to move from an area where they are more concentrated to an area where they are less concentrated

Question 20

osmosis

Answer 20

diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane

Question 21

isotonic

Answer 21

when the concentration of two solutions is the same

Question 22

hypertonic

Answer 22

when comparing two solutions, the solution with the greater concentration of solutes

Question 23

hypotonic

Answer 23

when comparing two solutions, the solution with the lesser concentration of solutes

Question 24

tissue

Answer 24

group of similar cells that perform a particular function

Question 25

organ

Answer 25

many groups of tissue working together

Question 26

organ system

Answer 26

group of organs that work together to perform a specific function