Parts of the Cell Flashcards
1
Cell wall
2
Chloroplast
3
Lysosome
4
Vacuole
5
Cell Membrane
6
Nuclear Envelope
7
Centrosome
8
Nucleus
9
Nucleolus
10
Ribosomes
11
Golgi Apparatus
12
Rough ER (Endoplasmic Reticulum)
13
Smooth ER (Endoplasmic Reticulum)
14
Mitochondria
Cell Membrane
Design: flexible, self-repairing membrane that forms the outer boundary of a cell; countains numerous embedded proteins and reinforcement fibers
Primary Purpose(s): separates cell from environment; determines what materials can enter or leave the cell; actively transports some materials into and out of the cell; senses chemicals in the surrounding environment; cotnains molecular tags for recognition by other cells
Cell Wall
Design: rigid, boxlike structure outside the cell membrane of plants; composed of cellulose fibers, lignin, and pectin
Primary Purpose(s): forms protective coat and provides firmness and strength to plant cells
Cytoplasm:
Design: the fluid medium of the cell
Primary Purpose(s): forms watery environment for cellular organelles; allows small molecules to diffuse throughout cell
Cytoskeleton
Design: complex network of hollow, rodlike girders and other fibers that extend throughout the cell
Primary Purpose(s): maintains the shape of the cell and provides support for organelles; microtubules serve as the “highways” of the cell; allow the cell to change its shape or to creep from place to place; provides support for cilia and flagella
Centrosome:
Design: pair of microtubule bundles found only in human and animal cells; located close to nucleus; often considered part of cytoskeleton
Primary Purpose(s): serves as foundation of cytoskeleton; also helps distribute chromosomes to daughter cells during cell division
Mitochondria:
Design: sausage-shaped structure consisting of a smooth outer membrane and a highly folded inner membrane
Primary Purpose(s): “power plants” of the cell; contain ATP synthase and other enzymes that break down food molecules and use the energy released to produce ATP
Chloroplasts:
Design: green, oval-shaped organelles containing hundreds of flattened compartments connected by narrow tubes
Primary Purpose(s): capture energy and use it to produce sugars
Ribosomes:
Design: small organelles composed of protein and RNA; consist of two subunits that clamp together to form a functioning unit
Primary Purpose(s): protein factories of the cell; manufacture proteins from animo acids, guided by “blueprints” provided by the nucleus
Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER):
Design: system of folded membranes that attaches to the outside of the cell’s nucleus and extends throughout the cell; rough ER is studded with ribosomes, while smooth ER is not
Primary Purpose(s): processes proteins for membranes or for export; breaks down toxins and wastes and manufactures necessary fat molecules
Golgi Apparatus:
Design: stack of flattened, membrane-enclosed compartments held together by cell’s cytoskeleton
Primary Purpose(s): processes and packages proteins and other molecules for shipment to their intended destinations in the cell
Lysosome:
Design: spherical membrane-enclosed compartment with a highly acidic interior
Primary Purpose(s): breaks down proteins and other cell molecules for recycling
Vacuoles:
Design: spherical membrane-enclosed compartments; especially large in plant cells
Primary Purpose(s): store food and other materials for later use
Nucleus:
Design: large, often spherical body separated from the rest of the cell by a double membrane (the nuclear envelope); surface is studded with numerous gates known as nuclear pores
Primary Purpose(s): contains the genetic material of the cell and serves as the cell’s control center
Nucleolus:
Design: distinct region within the nucleus; may be irregular in shape
Primary Purpose(s): assembles ribosomes
