Cell Organelles

Cell Parts Notes

• When you are filling in your chart, remember the following:– Underline or highlight important vocabulary

words in the definitions

– Be thinking about how you will use the word in your simile

Cells are the basic units of all

living things.

Cells are made of parts, called

organelles, that each do their own job for

the cell.

The nucleus is the largest organelle that stores the chromatin

(genetic material) and controls all the cells

activities.

What about your topic might be the

nucleus?

The cell membrane is like a security guard. No one gets in or out of the cell without its permission

and it is “selective” about what it lets in and out.

What about your topic might be the cell membrane?

The cell wall is found only in plant cells, is non-living, and supports and protects the cell.

What about your topic might be the

cell wall?

The mitochondria are considered the powerhouse of

the cell because they break down food (glucose) and

release energy! This is known as cellular respiration.

What about your topic might be the

mitochondria?

The vacuole is a temporary storage area in the cell that holds water, food,

and waste.

Vacuoles are small and numerous in animal cells but there is only one really big one in

plant cells.

What about your topic might be the

vacuole?

Cytoplasm is the “stuff” that supports all the

organelles and allows them to get their jobs done so the cell can continue living. It is vital to the cell and is mostly

made of water.

What about your topic might be the

cytoplasm?

Chloroplasts are naturally GREEN and make all the food for

plants only. This food is in the form of a

sugar called glucose.

Think of the chloroplasts as the “food makers” or

providers and the mitochondria as the

energy releasers or food “breakerdowners”

What about your topic might be the

chloroplast?

The endoplasmic reticulum is like a super

small and intricate highway system in the

cell because it move things around.

Often referred to as ER…it can be smooth (without ribosomes) or

rough (with ribosomes).

What about your topic might be the

ER?

The Golgi body or Golgi apparatus is often compared to

a post office. This is because materials made by the cell (i.e.

proteins, lipids, etc.) are packaged, labeled, and shipped

off to other areas of the cell from here.

What about your topic might be the

Golgi body?

Lysosomes are like the custodians of the cell. They will seek out and

destroy any and all waste inside the cell.

What about your topic might be the

lysosome?

The nucleolus hides out inside the nucleus with

the chromatin and manufacture all the

ribosomes. It does NOT contain the DNA.

What about your topic might be the

nucleolus?

Without the ribosomes, no cell would be able to make any

proteins. Of course, the nucleus tells the ribosomes

which ones to make…but they are very important nonetheless.

Proteins are vital to every living thing and are actually responsible

for how an organism looks, behaves, performs their life

processes, etc. The code for making proteins is housed in the DNA of every cell and basically tells that

cell what kind of cell to be.

What about your topic might be the ribosomes? How

about your protein?

How are plant and animal cells alike? How

are they different?

• LOTS OF SMALL VACUOLES

• IRREGULAR SHAPE

• CHLOROPLASTS IN GREEN CELLS

• ONE LARGE VACUOLE

• CELL WALL• RECTANGULAR

SHAPE

• NUCLEUS• CYTOPLASM

• CELL MEMBRANE• MITOCHONDRIA

• VACUOLES

Two other types of organisms you

should be familiar with now are…

Bacteria…organisms that reproduce rapidly, are

prokaryotic, can cause disease but can also be very helpful, come in rod, sphere, or spiral

shapes and can often be treated with antibiotics.

Viruses…neither alive nor dead, they can’t reproduce by themselves (parasitic), come in several geometric

shapes, and can not be treated with antibiotics.