Cell Organelles Flashcards
Cell Membrane
The thin outer covering of the cell
Controls what enters and exits the cell (selectively permeable)
Composed of a complex fat and protein structure
Vacuoles
Saclike organelles that store food, waste, water and other foreign materials
Specialized ones (called lysosomes) store and digest food particles
Nucleus
Centralized mass in the cell
Controls cell functions through DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) – acts like a complex set of instructions
Enclosed in a membrane
Some cells have more than one (such as Paramecium)
Mitochondria
Sometimes referred to as the powerhouses of the cell
Uses oxygen to break down food particles and release the energy needed for other cell functions
Sausage shaped organelle with an inner folded membrane
Endoplasmic reticulum
A complex, folded, canal like section that moves materials around inside the cell
Often covered in ribosomes and assists with protein production
Cell wall
An outer layer (outside the cell membrane) found in plant cells and some animal cells
A rigid, fibrous layer that has pores to let materials in and out of the cell
Ribosomes
Small spherical structures usually attached to the endoplasmic reticulum while some are free floating in the cytoplasm
Produce proteins used for cell structure and repair
Golgi body or apparatus
I folded, layered structure that looks like the Wi-Fi symbol on MacBooks
Processes the proteins made by the endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes and packages them into sacs called vesicles for secretion (for example: mucus)
Cytoplasm
A jellylike (almost watery) fluid inside the cell
Fills the cell and serve as a fluid to move oxygen and food particles around inside the cell
Chloroplast
Only found in plant cells
Site of photosynthesis
Oval shape, with several layers inside the cell, usually stacked
Contain chlorophyll used for photosynthesis
Use carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to create sugar and oxygen gas
Centrioles
A pair of cylinder shaped structures that assist with cell division
They are made of 9 sets of microtubules
They are usually at right angles
When they move towards opposite ends of the cell, the cell divides.
Nucleolus
Spherical densely packed section of RNA (ribonucleic acid) inside the nucleus
Cilia
Cilia can help cells to move
Cilia can also be used to move fluid around cells such as the mucus in lungs.
Cells with cilia are found in the lungs and intestines of many animals
Flagellum (flagella = plural)
Flagellum looks like a tail and helps a cell to move.
Flagella are usually found in unicellular organisms.
They are also found on sperm cells.
