Organelle Functions and Structure

Question 1

Golgi apparatus

Answer 1

Stacked flattened sacs that are the sites of protein sorting, packaging, and modification for use in the cell or export. Protein-filled vesicles often fuse with or bud off from the Golgi apparatus. Also known as the Golgi body.

Question 2

Lysosome

Answer 2

A membrane-bound vesicle that contains digestive enzymes. It is responsible for breaking down cell waste and toxins, acting like a garbage disposal.

Question 3

Mitochondrion

Answer 3

An organelle with a highly folded inner membrane surrounded by a second outer membrane. Mitochondria are the site of aerobic cellular respiration, a chemical reaction that produces the ATP required to power cellular processes. They also contain their own DNA and ribosomes.

Question 4

Chloroplast

Answer 4

A double membrane-bound organelle that contains flattened, fluid-filled sacs that are the site of photosynthesis. Chloroplasts also contain their own DNA and ribosomes.

Question 5

Vacuole

Answer 5

A membrane-bound sac that is used for water and solute storage. Vacuoles can also play a role in maintaining plant cell structure.

Question 6

Plasma membrane

Answer 6

The plasma membrane is a selectively permeable barrier between the intracellular and the extracellular environment. It is made of a phospholipid bilayer which is studded with many molecules.

Question 7

Cell wall

Answer 7

A sturdy border outside the plasma membrane that provides strength and structure to plant, bacterial, and fungal cells.

Question 8

Vesicle

Answer 8

A small, membrane-bound sac that transports substances into or out of a cell, or stores substances within a cell.

Question 9

Cytoskeleton

Answer 9

A large network of protein filaments that start at the nucleus and reach out to the plasma membrane. The cytoskeleton is critical for maintaining shape and transporting vesicles around the cell.