Plant Cell Structure Flashcards
Describe the structure of the cell wall.
A rigid structure, made of cellulose, that surrounds the plant cell.
What is the function of the cell wall?
It supports the plant cell.
Describe the structure of the middle lamella.
It is the outermost layer of a plant cell.
What is the function of the middle lamella?
- It acts as an adhesive, sticking adjacent plant cells together
- It gives the plant stability
Describe the structure of the plasmodesmata.
They are channels in the cell walls that link adjacent cells together.
What is the function of the plasmodesmata?
- It allows the transport of substances across plant cells
- It allows communication between plant cells
Describe the structure of the pits.
They are regions of the cell wall that are very thin. They are arranged in pairs.
What is the function of the pits?
They allow the transport of substances between cells.
Describe the structure of a chloroplast.
It is an organelle surrounded by a double membrane. It contains thylakoid membranes inside that can either form lamellae or be stacked to form grana. The lamellae link the grana together. It also contains stroma which is a thick fluid
What is the function of a chloroplast?
It is the site of photosynthesis. Some parts of photosynthesis happen in the stroma and some on the grana.
Describe the structure of an amyloplast.
It is a small organelle that contains starch granules
What is the function of an amyloplast?
It stores starch grains and converts starch into glucose, which is released when needed by the plant.
Describe the structure of the vacuole and the tonoplast.
The vacuole contains cell sap and is surrounded by the tonoplast membrane.
What is the function of the vacuole and the tonoplast?
- Cell sap contains water, enzymes, minerals and waste products
- The vacuole is involved in the breakdown of unwanted chemicals in the cell
- The tonoplast controls the exit and entry of substances in the vacuole.
