Cells and Their Parts

Background Information: Every living thing on Earth is made up of cells. Cells keep living things organized. Some organisms, like bacteria, are only as big as a single cell. In an organism as complex as a human, there is no way you we could do everything we do and be just a single cell. We must have many different, and many different kinds of cells.

Background Information: One of the main functions of cells is to organize the body. We have brain cells, stomach cells, bone cells, and many other types of cells. They all do special jobs to help our bodies function the way they are supposed to. Although the cells in our bodies do many different jobs, they all contain similar parts called organelles..

Background Information: In the same way there are different kinds of cells inside us, different organisms have different types of cells. Trees have different cells than us and so do dogs and cockroaches. Each of those cells is different in some way. Every cell has a special job to do.

Background Information: All cells have some things in common. If you were to look inside of a cell, you would be able to see all of the organelles that are labeled in this drawing of a cell

Micro- journey to the plant cell

Parts and functions of an animal cell

Cell Membrane Structure: A double layer of phospholipids surrounding both plant and animal cells Job: To support and protect the cell

Nucleus Location: Found in both plant and animal cells Contents: Has chromosomes and DNA ( genetic info) Function: Controls all the activities of the cell, such as growing and dividing

Cytoplasm Gel-like substance in which all organelles ( cell parts) are found within the cell

Mitochondria

Location: Found in both plant and animal cells Function: To break down food so that the cell has energy (ATP)

Ribosomes

Location: Found either floating in the cytoplasm or attached to the rough ER Function: To make proteins for the cell to survive

Rough Endoplasmic reticulum

Location: Usually found around the nucleus Function: Takes the proteins the ribosomes makes and packages them into vesicles If the vesicles go to the Golgi Body they will be sued by the cell If the vesicles float to the cell membrane they will be sent out of the cell

Smooth Endoplasmic reticulum

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum Location: Near nucleus and RER Function: Makes lipids and stores ions

Lysosomes Location: Both plant and animal cells Function: Small sacks in the cell that contain enzymes that digest old DNA,protein and lipids into smaller pieces that can be reused to make new molecules.

Golgi Body Location: Found in both plant and animal cells Function: Modifies and packages cell parts for transport

Vacuole

Vacuoles Location: In both plant and animal cells Function: These bubbles can hold water, waste and other materials the cell may need.

Back to the essential question:

Cell Animation / Video htm (identification game) htm tems/cellstructures/ (quizes) tems/cellstructures/ (advanced look)

Animal Cells

Plant Cells