CELL ORGANELLES AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

Cell Membrane Maintains homeostasis, communicates and connects with external world outside of the cell

DEFINE HOMEOSTASIS TO HELP UNDERSTAND THE WORK OF THE CELL MEMBRANE. Regulation - It's All About Homeostasis Homeostasis is a term that is used to both describe the survival of organisms in an ecosystem and to describe the successful survival of cells inside of an organism. Organisms and populations can maintain homeostasis in an environment when they have a steady level of births and deaths. It is similar to the idea of equilibrium.

When discussing the internal workings of an organism, homeostasis describes an environment that supports the survival of cells. All of your body's systems work together maintain homeostasis inside of your body. Homeostasis is achieved by making sure the temperature, pH (acidity), and oxygen levels (and many other factors) are set just right for your cells to survive. Homeostasis levels are different for each species.

Cytoplasm Liquid medium of water and chemicals for containment of all organelles except nucleus

Ribosome Receives information from the nuclear material and manufacture required proteins for cell

Polysomes are long chains of ribosomes floating freely in the cytoplasm of the cell.

Mitochondrion Converts food molecules and cytoplasm chemicals to energy

Lysosome Digest waste and old cell parts for conversion and further use by the cell

Golgi bodies Manufacture, package, modify material required by the cell or tissues outside of the cell

Vacuole Contains stored energy material

Vesicle Contains material generated by the golgi apparatus needed by the cell or other tissues

Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum Folded membrane that moves material around in the cell

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum Folded membrane with ribosomes that moves material around in the cell

The operation center and decision maker for the cell Nucleus The operation center and decision maker for the cell

Nuclear membrane (envelope) Double membrane containing nucleolus. Controls material and homeostasis with cytoplasm.

Involved in the making of proteins for the cell Nucleolus Involved in the making of proteins for the cell

Controls exchange of material from and into the nucleus Nuclear pore Controls exchange of material from and into the nucleus

Chromatin Contains hereditary information and proteins needed for reproduction

DNA Material that controls activities within the cell It’s found in the nucleus. However, it’s also found in mitochondria in animal cells and in plastids in plant cells.

PLANT CELL ORGANELLES Plant cells contain some organelles not found in animal cells, such as cell walls and chloroplasts.

A plant cell possesses a well-developed cell wall and large vacuoles Besides these structural differences, a plant cell lacks centrioles and intermediate filaments, which are present in an animal cell. A typical plant cell is made up of cytoplasm and organelles. In fact, all the organelles (except nucleus) and subcellular structures are present in the cytoplasm, which is enclosed by protective layers (the cell wall and cell membrane).

Nucleus Nucleus (plural nuclei) is a highly specialized cell organelle, which stores the genetic component (chromosomes) of the particular cell. It serves as the main administrative center of the cell by coordinating the metabolic processes like cell growth, cell division, and protein synthesis. Together, the nucleus along with its contents is referred to as nucleoplasm.

Plastids (Chloroplasts) Plastids are a collective term for organelles that carry pigments. In a plant cell, chloroplasts are the most prominent forms of plastids that contain the green chlorophyll pigment. Because of these chloroplast plastids, a plant cell has the ability to undergo photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to synthesize its own food.

Ribosomes Ribosomes are plant organelles that comprise proteins (40 percent) and ribonucleic acid or RNA (60 percent). They are responsible for the synthesis of proteins. Inside the cell, a ribosome may occur freely (free ribosome) or it may be attached to another organelle, endoplasmic reticulum (bound ribosome). Each ribosome consists of two parts, a larger subunit and a smaller subunit.

Mitochondria Mitochondria (singular mitochondrion) are large, spherical or rod-shaped organelles present in the cytoplasm of the plant cell. They break down the complex carbohydrates and sugars into usable forms for the plant. A mitochondrion contains certain enzymes that are essential for supply of energy to the plant cell. Hence, these cell organelles also known as the powerhouse of the cell.

Golgi Body A golgi body is also referred to as golgi complex or golgi apparatus. It plays a major role in transporting chemical substances in and out of the cell. After the endoplasmic reticulum synthesizes lipids and proteins, golgi body alters and prepares them for exporting outside the cell. Arranged in a saclike pattern, this organelle is located near the cell nucleus.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the connecting link between the nucleus and cytoplasm of the plant cell. Basically, it is a network of interconnected, convoluted sacs present in the cytoplasm. Based on the presence or absence of ribosomes, ER can be of smooth or rough types. The former type lacks ribosomes, while the latter is covered with ribosomes. Overall, endoplasmic reticulum serves as a manufacturing, storing, and transporting structure for glycogen, proteins, steroids, and other compounds.

Vacuoles Vacuoles are the membrane-bound, storage organelles that help in regulating turgor pressure of the plant cell. In a plant cell, there can be more than one vacuole. However, the centrally located vacuole is larger than others, which stores all sorts of chemical compounds. Vacuoles also assist in intracellular digestion of complex molecules and excretion of waste products.

Peroxisomes Peroxisomes are cytoplasmic organelles of the plant cell, which contains certain oxidative enzymes. These enzymes are used for the metabolic breakdown of fatty acids into simple sugar forms. Another important function of peroxisomes is to help chloroplasts in undergoing photorespiration process.