Looking Inside Cells

Cell Wall The rigid outer layer of nonliving material that surrounds plant cells is the cell wall. Only found in plant cells. Supports & protects

Cell Membrane Found in plant cells & animal cells Very thin Job – to control what comes in and what goes out.

Cell Membrane Plant cell Animal cell

Organelles Organelles are the structures/parts inside a cell and have a specific job

Cytoplasm A clear jelly like substance that keeps all of the organelles from bumping into one another… think of clear jello

The organelles are inside the cytoplasm.

Now, lets take a look at the organelles that are found inside cells. You have to have a microscope because they are so small.

Organelle: Nucleus Nucleus – the control center. The nucleus directs all activity in the cell. It also controls the growth and reproduction of the cell. It is round.

Nucleus

Organelle: Mitochondria The mitochondria makes the energy for the cell (like a power plant) … so it can dance  It is oblong shaped.

Mitochondria

Organelle: Ribosomes Ribosomes act like little factories to produce protein. They pass protein into the endoplasmic reticulum. Some are found floating in cytoplasm.

Ribosomes

Organelle: Endoplasmic Reticulum The Endoplasmic Reticulum are maze passageways in the cytoplasm. They carry proteins from one part of the cell to another. This is very important for the cell to get its protein that it needs. This is like a conveyor belt.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Found close to nucleus It carries proteins( which are made by the ribosomes)…the dots

Organelle: Golgi Bodies Golgi bodies act like a post office. They package stuff up and send it to other parts of the cell.

Golgi Bodies

Organelle: Vacuoles Vaculoes are large storage buildings. Because they help store food, the plant’s vacuole is much larger than the animal’s vacuole.

Vacuole

Organelle: Lysosomes They are the clean-up crew. They have chemicals in them that digest the wastes and other bad organelles. When the cell dies the lysosmes work swiftly with their chemicals and digest the dead cell. Without lysosomes living organisms would become filled with dead cells.

Lysosomes

Organelle: Chloroplast Chloroplast is only found in plants. It contains a green pigment called chlorophyll. They are necessary for plants to make their own food. They capture the sunlight energy.

Chloroplast

Check this address out… http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01942/plcells/nuclues.htm Look at the animal and plant cells 