1.2 Animal and plant cells

• What are the main parts of animal cells?

  Nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane
• What are the main parts of plant cells?

  Nucleus, cytoplasm, cell wall
• What is a key difference between plant and animal cells?

  Plant cells have a cell wall; animal cells do not
• What structures are visible under an electron microscope in cells?

  • Vacuole
  • Golgi apparatus
  • Rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum
  • Mitochondria
  • Ribosomes
• What is the average length of an animal cell?

  About 20µm long
• What does the nucleus control in a cell?

  All the activities of the cell
• What is the average diameter of the nucleus?

  Around 5µm
• What is the function of the cytoplasm?

  Suspends organelles and facilitates chemical reactions
• What does the cell membrane control?

  Passage of substances into and out of the cell
• Where does aerobic respiration take place in a cell?

  In the mitochondria
• What is the size range of mitochondria?

  1–7µm in length
• What is the role of ribosomes in a cell?

  Protein synthesis
• What is the size range of plant cells?

  10µm to 100µm in length
• What additional structures do plant cells have compared to animal cells?

  Cell wall, chloroplasts, permanent vacuole
• What is the function of chloroplasts in plant cells?

  Photosynthesis to make food
• What is the composition of the cell wall in plant cells?

  Cellulose
• What is the function of a permanent vacuole in plant cells?

  Maintains cell rigidity and support
• How do algal cells relate to plant cells?

  Both perform photosynthesis and have similar features
• Why are not all plant cells photosynthetic?

  Some are underground and lack chloroplasts
• What should you do when preparing cheek cells for observation?

  Follow safety procedures
• What are the key points about animal and plant cells?

  • Animal cells have a nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane.
  • Plant and algal cells have all animal cell structures plus a cellulose cell wall.
  • Many plant cells also contain chloroplasts and a permanent vacuole filled with sap.
• Why is the nucleus important in all cells?

  It controls cell activities and gene expression
• Why are mitochondria important in all cells?

  They release energy through aerobic respiration
• Name two plant cells unlikely to have chloroplasts.

  Root cells and underground cells
• Why do root cells lack chloroplasts?

  They are underground and do not receive light
• Why do underground cells lack chloroplasts?

  They do not photosynthesize due to lack of light