Organelles

• Golgi Body:

  • Structure: flat membranes, arranged in stacks of 4-10, curved, surrounded by vesicles
  • Function: process, package and sort cell products, add protein and carbohydrates to cell products
• Lysosomes:

  • Structure: Sphere shaped sack filled with enzymes, looks similar to a small vacuole, formed by the golgi body, contain digestive enzymes
  • Function: Split complex chemical products into simpler ones, can destroy whole cell (apoptosis) by breaking apart and releasing enzymes
• Cell Wall:

  • Structure: Network of cellulose fibres that surrounds the cell
  • Function: provides structure and support, allows substances into and out of the cell, can be unique to a cell's need e.g waterproofing or a tougher structure
• Chloroplasts:

  • Structure: green, disc shaped, double membraned, Inner products include an inner liquid called stoma, and thylakoids which contain chlorophyll
  • Function: Perform photosynthesis which uses light energy to transform carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen
• Mitochondria:

  • Structure: rod shaped/round, double membraned - outer membrane gives mitochondria shape and inner membrane folded into cristae (finger looking structures) enzymes are located on the cristae to produce energy
  • Produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) through the process of cellular respiration. During this process, sugar and oxygen are combined to create ATP which the cell can use to function
• Vacuole:

  • Structure: large fluid filled sacs in cytoplasm that contain cell sap
  • Function: provides support to the cell to make it turgid (firm), contains essential minerals, sugars and excess material, is like a storage centre for the cell
• Membrane:

  • Structure: lipid bilayer, surrounds all contents of cell
  • Function: Controls passage of water and other substances into cell (permeable), separates cell contents from surroundings
• Ribosomes:

  • structures: small, dense, rounded organelles made of RNA (ribonucleic acid) and proteins, scattered around the surface of rough ER and throughout the cell
  • Function: produce any protein necessary for cell function or structure
• Nucleus:

  • Structure: Large spherical/oval structure, colourless, transparent and jelly like, surrounded by nuclear membrane which has tiny pores
  • Function: stores information to control cell activities, pores regulate passage of substances into nucleus
• Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum:

  • Structure: flattened interconnected membranes, covered in ribosomes
  • Function: provides a connection of pathways between nucleus and the rest of the cell, processes proteins made by the cell
• Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum:

  • Structure: flattened interconnected membranes, not covered in ribosomes
  • Function: Produce Lipid for membrane repair and manufacture