COMPONENTS OF ANIMAL AND PLANT CELLS AND THE FUNCTIONS

• MITOCHONDRION (PLURAL: MITOCHONDRIA)

  • It is rod-shaped or spherical
  • It consists of two layers of membranes, which are the smooth outer

  membrane and folded inner membrane

  • Contains enzymes that play a role in cellular respiration

  FUNCTIONS:

  • A site that generates energy through the glucose oxidation process during cellular respiration
  • Energy is released in the form of ATP molecules (adenosine triphosphate) to be used by the cells

  
• CENTRIOLE

  • Small cylindrical components that exist in pairs in animal cells
  • Made up of complex arrangement of microtubules
  • Does not exist in plant cells

  FUNCTION:

  Forms spindle fibre during cell division in animal cells

  
• GOLGI APPARATUS

  • Consists of a stack of parallel flattened sacs that are coated by a single cell membrane
  • New membrane is added at one end of the Golgi apparatus and vesicles bud off from the other end.

  FUNCTIONS:

  Processes, modifies, packs and transports chemicals such as protein, carbohydrate and glycoprotein (combination of carbohydrate and protein)

  
• PLASMA MEMBRANE

  • Outer membrane that surrounds the entire content of cell
  • Made of proteins and phospholipids
  • Thin and elastic film
  • Partially permeable

  FUNCTIONS:

  • Separates content of cell from the external environment
  • Controls movement of substances into and out of the cell
  • Allows exchange of nutrients, respiratory gases and waste materials between cells and their surroundings

  
• LYSOSOME

  • Small spherical sac enclosed in a single membrane
  • Contains hydrolytic enzymes

  FUNCTIONS:

  • Hydrolyses complex organic molecules such as protein, nucleic acid and lipid
  • Breaks down bacteria and components of damaged cells

  
• NUCLEUS (PLURAL: NUCLEI)

  • Largest component in the cell
  • Spherical, compressed and enclosed in a nuclear membrane with many pores
  • The nucleus contains chromosomes, nucleolus and nucleoplasm.

  FUNCTIONS:

  • Controls all cell activities
  • Has chromosomes that contain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). DNA determines the cell characteristics and metabolic function.

  
• RIBOSOME

  • Small, compact and spherical granules
  • Consists of protein and ribonucleic acid (RNA)
  • Ribosomes are present on the surface of the rough endoplasmic reticulum or exist freely in the cytoplasm.

  FUNCTION:

  Site for protein synthesis

  
• ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM

  • Consists of a system of interconnected folded flattened sacs
  • Endoplasmic reticulum membrane is continuous with the nuclear membrane.
  • There are two types of endoplasmic reticulum:
  • Rough endoplasmic reticulum has ribosomes attached to the surface
  • Smooth endoplasmic reticulum does not have ribosomes
• ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM

  FUNCTIONS:

  • The transport system within the cell
  • Provides a wide surface for enzyme attachment and biochemical reactions
  • The rough endoplasmic reticulum transports proteins synthesised by ribosomes.
  • The smooth endoplasmic reticulum synthesises and transports glycerol and lipids, and carries out the detoxification of drugs and metabolic by-products.
• Name the component cell : Endoplasmic reticulum

  
• Name the component cell : Mitochondria

  
• Name the component cell : Centriole

  
• Name the component cell : Golgi Apparatus

  
• Name the component cell : Plasma membrane

  
• Name the component cell : Lysosome

  
• Name the component cell : Nucleus

  
• Name the component cell : Ribosome