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Contains examples of cells and their shapes.

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How Cell Structure Fits
Function
(how the shape and features of a
cell help it to do its job)
Bicycle
How does form fit function of some of the different parts?
Tennis Racket
How does form fit function of some of the different parts?
Red Blood Cell
* Small and flexible to fit through tiny
tubes.
* NO nucleus to make more room for
more oxygen
Nerve Cell
Long and branching arms to send
messages quickly from any part of the
body to the brain.
Muscle Cell
* Long and skinny to contract and extend for
movement.
* Lots of nuclei to help large cell communicate.
* Lots of mitochondria because cells need lots of
energy.
White Blood Cell
Can change shape to fit between tissues to
find and fight infections.
Leaf Cell
Has chloroplasts to change light energy
into food (photosynthesis).
Root Cell
* Many large vacuoles to soak up and
store water for the plant.
* NO chloroplasts because there is no
light for photosynthesis.

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How Cell Structure Fits Function (how the shape and features of a cell help it to do its job) Bicycle How does form fit function of some of the different parts? Tennis Racket How does form fit function of some of the different parts? Red Blood Cell * Small and flexible to fit through tiny tubes.

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This has advanced information about cell structure and function.

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Cell Size and Shape - Advanced ( Read ) | Biology

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Covers cell shape and size and their relation to function.

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Use the following sites to find research about how the shape of cells help them to do their jobs.

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This Prezi presentation discusses some specific types of cells and how their shape helps them.

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Cell: Form Fits Function Lillian Hollins Stem Cells Stem Cells Function: Provides new cells for the body as it grows, and replace specialised cells that are damaged or lost. stem Properties: They can divide over and over again to produce new cells. > Alternate Name: Embryonic Stem

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These are the slides we used for our notes.

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This contains a short video describing the function of the cell membrane.

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What Is a Cell Membrane?

Cell membranes are like bags for your cells. They surround every cell in your body and keep the contents inside. They also control what passes in and out of the cell. Learn how the structure of a cell membrane helps it do its job.

Your bedroom is a great place to keep all of your stuff, but what if your bedroom didn't have walls? There would be no way to keep unwanted visitors, like brothers and sisters, out. And if a storm came through, there'd be nothing to keep your stuff from being blown away.

A bedroom without walls would be like a cell without a cell membrane. A cell membrane is a border that covers every cell in a living organism. So the cells inside your dog, cat, and hamster have cell membranes just like the cells in your body.

Function of the Cell Membrane

Cell membranes, which are also called plasma membranes, wrap around each of the trillions of cells in your body. Their main job is to control the movement of things into and out of the cell, and they can do this because they are selectively permeable. Being selectively permeable means that they control what can cross over them, so you could say that a cell membrane is like a border patrol officer.

At any given time, there are many substances waiting outside of your cells to get inside. If everything were free to pass, your cells would get overwhelmed. So, the cell membrane only allows what it needs to come inside. Likewise, the selectively permeable membrane lets out things it no longer needs, like waste products.

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cell membrane lesson for kids: definition & function - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Cell Membrane Lesson for Kids: Definition & Function - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Cell membranes are like bags for your cells. They surround every cell in your body and keep the contents inside. They also control what passes in and out of the cell. Learn how the structure of a cell membrane helps it do its job.

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Information includes the function of the membrane and how it is selectively permeable.

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Cell Membrane Definition

The cell membrane, also known as the plasma membrane, is a double layer of lipids and proteins that surrounds a cell and separates the cytoplasm (the contents of the cell) from its surrounding environment. It is selectively permeable, which means that it only lets certain molecules enter and exit. It can also control the amount of some substances that go into or out of the cell. All cells have a cell membrane.

Function of the Cell Membrane

The cell membrane gives the cell its structure and regulates the materials that enter and leave the cell. Like a drawbridge intended to protect a castle and keep out enemies, the cell membrane only allows certain molecules to enter or exit. Oxygen, which cells need in order to carry out metabolic functions such as cellular respiration, and carbon dioxide, a byproduct of these functions, can easily enter and exit through the membrane. Water can also freely cross the membrane, although it does so at a slower rate. However, highly charged molecules, like ions, cannot directly pass through, nor can large macromolecules like carbohydrates or amino acids. Instead, these molecules must pass through proteins that are embedded in the membrane. In this way, the cell can control the rate of diffusion of these substances.

Another way the cell membrane can bring molecules inside it is through endocytosis. This includes phagocytosis ("cell eating") and pinocytosis ("cell drinking"). During these processes, the cell membrane forms a depression and surrounds the particle that it is engulfing. It then "pinches off" to form a small sphere of membrane called a vesicle that contains the molecule and transports it to wherever it will be used in the cell. Vesicles are also created from the cell membrane when endocytosis is not occurring, and are used to transport molecules to different areas within the cell. Cells can also get rid of molecules through exocytosis, which is the opposite of endocytosis. During exocytosis, vesicles come to the surface of the cell membrane, merge with it, and release their contents to the outside of the cell. Exocytosis removes the cell's waste products- parts of molecules that are not used by the cell.

The cell membrane also plays a role in cell signaling and communication. Receptor proteins on the cell membrane can bind to molecules of substances produced by other areas of the body, such as hormones. When a molecule binds to its target receptor on the membrane, it initiates a signal transduction pathway inside the cell that transmits the signal to the appropriate molecules. Then, the cell can perform the action specified by the signal molecule, such as making or stopping production of a certain protein.

Structure of the Cell Membrane

Phospholipids are a main component of the cell membrane. These are lipid molecules made up of a phosphate group head and two fatty acid tails. The properties of phospholipid molecules allow them to spontaneously form a double-layered membrane. When in water or an aqueous solution, which includes the inside of the body, the hydrophilic heads of phospholipids will orient themselves to be on the outside, while the hydrophobic tails will be on the inside. The technical term for this double layer of phospholipids that forms the cell membrane is a phospholipid bilayer. Eukaryotic cells, which make up the bodies of all organisms except for bacteria and archaea, also have a nucleus that is surrounded by a phospholipid bilayer membrane.

In addition, the cell membrane contains glycolipids and sterols. One important sterol is cholesterol, which regulates the fluidity of the cell membrane in animal cells. When there is less cholesterol, membranes become more fluid, but also more permeable to molecules. The amount of cholesterol in the membrane helps maintain its permeability so that the right amount of molecules can enter the cell at a time, not too many or too few.

The cell membrane also contains many different proteins. Proteins make up about half of the cell membrane. Many of these proteins are transmembrane proteins, which are embedded in the membrane but stick out on both sides. Some of these proteins are receptors which bind to signal molecules, while others are ion channels which are the only means of allowing ions into or out of the cell. Scientists use the fluid mosaic model to describe the structure of the cell membrane. The cell membrane has a fluid consistency due to being made up in large part of phospholipids, and because of this, proteins move freely across its surface. The multitude of different proteins and lipids in the cell membrane give it the look of a mosaic.

Cytoplasm - All of the organelles and contents of a cell except for the nucleus.

Phospholipid - One of the main components of a cell membrane; made up of a hydrophilic phosphate head and two hydrophobic fatty acid tails.

Endocytosis - The process by which the cell membrane changes shape and engulfs molecules, bringing them into the cell.

Fluid mosaic model - A model of the structure of the cell membrane; lipids and proteins make up the membrane and move freely across it.

Quiz

2. Which is a function of the cell membrane?
A. To control what types of molecules enter and exit the cell
B. To control the amount of certain molecules that enter and exit the cell
C. To receive signal molecules
D. All of the above

3. What part of a phospholipid molecule is hydrophilic?
A. The phosphate group head
B. The fatty acid tails
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A nor B

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The cell membrane, also known as the plasma membrane, is a double layer of lipids and proteins that surrounds a cell and separates the cytoplasm (the contents of the cell) from its surrounding environment. It is selectively permeable, which means that it only lets certain molecules enter and exit.

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Insane in the Membrane Station - Cell Membrane

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Insane in the Membrane Station - Cell Membrane

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Use the following sites to find research about the cell membrane and its function.

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This site contains a description of the cell membrane and a short video explaining its function.

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The plasma membrane, or the cell membrane, provides protection for a cell. It also provides a fixed environment inside the cell, and that membrane has several different functions. One is to transport nutrients into the cell and also to transport toxic substances out of the cell. Another is that the membrane of the cell, which would be the plasma membrane, will have proteins on it which interact with other cells. Those proteins can be glycoproteins, meaning there's a sugar and a protein moiety, or they could be lipid proteins, meaning that there's a fat and a protein. And those proteins which stick outside of the plasma membrane will allow for one cell to interact with another cell. The cell membrane also provides some structural support for a cell. And there are different types of plasma membranes in different types of cells, and the plasma membrane has in it in general a lot of cholesterol as its lipid component. That's different from certain other membranes from within the cell. Now, there are different plants and different microbes, such as bacteria and algae, which have different protective mechanisms. In fact, they have a cell wall outside of them, and that cell wall is much tougher and is structurally more sound than a plasma membrane is.

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The cell membrane, also called the plasma membrane, is found in all cells and separates the interior of the cell from the outside environment.

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Learn about different parts of the cell and what they do.

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Let's learn about the different parts of a cell and what they do!

A ll living things have at least one cell. Cells are extremely tiny, and can only be seen in a microscope. Your body has around 30 trillion cells! It was once thought that cells were very simple. However now we know that cells are extremely amazing, complex things- in fact, some people compare cells to an entire city where different things work together. There are various kinds of cells, and in this lesson we will learn about the animal cell and the plant cell. Here are the main parts of the cell:

Cell membrane is the outer coating that surrounds the cell. It is kind of like our skin. It allows things to move through, keeps things out, and protects the cell.
Cytoplasm is like the goo where all organelles float inside the cell. Organelles are like mini organs. Just like you have a brain, heart, and lungs, cells have different parts that help it function. Main organelles of a cell are nucleus, golgi body, mitochondria, lysosomes, ribosomes, and endoplasmic reticulum.

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Let's learn about the different parts of a cell and what they do! A ll living things have at least one cell. Cells are extremely tiny, and can only be seen in a microscope. Your body has around 30 trillion cells! It was once thought that cells were very simple.

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Scroll past the video to find easy descriptions for the organelles of cells.

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The organelles of a cell are the internal parts that are responsible for all of the jobs of keeping the cell healthy and living. Each organelle has a specific duty.

The word "organelle" means "small organ" and these tiny powerhouses do everything from protecting the cell, repairing/healing, assisting in growth, getting rid of waste products....all the way to reproduction.

Each organelle's job also depends on the other organelles. If any organelle stops doing its function, the entire cell will die.

The study of "cell theory" helps us to understand each of the organelles in both plant and animal cells and what their jobs are. There are 16 organelles in animal-like cells and 15 organelles in plant-like cells.

Scientist that study the various cells believe that millions of years ago there was on a single cell that didn't contain any organelles. We still have some of these cells around today and they are called "prokaryotes."

The creation of organelles is thought to have developed when one cell consumed another cell and then they both learned to co-exist together. Over more millions of years the inner cell developed a nucleus inside a membrane; these cell types are called "eukaryotic" cells.

In plant-like cells they made a stiff wall in the cell and this helped them to begin getting energy from sunlight.

Plant and animal cells have many of the same types of organelles that work in many of the same ways. There are 10 organelles that both plant cells and animal cells have.

However, plant-like cells are constructed for the purpose of photosynthesis only and make use of the rigid wall, along with organelles that work to create energy from sunlight. Animal-like cells have a lot more variations and abilities in their organelles.

Plant cells have 5 plant-cell-specific organelles and animals have 6 animal-cell-specific organelles.

Organelles common to both Plant and Animal cells and their jobs:

Cell membrane: The enclosure around the cell that controls molecules that are allowed to leave and enter the cell.

Cytoplasm: Is the main method of helping to hold all of the plant cell organelles together.

Endoplasmic reticulum: This makes and moves all of the chemical compounds both from and to the nucleus.

Golgi apparatus: It has the power to change fats and proteins inside the cell and gets them ready to move outside of the cell or to store them.

Lysosomes: This is the cell's "waste management" system. It breaks down the waste into compounds that are simpler for use by other organelles.

Mitochondria: This changes the oxygen brought into the cell into energy and nutrients.

Nucleus: This is kind of like the "brain" of the cell because it manages all of the activities of the cell as well as being the home of the DNA.

Peroxisomes: Important for cell health, this takes toxic materials that enter the cell and digests them.

Ribosomes: A protein builder for use by the cell.

Vacuole: Maintaining a balanced PH level inside the cell and stores waste products.

Organelles and their jobs found only in plant cells:

Cell Wall: The major barrier that protects plant cells.

Chloroplast: Uses photosynthesis to convert sunlight into the energy that a plant cell need.

Cytoplasm: Is the main method of helping to hold all of the plant cell organelles together.

Plasmodesmata: Gives the ability to move material as well as communication to nearby cells.

Vesicle: Assists in enzyme storage and moves materials around inside the cell.

Organelles found only in animal cells and their jobs:

Centrioles: this assists a cell when it is dividing in a process called "mitosis" and "meiosis."

Cytoskeleton: Just as it sounds, this is the skeleton or structure for cell support.

Microfilaments: This is additional support for the structure of the cytoskeleton.

Microvilli: This absorbs nutrients needed by the cell and also helps in the movement of the cell.

Secretory Vesicles: Controls elements that are released by the cell, including waste.

Fun Organelle Facts:

Microscopic and Bigger Organelles - While most cells are too small to see with just your eyes, there are some cells with organelles big enough to see with a light microscope.

Semi-permeable membranes - Organelles in an animal cell are protected by a cell membrane that's made up of fatty substances. The design is specialized so that some chemicals are blocked, while others are allowed to get through without harming the organelles and their functions.

Double protection - Animal-like cells have organelles that also have their own membranes surrounding them.

The power of the nucleus - Both plant and animal cells have an organelle called the nucleus. This organelle contains the DNA that is used for cell reproduction.

The number of Mitochondria - Mitochondria is an organelle that gets its energy from glucose by using oxygen. The quantity of mitochondria in a cell depends on the cell's job. Liver cells contain over 2,000 mitochondria.

Ribosome - Ribosomes are some of the smallest organelles and they don't have a membrane around them. The ribosome is the location in the cell that makes proteins.

Interesting Facts about Biology

The biggest seed found anywhere in the world is the Coco de mer and it weighs up to 18 kilograms.

It only takes a red blood cell 20 seconds to go through the whole body.

Humans have more bacteria cells in and on their bodies than human cells.

Both dolphins and whales are mammals but neither of them drink water.

The biggest cell in the human body is the ovum.

Unique fingerprints are only found in humans, apes, and koalas.

Cell Organelles Quiz

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Cell Organelles for Kids (Explained!) - Education site

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The organelles of a cell are the internal parts that are responsible for all of the jobs of keeping the cell healthy and living. Each organelle has a specific duty. The word "organelle" means "small organ" and these tiny powerhouses do everything from protecting the cell, repairing/healing, assisting in growth, getting rid of waste products....all the way to reproduction.

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You can view the "Kids" and the "Students" sections. Both have images, descriptions and videos about cells and their organelles.

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Every organism, or living thing, is made up of structures called cells. The cell is the smallest unit with the basic properties of life. Some tiny organisms, such as bacteria...

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This highlights the organelles you are working with at each station.

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Check out this Infographic designed by Mark Lyne.

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Use the following sites to research information about organelles of plant and animal cells. You will be asked to use information from these sites to help answer questions.

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Image

Photograph by Science Source

Organelles are specialized structures that perform various jobs inside cells. The term literally means "little organs." In the same way organs, such as the heart, liver, stomach, and kidneys, serve specific functions to keep an organism alive, organelles serve specific functions to keep a cell alive.

Cells are grouped into two different categories, prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells, which are primarily differentiated by the presence of one organelle, the nucleus. Prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus, whereas eukaryotic cells do. A nucleus is a large organelle that stores DNA and serves as the cell's command center. Single-cell organisms are usually prokaryotic, while multi-cell organisms are usually made of eukaryotic cells.

Another large organelle found in eukaryotic cells is the mitochondrion, an organelle responsible for making ATP, a chemical that organisms use for energy. Cells often contain hundreds of mitochondria. These mitochondria have an outer membrane, which encases the organelle, and an inner membrane, which folds over several times to create a multi-layered structure known as cristae. The fluid inside the mitochondria is called the matrix, which is filled with proteins and mitochondrial DNA.

Chloroplasts are another organelle that contain a double membrane and retain their own DNA. Unlike mitochondria, however, the inner membrane of chloroplasts is not folded. They do, however have a third, internal membrane called the thylakoid membrane, which is folded. In addition, unlike mitochondria, chloroplasts are only present in plant cells. They are responsible for converting sunlight into energy through a process called photosynthesis.

Other organelles like lysosomes are responsible for digesting and recycling toxic substances and waste. They are embedded with proteins called enzymes, which break down macromolecules, including amino acids, carbohydrates, and phospholipids. Lysosomes are produced by a larger organelle called the Golgi complex, which manufactures other cellular machinery as well. Whenever a cell dies, it self-destructs using its own lysosomes.

National Geographic Society

October 19, 2023

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Organelles are specialized structures that perform various tasks inside cells.

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To research the function of different organelles click on the blue links under the heading Cell.

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Kids learn about all sorts of biology subjects including the cell, animals, plants, the human body, genes, inheritance, diseases, and microorganisms.

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Sciencing - List of Cell Organelles and Their Functions

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Sciencing - List of Cell Organelles and Their Functions

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Plants and animals are made up of many smaller units called cells. Each cell has a complex structure that can be viewed under a microscope and contains many even smaller elements called organelles. Plant cells contain some organelles not found in animal cells, such as cell walls and chloroplasts. Each organelle has specific functions in the life and health of the cell, and cell health is important for the well-being of the entire organism.

All plant and animal cells, which are eukaryote organisms, contain a true nucleus bounded by a nuclear membrane. (Prokaryotes such as bacteria and archaea don't have a nucleus.) This structure contains a eukaryotic cell's DNA and directs cell activities.

The cell membrane is double-layered in animals, and forms the outer cell boundary that protects the cell contents and regulates what goes in and out of cells. In plants, a plasma membrane lies just underneath the tough cell wall that supports plant tissue. The endoplasmic reticulum is an extensive membrane complex extending throughout the cytoplasm from the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope. It contains about half of the cell's membranous tissue. Rough endoplasmic reticulum contains ribosomes that produce proteins. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum manufactures lipids.

Also called the Golgi complex or Golgi body, this organelle looks like a stack of flattened water balloons. It processes the proteins produced by the endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes, modifying and storing them until it packages them in vesicles. Lysosomes also come from the Golgi apparatus. These are sacs containing enzymes capable of breaking down cell macromolecules.

Vesicles are membranous sacs that transport or store a variety of compounds. Produced primarily in the membrane systems of the plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, they move throughout the cell along cytoplasmic filaments to discharge their contents to other organelles or outside the cell. Vacuoles are large in plant cells. One large vacuole takes up much of the cell space and functions in maintaining cell size and turgor pressure (the pressure the cell's contents exert on the wall). Animal cell vacuoles are smaller. They store compounds and help with water and waste regulation.

Mitochondria are peanut-shaped organelles found in both plants and animals. The sites of cellular respiration, they break down sugar to fuel the cell. Chloroplasts occur in plant cells. They contain chlorophylls, and photosynthesis occurs within them, allowing plant cells to form sugar from air and water in the presence of sunlight. Both mitochondria and chloroplasts are thought to have originated from free-living prokaryotic organisms that were engulfed by eukaryotic cells and developed symbiotic relationships with those cells early in the history of life.

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List of Cell Organelles & Their Functions

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Plants and animals are made up of many smaller units called cells. Each cell has a complex structure that can be viewed under a microscope and contains many even smaller elements called organelles. Plant cells contain some organelles not found in animal cells, such as cell walls and chloroplasts.

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This is a slide show all about plant & animal cell organelles.

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Eukaryopolis - This City of Animal Cells

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Eukaryopolis - This City of Animal Cells

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Eukaryopolis - The City of Animal Cells: Crash Course Biology #4

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This website has interactive lessons, games and activities all dedicated to cells.

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Since 1994, CELLS alive! has provided students with a learning resource for cell biology, microbiology, immunology, and microscopy through the use of mobile-friendly interactive animations, video, puzzles, quizzes and study aids.

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This article talks about organelles and their function within the cell.

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Plasma membrane- The membrane enclosing a cell is made up of two lipid layers called a "bilipid" membrane. The lipids that are present in the plasma membrane are called "phospholipids."

These lipid layers are made up of a number of fatty acid building blocks. The fatty acid that makes up this membrane has two different parts to it- a small water loving head- hydrophilic head. Hydro stands for water and philic means liking or loving. The other part of this fatty acid is a long water-repelling or water hating tail.

This tail is hydrophobic- Hydro stands for water and phobic means fear. The plasma membrane is arranged in such a way so that the tails face each other on the inside and the heads face towards the outside of the membrane.
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Channels/pores- A channel in the cell's plasma membrane. This channel is made up of certain proteins that control the movement of molecules, including food and water, into the cell.
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Cell wall and plasmodesmata- In addition to cell membranes, plants have cell walls. Cell walls provide protection and support for plants. In land plants, the cell wall is mostly made of cellulose.

Unlike cell membranes, materials cannot get through cell walls. This would be a problem for plant cells if not for special openings called plasmodesmata.

These openings are used to communicate and transport materials between plant cells because the cell membranes are able to touch and therefore exchange needed materials.
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Cell wall septum and pores - Fungal cells have both cell membranes and cell walls, like plant cells. Cell walls provide protection and support. Fungal cell walls are largely made of chitin, which is the same substance in insect exoskeletons.

Because materials cannot get through cell walls, fungal cells have special openings called pores. Materials can be moved between fungal cells through the pores.

Some fungal cells also have a septum (plural is septa) that are special internal walls between cells that are found in long tube-shaped strings or strands called hyphae.

Nucleus- The nucleus is the control center of the cell. It is the largest organelle in the cell and it contains the DNA of the cell.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) contains all the information for cells to live, perform their functions and reproduce.

Inside the nucleus is another organelle called the nucleolus. The nucleolus is responsible for making ribosomes.

The circles on the surface of the nucleus are the nuclear pores. These are where ribosomes, and other materials move in and out of the nucleus.
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Nucleoid - Bacteria don't have a nucleus to hold their nuclear DNA. Instead, their DNA is found in the nucleoid. This structure has no protective membrane, but is tightly packed DNA material and also has some RNA and proteins in it.
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Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)- It is a network of membranes throughout the cytoplasm of the cell. There are two types of ER.

When ribosomes are attached it is called rough ER and smooth ER when there are no ribosomes attached.

The rough endoplasmic reticulum is where most protein synthesis occurs in the cell. The function of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum is to synthesize lipids in the cell. The smooth ER also helps in the detoxification of harmful substances in the cell.
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Ribosomes- Organelles that help in the synthesis of proteins. Ribosomes are made up of two parts, called subunits.

They get their names from their size. One unit is larger than the other so they are called large and small subunits.

Both these subunits are necessary for protein synthesis in the cell. When the two units are docked together with a special information unit called messenger RNA, they make proteins.

Some ribosomes are found in the cytoplasm, but most are attached to the endoplasmic reticulum. While attached to the ER, ribosomes make proteins that the cell needs and also ones to be exported from the cell for work elsewhere in the body.
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Golgi complex- It is the organelle in the cell that is responsible for sorting and correctly shipping the proteins produced in the ER. Just like our postal packages, which should have a correct shipping address, the proteins produced in the ER should be correctly sent to their respective address. It is a very important step in protein synthesis. If the Golgi complex makes a mistake in shipping the proteins to the right address, certain functions in the cell may stop.

This organelle was named after an Italian physician, Camillo Golgi. He was the first person to describe this organelle in the cell. It is also the only organelle that is capitalized.
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Mitochondrion- This is the cell's powerhouse. This organelle packages the energy from the food you eat into ATP molecules.

Every type of cell has a different amount of mitochondria (plural). There are more mitochondria in cells that have to perform lots of work, for example- your leg muscle cells, heart muscle cells etc. Other cells need less energy to do their work and have less mitochondria.
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Chloroplast- This is the organelle in which photosynthesis takes place. In this organelle the light energy of the sun is converted into chemical energy.

Chloroplasts are found only in plant cells not animal cells. The chemical energy that is produced by chloroplasts is finally used to make carbohydrates like starch that get stored in the plant.

Chloroplasts contain tiny pigments called chlorophylls. Chlorophylls are responsible for trapping the light energy from the sun.
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Vesicles- This term literally means "small vessel". This organelle helps store and transport products produced by the cell.

The vesicles are the transport and delivery vehicles like our mail and Federal Express trucks. Some vesicles deliver materials to parts of the cell and others transport materials outside the cell in a process called exocytosis.
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Peroxisomes- These collect and safely break down chemicals that are toxic to the cell.
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Lysosomes- Created by the Golgi apparatus, these help break down large molecules into smaller pieces that the cell can use.
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Vacuole- Plant cells have what looks like a very large empty space in the middle. This space is called the vacuole.

Don't be fooled, the vacuole contains large amounts of water and stores other important materials such as sugars, ions and pigments.
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Microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) - Fungi have an MTOC that is different from the centrioles found in most animal cells, but it does a similar job. The MTOC builds microtubules that help build an internal cell structure for shape and support.
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Microtubules - Tubular structures that help support cells. Microtubules can be found in any animal, plant, or fungal cell. Part of the cytoskeleton found in animal, plant, and fungal cells. Some bacteria also have microtubules, but not all bacteria.
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Spitzenkörper is made of many small vesicles and dense microfilaments. Spitzenkörper - The growth center of tube-shaped fungal cells. The
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- Made up of filaments and tubules, it helps shape and support the cell. It also helps things move around in the cell. For artistic purposes, the cytoskeleton is shown in just one place in the animal cell when in reality it is found throughout the entire cell. Cytoskeleton
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Cytoplasm- A term for all the contents of a cell other than the nucleus. Even though the cartoon drawings do not look like it, the cytoplasm contains mostly water.

Some fun facts about water and the human body:

Adult bodies are about 50 to 65 percent water.

A child's body has a little more water at 75 percent.

The human brain is about 75 percent water.

Bacterial pili - Long, threadlike strings coming off of the cell's surface. Bacteria can use these to bind to other bacterial cells to exchange genetic material.
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Do All Cells Look the Same?Cells come in many shapes and sizes. Some cells are covered by a cell wall, other are not, some have slimy coats or elongated structures that push and pull them through their environment. Some cells have a thick layer surrounding their cell.

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Use the following article to find the function of different organelles within animal and plant cells.

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Welcome to CK-12 Foundation | CK-12 Foundation

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Read through the article to determine the functions of different organelles found in the cell. Each organelle is in bold type.

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All living organisms on Earth are divided into cells. The main concept of cell theory is that cells are the basic structural unit for all organisms. Cells are small compartments that hold the biological equipment necessary to keep an organism alive and successful. Living things may be single-celled or they may be very complex such as a human being.

There are smaller pieces that make up cells such as macromolecules and organelles. A protein is an example of a macromolecule while a mitochondrion is an example of an organelle. Cells can also connect to form larger structures. They might group together to form the tissues of the stomach and eventually the entire digestive system. However, in the same way that atoms are the basic unit when you study matter, cells are the basic unit for biology and organisms.

In larger organisms, the main purpose of a cell is to organize. Cells hold a variety of pieces and each cell type has a different purpose. By dividing responsibilities among different groups of cells, it is easier for an organism to survive and grow.

If you were only made of one cell, you would be very limited. You don't find single cells that are as large as a cow. Cells have problems functioning when they get too big. Also, if you were only one cell you couldn't have a nervous system, no muscles for movement, and using the internet would be out of the question. The trillions of cells in your body make your way of life possible.

There are many types of cells. In biology class, you will usually work with plant-like cells and animal-like cells. We say "animal-like" because an animal type of cell could be anything from a tiny microorganism to a nerve cell in your brain. Biology classes often take out a microscope and look at single-celled microbes from pond water. You might see hydra, amoebas, or euglena.

Plant cells are easier to identify because they have a protective structure called a cell wall made of cellulose. Plants have the wall; animals do not. Plants also have organelles such as the green chloroplast or large, water-filled vacuoles. Chloroplasts are the key structure in the process of photosynthesis.

Cells are unique to each type of organism. If you look at very simple organisms, you will discover cells that have no defined nucleus ( prokaryotes) and other cells that have hundreds of nuclei ( multinucleated).

Humans have hundreds of different cell types. You have red blood cells that are used to carry oxygen (O ₂) through the body and other cells specific to your heart muscle. Even though cells can be very different, they are basically compartments surrounded by some type of membrane.

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Biology4Kids.com! This tutorial introduces cell structure. Other sections include plants, animal systems, invertebrates, vertebrates, and microorganisms.