Cell Structure and Function

Name:

Date:

Part 1: Cell Vocabulary and Core Concepts

Directions: Complete each question. For multiple-choice questions, circle the best answer. Use complete sentences when explaining your reasoning.

1. Which statement correctly compares prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Prokaryotic cells have a nucleus, but eukaryotic cells do not.

Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus, but prokaryotic cells do not.

Only prokaryotic cells contain DNA.

Only eukaryotic cells have cell membranes.

2. Which organelle is most directly responsible for producing usable cellular energy in the form of ATP?

Ribosome

Mitochondrion

Golgi apparatus

Vacuole

3. Which structures are found in plant cells but are generally absent from animal cells? Check all that apply.

Cell wall

Chloroplast

Nucleus

Large central vacuole

4. Match each cell structure to its primary function by writing the correct letter beside each number.

1. Ribosome _____

2. Nucleus _____

3. Cell membrane _____

4. Chloroplast _____

A. Controls what enters and leaves the cell

B. Contains genetic material and directs cell activities

C. Makes proteins

D. Uses light energy to make sugars

5. Use the word bank to label each description. Write the correct term on the line.

Word bank: cytoplasm, mitochondrion, cell wall, Golgi apparatus, DNA

a. The jellylike material where many cell processes occur: __________________________

b. The molecule that stores hereditary information: __________________________

c. The rigid outer layer that supports many plant cells: __________________________

d. The organelle that modifies, sorts, and packages cell products: __________________________

e. The organelle that releases energy from food: __________________________

Part 2: Reading, Comparison, and Application

Directions: Read the passage. Then answer questions 6–10 using evidence from the passage and your knowledge of cell structure and function.

Reading Passage: Cells are the basic units of life, but they are not all organized in the same way. Prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria, do not have a membrane-bound nucleus. Their DNA is located in a region of the cytoplasm. Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. These internal compartments allow different chemical processes to occur in specialized locations. For example, mitochondria transfer energy from food into ATP, while ribosomes assemble proteins. Plant cells also contain chloroplasts, which capture light energy for photosynthesis, and cell walls, which provide additional support. In every cell, the structure of an organelle helps it perform its particular function.

6. Complete the compare-and-contrast organizer.

Prokaryotic cells

One similarity: __________________________

One difference: __________________________

Example: _________________________________

Eukaryotic cells

One similarity: __________________________

One difference: __________________________

Example: _________________________________

7. What is the central idea of the reading passage? Use one or two complete sentences.

8. In the passage, what does the word specialized most nearly mean?

Able to perform a particular job

Unable to change

Found only outside a cell

Made entirely of DNA

9. A cell has a large number of ribosomes and a highly developed rough endoplasmic reticulum. Predict what this cell is especially adapted to do. Explain how the structures support your prediction.

10. During a microscope observation, a student sees rectangular cells with a thick outer boundary and many green structures inside. Identify the likely cell type and explain how two observed structures support your answer.

Answer Key — Final Page

1. Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus, but prokaryotic cells do not.

2. Mitochondrion

3. Cell wall, chloroplast, and large central vacuole

4. 1-C, 2-B, 3-A, 4-D

5. a. cytoplasm; b. DNA; c. cell wall; d. Golgi apparatus; e. mitochondrion

6. Sample responses: Both cell types have DNA, a cell membrane, cytoplasm, and ribosomes. Prokaryotic cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus and include bacteria. Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles and include plant and animal cells.

7. Sample response: Cells have different internal structures that help them perform specific functions. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells differ in organization, and plant cells contain structures for support and photosynthesis.

8. Able to perform a particular job

9. The cell is adapted to produce and transport many proteins. Ribosomes assemble proteins, and the rough endoplasmic reticulum helps process and transport proteins.

10. The cell is most likely a plant cell. The thick outer boundary is the cell wall, which provides support, and the green structures are chloroplasts, which carry out photosynthesis.