Plant cell vocabulary

cell wall

outside of the cell (plants only! humans don’t have this, only membranes)

can be square, circular, or oval shaped

cell membrane

phospho-lipid bilayer

selectively allows nutrients to permeate the membrane such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water.

nucleus

stores the DNA for the cell

mitochondria

powerhouse of the cell

chloroplast

strong, cable-like microfibrils from long chains of glucose

make up the cell wall in plant cells

what makes plants green

not all plant cells have chlorophyl!

ribosomes

translates messenger RNA (mRNA) into vital proteins for growth, structure (like cellulose for cell walls), enzymes, and cellular functions

rough endoplasmic reticulum

makes protein, studded with ribosomes

smooth endoplasmic reticulum

makes fats and lipids

dictosomes

takes proteins and prepares them for chemical reactions/transformations (ex: determining the resources the plant needs to grow a new leaf, etc.)

vacuole

these make the plant turgid (inflated)

also house pigmentation

both plants and humans have this

protoplasm

everything inside the plant cell that is alive and actively functioning

protoplasm = cytoplasm + nucleus

plasmodesmata

microscopic channels connecting adjacent plant cells through their cell walls

allows for cytoplasmic streaming between adjacent plant cells

lipid bilayer

the thin, flexible double layer of lipids (fats) that makes up the cell membrane and surrounds the cell.

the outside “heads” are hydrophilic while the inside “tails” are hydrophobic

hydrophilic vs. hydrophobic

hydrophilic - water loving

hydrophobic - water repellent

prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cells

prokaryotic - simpler, older, single-celled (ex: bacteria)

eukaryotic - more advanced, multicellular (ex: humans)

cytoplasm

the “goo” that holds everything in the cell

made of water, salts, and proteins

cytoplasmic streaming

cytoplasm flowing from cell to cell

middle lamella

the “glue” between cells that hold them together

made of pectin (a gelling agent, used to create gels, jams, thickener in food, etc.)

why does cytoplasmic streaming occur?

to efficiently transport nutrients, organelles, and other molecules throughout large cells where simple diffusion is too slow