Grade 8 Cell Organelles and Key Processes

Vocabulary flashcards covering essential cell organelles and related processes from Grade 8 lecture notes.

Cell Membrane

A semipermeable layer in both plant and animal cells that encloses the cell and regulates the passage of substances in and out.

Cell Wall

A rigid, protective outer layer found only in plant cells that provides structure and keeps harmful substances out.

Cytoplasm

The jelly-like fluid filling the cell, containing dissolved molecules and suspending organelles; present in both plant and animal cells.

Nucleus

The cell’s “control center” that houses chromosomes and directs growth and reproduction in plant and animal cells.

Nucleolus

A dense structure inside the nucleus made of RNA and protein; looks like a nucleus within a nucleus and helps produce ribosomes.

Chloroplast

The photosynthetic organelle in plant cells that converts sunlight into sugars usable by the cell.

Mitochondria

The “powerhouse” organelle that carries out cellular respiration, breaking down nutrients to release usable energy; found in both plant and animal cells.

Golgi Apparatus

An organelle that modifies, packages, and transports complex molecules either out of the cell or to storage; present in plant and animal cells.

Organelle

A specialized structure within a cell that performs a distinct job or function.

Cellular Respiration

The process, mainly in mitochondria, where nutrients are broken down to produce energy for the cell.

Photosynthesis

The process in chloroplasts where light energy is converted into chemical energy in the form of sugars.