Cell Structure and Function Review

Question-and-Answer flashcards covering the key organelles and functions of cell structure as outlined in the lecture notes.

What double-layered, semi-permeable barrier surrounds a cell and controls substance entry and exit?

The cell (plasma) membrane.

Which jelly-like substance keeps organelles separate and is the site of many biochemical reactions?

Cytoplasm (cytosol).

What paired microtubule structures form the spindle to move chromosomes during animal cell division?

Centrioles.

Which large organelle is the control center of the cell and houses nearly all genetic material?

The nucleus.

What dense region inside the nucleus produces rRNA and ribosome subunits?

The nucleolus.

Which small, two-subunit organelles translate mRNA into proteins?

Ribosomes.

Which ER type is studded with ribosomes and transports newly synthesized proteins?

Rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER).

Which ER type lacks ribosomes and synthesizes lipids and fats?

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER).

Which stack of flattened membrane sacs modifies, sorts, and packages proteins from the ER?

The Golgi body (Golgi apparatus).

What membrane-bound sacs contain hydrolytic enzymes that digest waste and invading microbes?

Lysosomes.

Which double-membrane organelles perform aerobic respiration and generate ATP, earning the name “powerhouse of the cell”?

Mitochondria.

What small membrane-bound sacs store or transport substances within a cell?

Vesicles.

In plant cells, what large fluid-filled organelle maintains turgor pressure and stores compounds?

The central vacuole (vacuoles).

Which organelle detoxifies alcohol, neutralizes free radicals, and is abundant in liver and kidney cells?

Peroxisome.

What whip-like or hair-like projections provide locomotion or move fluids across a cell’s surface?

Flagella (whip-like) and cilia (hair-like).

What thick cellulose layer outside plant and bacterial membranes provides shape and protection?

The cell wall.

Which green, double-membrane plant organelles carry out photosynthesis in thylakoid stacks (grana)?

Chloroplasts.

What plant cell organelles store pigments or starch, have double membranes, and possess their own DNA?

Plastids.

Which component of mitochondria stores the cell’s usable chemical energy in phosphate bonds?

ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

During photosynthesis, which internal chloroplast structures contain chlorophyll and are arranged in grana?

Thylakoids.

Which cellular structure is described as a protective outer boundary that is semi-permeable?

The plasma (cell) membrane.

Name the flattened membrane sacs that make up the Golgi apparatus.

Cisternae.

Which cell type—plant or animal—contains large central vacuoles for water storage?

Plant cells.

What cellular extensions sweep mucus and debris from the lungs in humans?

Cilia.

What organelle contains digestive enzymes and is numerous in white blood cells to break down engulfed bacteria?

Lysosomes.

Which organelle’s enzymes attach carbohydrates to proteins and lipids?

Golgi apparatus.

What does the smooth ER primarily synthesize?

Lipids and fats.

Which microtubule-based structures propel sperm cells?

Flagella.

Name two cell types where peroxisomes are especially abundant.

Liver cells and kidney cells.

What term describes the interior liquid portion of cytoplasm?

Cytosol.