AP Biology Organelle Vocabulary

Cell Membrane; non-membrane bound

Function: Controls what enters and leaves the cell.

Found in: Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic cells; plant and animal cells.

Cell Wall; non-membrane bound

Function: Supports, protects, and maintains the cell's shape.

Found in: Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic cells; plants, fungi, and bacteria, but not animals.

Ribosomes; non-membrane bound

Function: Makes proteins.

Found in: Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic cells; plant and animal cells.

Cytoplasm; non-membrane bound

Function: Jelly-like fluid where many chemical reactions occur.

Found in: Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic cells; plant and animal cells.

Cytoskeleton; non-membrane bound

Function: Supports the cell, maintains its shape, and helps with movement.

Found in: Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic cells; plants and animals.

Centriole and Spindle Fiber; non-membrane bound

Function: Helps organize spindle fibers during cell division. (Centriole)

Function: Separate chromosomes during cell division. (Spindle Fibers)

Found in: Eukaryotic cells; mainly animal cells.

Flagella; non-membrane bound

Function: Helps the cell move.

Found in: Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic cells; some animal sperm cells and some bacteria.

Nucleus; membrane bound

Function: Stores DNA and controls cell activities.

Found in: Eu; plant and animal cells.

Nucleolus; membrane bound

Function: Makes ribosome parts.

Found in: Eukaryotic cells; plant and animal cells.

Smooth ER; membrane bound

Function: Makes lipids and helps detoxify harmful substances.

Found in: Eukaryotic cells; plant and animal cells.

Rough ER; membrane bound

Function: Makes and processes proteins with the help of attached ribosomes.

Found in: Eukaryotic cells; plant and animal cells.

Golgi Apparatus; membrane bound

Function: Modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and lipids.

Found in: Eukaryotic cells; plant and animal cells.

Lysosome; membrane bound

Function: Breaks down waste, damaged cell parts, and large molecules.

Found in: Eukaryotic cells; mainly animal cells.

Peroxisome; membrane bound

Function: Breaks down fatty acids and harmful substances.

Found in: Eukaryotic cells; plant and animal cells.

Vacuole; membrane bound

Function: Stores water, nutrients, and waste. In plants, it also maintains water pressure.

Found in: Eukaryotic cells; plant and animal cells. Usually much larger in plants.

Mitochondrion; membrane bound

Function: Produces ATP energy through cellular respiration.

Found in: Eukaryotic cells; plant and animal cells.

Chloroplast; membrane bound

Function: Performs photosynthesis to make sugars using light energy.

Found in: Eukaryotic cells; plant cells and algae.