Plant & Animal Tissues, Cell Types, Organelles, and Cell Theory

A comprehensive set of Q&A flashcards covering plant and animal tissues, prokaryotic and eukaryotic structures, cell organelles, and the historical development & principles of Cell Theory.

What are the two main structural systems of plants?

Shoot system (above-ground) and root system (below-ground).

Which dermal-tissue cells surround stomata and contain chloroplasts?

Guard cells.

What is the function of the plant cuticle found on the epidermis?

Minimizes water loss and protects against pathogens.

Which root epidermal extensions increase surface area for absorption?

Root hairs.

Name the three major cell types that make up plant ground tissue.

Parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma.

Which ground-tissue cell type has thin walls, large vacuoles, and stores food?

Parenchyma cells.

What substance impregnates sclerenchyma cell walls to provide hardness?

Lignin.

How are sclerenchyma cells classified?

As fibers (long, slender) and sclereids (short, varied shapes).

Which vascular tissue transports water and minerals upward in plants?

Xylem.

What are the two conducting cell types found in xylem?

Tracheids and vessel elements.

Which vascular tissue distributes sucrose and other organics from leaves to roots?

Phloem.

What phloem cells form continuous tubes but lack nuclei?

Sieve tube elements.

What are the four major types of animal tissue?

Epithelial, connective, nervous, and muscular tissue.

Give two primary functions of epithelial tissue.

Secretion, absorption, excretion, or filtration (any two).

Which epithelial type lines kidney tubules?

Simple cuboidal epithelium.

Where would you find keratinized stratified epithelium?

The outer layer of the skin.

What three components make up connective tissue?

Specialized cells, ground substance, and protein fibers (extracellular matrix).

Name the principal connective-tissue producing cell.

Fibroblast.

Which connective tissue has densely packed collagen fibers and forms tendons?

Dense connective tissue.

What are the three types of cartilage?

Hyaline cartilage, elastic cartilage, and fibrocartilage.

Which cells occupy lacunae in cartilage?

Chondrocytes.

List the three bone cell types and one function for each.

Osteoblasts (form bone), osteoclasts (resorb bone), osteocytes (maintain mature bone).

What fluid connective tissue contains erythrocytes, leukocytes, and thrombocytes?

Blood.

Which adipose tissue type is specialized for thermogenesis?

Brown fat.

Name the two main cell types in nervous tissue.

Neurons and neuroglia.

What part of a neuron conducts impulses away from the cell body?

Axon.

Which muscle tissue is involuntary and found in vessel walls?

Smooth muscle.

What structural feature gives skeletal muscle its striated appearance?

Regular arrangement of actin and myosin filaments.

What distinguishes cardiac muscle cells from skeletal muscle cells?

Branching striated cells with single nucleus and intercalated discs (cardiac).

Name the two domains of prokaryotes.

Bacteria and Archaea.

Which prokaryotic structure is a polysaccharide layer providing protection and adhesion?

Glycocalyx (capsule or slime layer).

What is the region containing the bacterial chromosome called?

Nucleoid.

Which rigid tubular appendage transfers DNA between bacterial cells?

Sex pilus.

Define endospore.

A dormant, resistant structure enabling survival in harsh conditions.

Which bacterial surface structures aid in attachment to surfaces?

Fimbriae.

What polymer is found in most bacterial cell walls but not in Archaea?

Peptidoglycan.

In eukaryotes, which organelle is the site of ATP production?

Mitochondrion.

State one unique feature of mitochondrial structure that aids ATP production.

Highly folded inner membrane forming cristae to increase surface area.

Which plant organelle conducts photosynthesis?

Chloroplast.

What network of protein fibers maintains eukaryotic cell shape?

Cytoskeleton (actin filaments, intermediate filaments, microtubules).

Which organelle modifies, packages, and ships proteins and lipids?

Golgi apparatus.

What is the primary role of lysosomes?

Intracellular digestion and recycling via hydrolytic enzymes.

Name the double-membrane structure that houses genetic material in eukaryotes.

Nucleus.

Where are ribosomal subunits assembled?

Nucleolus.

What type of ER lacks ribosomes and detoxifies drugs in liver cells?

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum.

Describe the role of peroxisomes.

Contain enzymes that produce and break down hydrogen peroxide; detoxify substances.

Who coined the term “cells” after observing cork?

Robert Hooke (1665).

Which two scientists concluded that both plants and animals are made of cells?

Matthias Schleiden (plants) and Theodor Schwann (animals).

Who stated "omnis cellula e cellula" and helped finalize Cell Theory?

Rudolph Virchow.

List the three postulates of the Cell Theory.

1) All living organisms are composed of one or more cells. 2) The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life. 3) All cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Define unicellular organism and provide an example.

An organism made of a single cell; e.g., bacterium or protozoan.

During which process does one cell divide to form two or more cells, supporting Cell Theory postulate #3?

Cell division (mitosis or binary fission).