Cell Organelles and other structures

Organelle: Cell Wall

Type of Cell: Plant, Fungi, Bacteria

Description: Rigid, outermost layer; allows H2O, O2, CO2 to pass

Function: Support, protection

Organelle: Cell Membrane

Type of cell: All

Description: Selectively permeable; Primary components phospholipids; Also contains cholesterol for stability and proteins for transport

Function: Determines what enters and exits the cell; provides a barrier between the cell and environment

Organelle: Nucleus

Type of cell: Eukaryote

Description: Control center of the cell

Function: Stores the cells’ DNA, membrane-bound

Organelle: Nucleolis

Type of cell: Eukaryote

Description: Inside of the nucleus; Disappears during cell division

Function: Makes ribosomes

Organelle: Nuclear membrane

Type of cell: Eukaryote

Description: Surrounds the nucleus; selectively permeable

Function: Determines what enters and exists the nucleus

Organelle: Nucleoplasm

Type of cell: Eukaryote

Description: The liquid found inside the nucleus

Function: Supports contents, provides location for DNA and RNA synthesis

Organelle: Ribosomes

Type of cell: All

Description: Made of RNA and protein; very small; many in each cell; may be floating in cytoplasm or attached to the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Function: Makes proteins, free-floating: to stay in the cell; Attached for outside the cell

Organelle: Rough ER

Type of cell: Eukaryote

Description: Network of membrane-bound tubes with ribosomes attached

Function: Ribosomes synthesize proteins for export or the cell membrane

Organelle: Smooth ER

Type of cell: Eukaryote

Description: Network of membrane-bound tubes

Function: Lipid synthesis; detoxification of meds, alcohol, and waste

Organelle: Lysosome

Type of cell: Animal, Fungi

Description: Rarely found in plants; contains hydrolytic enzymes; small, round with membrane

Function: Breaks down cellular food and old cell parts

Organelle: Golgi bodies/apparatus

Type of cell: Eukaryote

Description: Stacked flattened sacs; Often found close to the cell membrane

Function: Modifies and packages proteins for export

Organelle: Small vacuole

Type of cell: Animal

Description: Small, membrane-bound, fluid-filled, round

Function: Helps to move proteins from Golgi to membrane for export, may store water

Organelle: Large central vacuole

Type of cell: Plants

Description: Large membrane-bound pouch

Function: Stores water, carbs, nutrients, and waste; contains hydrolytic enzymes

Organelle: Contractile vacuole

Type of cell: Protists

Description: Found in some protists such as the paramecium; membrane-bound sac

Function: Pushes water out when full to regulate water in the cell and avoid bursting

Organelle: Chloroplast

Type of cell: Plants

Description: Usually appear as green, oval-shaped disks, contain pigments including chlorophyll; membrane-bound

Function: Absorbs energy from the sun (light) to produce carbohydrates (food) for the plant

Organelle: Centrioles

Type of cell: Animals

Description: Paired structures near the nucleus; Made of microtubules, a type of protein

Function: Spindle fibers elongate from here during cell division, helps to separate chromosomes

Organelle: Cytoplasm

Type of cell: All

Description: Clear thick jelly-like substance in which the organelles are floating; Cytosol is the name of just the liquid

Function: Supports organelles; site of metabolism

Organelle: Mitochondria

Type of cell: Eukaryote

Description: Bean-shaped; double membrane inner membrane convoluted to increase surface area

Function: Breaks down sugar molecules to produce usable energy (ATP) for the cell

Organelle: Cilia

Type of cell: Some Animal, Protist

Description: Short numerous projections on the outer surface; made of microtubules

Function: Moves water around the cell; may result in movement of the cell

Organelle: Pili

Type of cell: Some bacteria

Description: Short numerous projections on the outer surface; Made of microtubules

Function: Helps cell to stick to other surfaces

Organelle: Flagella

Type of cell: Some Animals, protists, Bacteria

Description: Long tail-like or string-like structure; may have more than one

Function: Allows for locomotion of the cell

Organelle: Cytoskeleton

Type of cell: All

Description: Most numerous in those without a cell wall; Scaffolding within the cytoplasm

Function: Provides structure and support

Organelle: Plasmodesma

Type of cell: Plant

Description: Gap between two adjoining cells in the cell wall

Function: Allows material to be transported through the cell

Organelle: Chromoplast

Type of cell: Plant

Description: Storage molecules that contain pigments; not green

Function: Can perform photosynthesis

Organelle: Amlyplast

Type of cell: Plant

Description: Storage organelle

Function: Stores starch in plants

Organelle: Tight and gap junctions

Type of cell: Animal

Description:

Function: Communication and connection between neighboring cells