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cell organelles
function and structure and location
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Nucleus | It is surrounded by a double membrane. Its role is to protect and confine the genetic information (DNA) of the cell. Inside the nucleus is a smaller structure known as the nucleolus which is the site of ribosome production |
| Mitochondria | An organelle with a highly folded inner membrane surrounded by a second outer membrane. Mitochondria are the site of aerobic cellular respiration which produces the ATP required to power cellular processes. They also contain their own DNA and ribosomes. |
| Chloroplast | A double membrane-bound organelle that contains flattened, fluid-filled sacs that allow the process of photosynthesis to take place. Chloroplasts also contain their own DNA and ribosomes. |
| Cell Wall | A sturdy border outside the plasma membrane that provides strength and structure to plant, bacterial, and fungal cells. |
| Plasma Membrane | The plasma membrane is a selectively permeable barrier between the intracellular and the extracellular environment. It is made of a phospholipid bilayer which is studded with many molecules. |
| Ribosomes | Ribosomes are tiny structures made of rRNA and proteins that fold into a large and small subunit. Cells have many ribosomes, which either float freely in the cytoplasm or are attached to RER. Ribosomes assemble polypeptide chains to create proteins |
| Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum | A membranous chain of connected and flattened sacs which are coated with ribosomes on their outer surface. This allows them to synthesise and modify proteins. It typically surrounds, or is close to, the nucleus. |
| Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum | A membranous chain of connected and flattened sacs which are not coated with ribosomes. They are responsible for the production of lipids in a cell. |
| Golgi Body | Stacked flattened sacs that are the site of protein sorting, packaging, and modifying. Protein-filled vesicles often fuse with or bud off the Golgi body. |
| Lysosome | A membrane-bound vesicle that contains digestive enzymes. Is responsible for breaking down cell waste, acting like a garbage disposal. |
| Vacuole | A membrane-bound sac that is used for water and solute storage. It can also play a role in maintaining plant cell structure. |
| Vesicle | A small membrane-bound sac that transports substances into or out of a cell, or stores substances within a cell. |
| Cytoskeleton | A dynamic linkage of many protein filaments that start at the nucleus and reach out to the plasma membrane. It is critical for maintaining shape and transporting vesicles around the cell |
| Cilium | Small hair-like structures on the outside of the plasma membrane that perform a rhythmic waving to help move substances through tubes, such as clearing mucus and dirt from airways. Also involved in locomotion in eukaryotic single-celled organisms. |
| Flagellum | A tail-like structure that attaches to the side of the cell body and is used for locomotion on single-celled organisms. |
| Prokaryote | Is a unicellular organism with no membrane bound organelles (except vesicles) and circular DNA. (Bacteria) |
| Eukaryote | Is a multicellular or unicellular organism with membrane bound organelles. (Animal, Plant, Fungi and Protista) |
| Cytoplasm | Includes the organelles and the cytosol |