Term | Definition |
Robert Hooke | British scientist who discovered the cell while looking at a slice of cork. |
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek | Father of Microscopy, best microscope maker of his time. Discovered animalcules "little animals" while looking at pond water. |
organelles | Small structures found floating in the cytoplasm of cells that are specialized for a specific function. |
cytoplasm | Jelly-like fluid that fills the cell in which organelles float in. |
cell wall | Rigid structure found on the outside of plant, bacteria, fungi, and some protist cells. |
cell membrane | Outer layer found in all cells that allows some things in and some things out of the cell. |
cytoskeleton | Fiber-like structure that provides extra support from within the cell to prevent collapse. |
nucleus | The control center of the cell. Found only in eukaryotic cells. |
ribosomes | Organelle that makes protein for the cell. |
endoplasmic reticulum | Organelle that acts as a tunnel or passageway to transport protein and other materials throughout the cell. |
vacuole | Stores water, food and wastes. |
central vacuole | Large organelle found only in plants to store mainly water. |
vesicle | Small sac-like organelle that acts as a vehicle to move material into or out of the cell. Often forms from the golgi body or cell membrane of the cell. |
lysosome | Organelle that contains digestive enzymes to break things down. The clean-up crew of the cell. |
chloroplasts | Green organelle found in plants where photosynthesis takes place. |
golgi complex | Organelle that packages and delivers materials that it receives from the ER. |
mitochondria | Organelle that breaks down food through the process of cellular respiration to make energy (ATP) for the cell. |
ATP | Name of the energy molecule made by the mitochondria. |
cell | The basic unit of life. |
organism | Any living thing. |
DNA | genetic material of the cell |
photosynthesis | process in which plants use sunlight to make food |
chlorophyll | green pigment that fills the chloroplasts |
prokaryotic | a cell that does not have a nucleus, bacteria |
eukaryotic | a cell that is complex and has a nucleus |
Matthias Schleiden | scientist who said all plants are made of cells |
Theodor Schwann | scientist who said all animals are made of cells |
Rudolf Virchow | scientist who said all cells come from existing cells |
cell | basic unit of life |
tissue | many specialized cells working together |
organ | many tissues working together to perform a specific task |
organ system | many organs working together to perform a specific task |
organism | any living thing |