Term | Definition |
Centriole | Structure in an animal cell that helps to organize cell division |
Chloroplast | Organelle found in cells of plants and some other organisms that captures the energy from sunlight and converts it into chemical energy |
Mitochondria | Cell organelle that converts the chemical energy stored in food into compounds that are more convenient for the cell to use |
Cell membrane | Thin, flexible barrier that surrounds all cells; regulates what enters and leaves the cell |
Nucleus | In cells, structure that contains the cell's genetic material in the form of DNA |
Cytoplasm | In eukaryotic cells, all cellular contents outside the nucleus; in prokaryotic cells, all of the cells' contents |
Vacuole | Cell organelle that stores materials such as water, salts, proteins, and carbohydrates |
Lysosome | Cell organelle that breaks down lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins into small molecules that can be used by the rest of the cell |
Cytoskeleton | Network of protein filaments in a eukaryotic cell that gives the cell its shape and internal organization and is involved in movement |
Ribosome | Cell organelle consisting of RNA and protein found throughout the cytoplasm in a cell; the site of protein synthesis |
Endoplasmic reticulum | Internal membrane system found in eukaryotic cells; place where lipid components of the cell membrane are assembled |
Golgi apparatus | Organelle in cells that modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and other materials from the endoplasmic reticulum for storage in the cell or release outside the cell |
Cell wall | Strong, supporting layer around the cell membrane in some cells |
Organelle | Specialized structure that performs important cellular functions within a cell |