CELLS

TEST
Study Guide Answers

What is the smallest unit of life?

-Cell
2. What are the 3 parts of the cell theory?
-All living things are made of one or more cells
-Cell is the basic unit of life
-All cells come from pre-existing cells
3. Compare and contrast plant and animal cells.
-Plant: cell wall, chloroplast, large vacuole, regular
rectangular shape
-Animal: no cell wall, no chloroplast, small/no
vacuole, irregular circular shape
-Both: cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm,
membrane bound organelles
4. Give an example of a eukaryotic cell and prokaryotic
cell.
-E: plant, animal, fungi
-P: bacterium
1.

5. What is an organelle?
-structure within the cell that performs a specific
function
6. Give the function of the following organelles:
a. Nucleus-stores genetic information; controls
the cells activities
b. mitochondria- produces the cells energy; active
cells have lots of mitochondria
c. chloroplast- contains green pigment; associated
with photosynthesis
d. lysosome- digests and gets ride of waste
e. vacuole- large space in which water, waste, and
nutrients are stored
f. ribosome- site of protein synthesis (makes
protein)

g. Endoplasmic reticulum- transports materials

from one part of the cell to the other
h. golgi apparatus- packaging and distribution
center of the cell
i. cilia- hair like particles that move the cell;
packed in tight rows
j. flagella- tail like structure that moves the cell;
(tail on a sperm)
k. cell membrane- controls/regulates what enters
and leaves the cell
l. nuclear membrane- double membrane
surrounding the nucleus
m. cell wall- protects and supports plant cells;
freely permeable
n. cytoplasm-jelly-like fluid in the cell; site of
chemical reactions

7. What is the difference between smooth and rough

ER?
-smooth: no ribosomes on surface; transports
materials with in the cell
-rough: ribosomes on surface; transports
materials out of cell
8. What is the relationship between a cell and
plasma membrane in comparison to the
relationship between a nucleus and nuclear
membrane?
-cell: plasma membrane :: nucleus : nuclear
membrane
9. Identify the parts of the cell in the following
diagram.
-1) ER 2) nucleus 3) mitochondria 4) cell
membrane 5) Golgi body

10. Which organelle contains a green pigment and is

used in photosynthesis in plant cells:
-chloroplast
11. What is the organization of structures in living
things, from simplest to most complex?
-cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms
12. Describe similarities and differences between
animal, plant, and fungus cells.
-see Venn Diagram
13. What is diffusion?
-Movement of solute from high concentration to low
concentration
14. The dispersal of food coloring in a beaker of water is
an example of what?
-diffusion
15. What are the characteristics of facilitated diffusion?
-requires carrier protein, no energy required, involves
change of shape in carrier protein

16. What is the difference between passive and active

transport?
-passive: no energy required; goes down the
concentration gradient (highlow)
-active: requires energy; goes against the
concentration gradient (lowhigh)
17. What are the types of active transport?
- Endocytosis- large molecules are brought into the cell
- -Exocytosis- large molecules are taken out of the cell
18. Explain the process of osmosis?
-the movement of water from high water
concentration to low water concentratrion
19. Explain the difference between endocytosis and
exocytosis.
-Endocytosis- moves large molecules into the cell
-Exocytosis- moves large molecules out of the cell

20. Explain what would happen to a blood cell

placed in a
a. Hypotonic solution- it would swell
b. Hypertonic solution- it would shrink
c. Isotonic solution- it would stay the same
21. Give an example of passive transport.
-simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis
22. Which organelle maintains the cells
homeostasis, or stable internal environment?
-plasma (cell) membrane
23. What is the major difference between facilitated
diffusion and active transport?
-facilitated diffusion- no energy required
(HighLow)
-active transport- requires energy (LowHigh)

24. What does selectively permeable mean?

-it regulates or controls what enters and leaves the cell
25. Why would grocery stores spray their vegetables with
water?
-to keep them in a hypotonic state (big and crunchy
26. What are viruses?
- They lack cellular organization and cannot independently
carry out all of the essential functions
27. Are they considered living or non-living and why?
-non-living
28. How do viruses reproduce and can they do this on their
own?
-reproduce only in living things; they cannot do it on their
own
29. How do fungi obtain energy?
-by absorbing digested nutrients
30. What role in the ecosystem do fungi play?
-decomposers

SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER TO

STUDY
4 Differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic
cells and 1 similarity
Be able to describe the types of active transport
Compare and contrast plant cells, animal cells,
and fungus cells
Be able to explain osmosis
Look back over biochemistry (10 questions from
biochemistry test)

Test:
60

MC questions
5 short answer questions