What does the cell membrane do?

It controls which substances enter and leave the cell.

What happens in the cytoplasm?

Most of the cell's chemical reactions take place there.

What is the function of mitochondria?

They are the site of aerobic respiration, which releases energy.

Which three structures are found in plant cells but not animal cells?

Cell wall, chloroplasts and a permanent vacuole.

What is the function of the cell wall?

It supports the cell and keeps its shape.

What do chloroplasts do?

They absorb light energy for photosynthesis.

What does the permanent vacuole contain?

Cell sap, a solution of sugars and salts, which helps keep the cell firm.

Where is the DNA in a bacterial cell?

As a single loop lying free in the cytoplasm, because there is no nucleus.

A small extra ring of DNA found in bacterial cells.

Why do muscle cells have many mitochondria?

They need to release a lot of energy by aerobic respiration.

Cell structure and organellesIB MYP Biology: Flashcards

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What is the function of the nucleus?

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What is the function of the nucleus?: It contains the genetic material (DNA) and controls the activities of the cell.
What does the cell membrane do?: It controls which substances enter and leave the cell.
What happens in the cytoplasm?: Most of the cell's chemical reactions take place there.
What is the function of mitochondria?: They are the site of aerobic respiration, which releases energy.
What do ribosomes do?: They make proteins.
Which three structures are found in plant cells but not animal cells?: Cell wall, chloroplasts and a permanent vacuole.
What is the function of the cell wall?: It supports the cell and keeps its shape.
What do chloroplasts do?: They absorb light energy for photosynthesis.
What does the permanent vacuole contain?: Cell sap, a solution of sugars and salts, which helps keep the cell firm.
Where is the DNA in a bacterial cell?: As a single loop lying free in the cytoplasm, because there is no nucleus.
What is a plasmid?: A small extra ring of DNA found in bacterial cells.
Why do muscle cells have many mitochondria?: They need to release a lot of energy by aerobic respiration.

Exam questions on Cell structure and organelles

A sports scientist is studying cells taken from the leg muscle of a marathon runner and from the lining of the runner's cheek. Under the microscope she sees that the muscle cells contain far more mitochondria than the cheek cells.
Explain why the muscle cells contain many more mitochondria than the cheek cells.2 marks
A student compares a cell from the leaf of a pondweed plant with a cell from the lining of a human cheek. The pondweed cell has a rigid, regular outline, large green structures and a large fluid-filled space. The cheek cell is irregular in shape and has none of these features.
Describe the function of the chloroplasts and of the cell wall in the pondweed cell.2 marks
A student wants to find out whether cells in different parts of a plant contain different structures. She makes microscope slides of a green leaf and of a white root from the same potted plant and views both with a light microscope. She notices that the leaf cells contain many green structures but the root cells seem to contain none.
State a testable hypothesis about the number of chloroplasts in leaf cells and root cells, with a scientific reason, and identify the independent variable.3 marks

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Written by the Exaim team, led by Shaun Daswani (Head of Upper Secondary, Improve ME Institute; MSc Financial Mathematics, Imperial College London; BSc, UCL) and Jason Daswani (operational lead, Improve ME Institute; LSE).