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Part 1: Cells and Kingdoms
How do plant and animal cells differ?
Both plant and animal cells are eukaryotic, so they contain membrane-bound organelles like the nucleus and mitochondria. The nucleus of eukaryotic cells is similar to the brain of the cell. It contains the genetic information (DNA) and directs the cell how to function. However, plant cells and animal cells do not look exactly the same or have all of the same organelles, since they each have different needs. For example, plant cells contain chloroplasts since they need to perform photosynthesis, but animal cells do not. Plants and animals are very different on the outside as well as on the cellular level. Both animal and plant cells have mitochondria, but only plant cells have chloroplasts. Plants don’t get their sugar from eating food, so they need to make sugar from sunlight. This process (photosynthesis) takes place in the chloroplast. In order to do photosynthesis, a plant needs sunlight, carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. Once the sugar is made through photosynthesis, it is then broken down by the mitochondria to make
energy for the cell. Because animals get sugar from the food they eat, they do not need chloroplasts: just mitochondria. Both plant and animal cells have vacuoles. A plant cell contains a large, singular vacuole that is used for storage of water and nutrients. It also helps maintain the shape of the cell. In contrast, animal cells have many, smaller vacuoles, which also are used for storage of water and nutrients. Plant cells have a cell wall, as well as a cell membrane. In plants, the cell wall surrounds the cell membrane. This gives the plant cell its unique, typically rectangular shape. The function of the cell membrane is to regulate the flow of water and other material in and out of the cell. It also acts as a protective barrier. Animal cells simply have a cell membrane, but no cell wall. Organelle Function (what it does) Cell Membrane Cell Wall Chloroplast Vacuole Nucleus Mitochondria
- What are the 7 characteristics of living things? (you can look this up if you forget!) a. _________________________________________________________ b. _________________________________________________________ c. _________________________________________________________ d. _________________________________________________________ e. _________________________________________________________ f. _________________________________________________________ g. _________________________________________________________
- What is the organelle in a cell that protects and keeps things out? a. Cell membrane b. Chloroplast c. Vacuole D. Mitochondria
- What is the organelle in a cell that powers the cell making energy? a. Cell membrane b. Chloroplast c. Vacuole D. Mitochondria
- What is the organelle in a plant cell that stores nutrients? This is larger in plants than in animals. a. Cell membrane b. Chloroplast c. Vacuole D. Mitochondria
- Plants get their energy through the process of photosynthesis. Which organelle is necessary for photosynthesis? a. Cell membrane b. Chloroplast c. Vacuole D. Mitochondria
- Label each as a plant cell or an animal cell. Explain how you know. This is a ________________ cell because
____________________________________________________
This is a ________________ cell because
This is a ________________ cell because ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ This is a ________________ cell because
Part 2: Sexual vs. Asexual Reproduction
Reproduction: Asexual vs. Sexual
One parent or two?
That is the main difference between sexual and asexual reproduction. Sexual
reproduction just means combining genetic material from two parents. Asexual
reproduction produces offspring genetically identical to the one parent.
Cell division is how organisms grow and repair themselves. It is also how many
organisms produce
offspring. For many
single-celled organisms,
reproduction is a similar
process. The parent cell
simply divides to form two
daughter cells that are
identical to the parent.
In many other organisms, two parents are involved, and the offspring are not identical to
the parents. In fact, each offspring is unique.
Asexual reproduction involves a single parent. It results in offspring that are
genetically identical to each other and to the parent. All prokaryotes and some
eukaryotes reproduce this way.
Asexual reproduction can be very rapid. This is an advantage for many organisms. It
allows them to crowd out other organisms that reproduce more slowly. Bacteria, for
example, may divide several times per hour. Under ideal conditions, 100 bacteria can
divide to produce millions of bacterial cells in just a few hours! However, most bacteria
do not live under ideal conditions. If they did, the entire surface of the planet would soon
be covered with them. Instead, their reproduction is kept in check by limited resources,
predators, etc. This is true of most other organisms as well.
What are the benefits of asexual reproduction?
Sexual reproduction involves two parents. As you can see from Figure below, in
sexual reproduction, parents produce reproductive cells—called gametes —that unite to
form an offspring. Gametes are haploid cells. This means they contain only half the
number of chromosomes found in other cells of the organism. Gametes are produced
by a type of cell division called meiosis .The process in which two gametes unite is
called fertilization. This creates a zygote which becomes an embryo.
2. How many chromosomes are in a human zygote?
a. 23
b. 30
c. 39
d. 46
3. ________________ is the process in which two gametes come together to form
a single cell.
a. Transformation
b. Reproduction
c. Fertilization
d. Condensation
- What type of reproduction to mammals (i.e. humans, dogs, cats, elephants, etc) do? Explain how you know using evidence.
- How are sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction different?
- How are sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction similar?
Part 3: Cells Scientific Text As is often repeated, cells are the basic building blocks of all life. They are responsible for generating the energy that sustains life. They also eliminate waste and quickly replicate themselves to replace damaged tissues. Cells are fascinatingly complex organisms, able to perform a wide variety of tasks. This is true from single-celled organisms up to multicellular organisms, such as humans. Bacteria: In Sickness And Health Some organisms consist of a single cell with only the most basic parts: genetic material (DNA), ribosomes, cytoplasm and a cell membrane. Bacteria, for example, mainly consist of these basic cell parts, and may also have a cell wall. Bacteria are capable of causing human illnesses, from mild food poisoning to deadly tuberculosis. They are also capable of promoting human health. For example, bacteria living in the human gut aid in digestion and absorbing nutrients, among other things. Forming Biofilm Bacteria are able to form biofilm, a layer of microbes held together by certain molecules. The molecules are secreted by the bacterial cell membrane. The cell membrane also has surface structures, such as proteins and flagella, that help bacteria form biofilms.
individual organisms when soil nutrients are present. In times of low nutrients, however, they band together into a slug-like form. They migrate together in search of food. The cellular communication between amoebae during aggregation involves many cell parts. These parts include the cytoskeleton and the nuclear membrane. The nuclear membrane controls the entry of key molecules from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. In the nucleus, these key molecules regulate gene transcription, or gene copying — the first stage of gene expression. Ultimately, the aggregate amoebae typically splits into stalk cells and spore cells. A large vacuole, or space, forms within stalk cells as they undergo cell death and form a column. In this process, spore cells are lifted and then scattered to a new location. Many cell parts play a role in this complex behavior of social amoebae, including functions of the mitochondria. These are critical to cell movement, differentiation and patterning of cells within the multicellular slug. Specialized Cells In Plants And Animals In true multicellular organisms, a variety of organelles allow equally incredible feats. Chloroplasts in plant cells allow the organism to capture the sun's energy and produce food. In a growing animal, the cytoskeleton sorts critical parts and molecules within the cell. It defines which end of the cell is which to enable specific functions as the tiny animal embryo grows bigger. Following development, specialized cells within multicellular organisms perform specific functions to support the body. Meanwhile, organelles help cells accomplish various tasks. For example, mature red blood cells in mammals lack a nucleus. This helps them clear out as much cellular space as possible for a protein called hemoglobin. This protein allows the cell to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. White blood cells are part of the body's immune system. They use lysosomes to engulf and destroy bacteria, preventing infection.
Neurons In The Brain Neurons in the human brain allow problem solving, memory and emotion. A neuron's cell parts are critical to these functions. Neurons release neurotransmitters in response to environmental signals. The secretion of neurotransmitters is regulated by organelles called Golgi bodies. These are capable of making special vesicles, or sacs, to transport neurotransmitters outside the neuron. Once there, they aid in cell communication to help regulate things like mood. A long axon fiber extending from the cell releases these critical signaling chemicals. Then, a neighboring cell's many fingerlike dendrites receive the signals. Choose 2 of the types of cells or functions of cells from the article ( the bold headlines ) and explain what they are or what they do.
