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Cell

The basic unit of structure for all living things is the cell. Cells come from other cells through reproduction. All cells have a cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. The nucleus contains DNA which determines the organism's characteristics. Plant cells also have a cell wall, chloroplasts, and larger vacuoles compared to animal cells. Chloroplasts perform photosynthesis to produce food for plants.

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63 views

Cell

The basic unit of structure for all living things is the cell. Cells come from other cells through reproduction. All cells have a cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. The nucleus contains DNA which determines the organism's characteristics. Plant cells also have a cell wall, chloroplasts, and larger vacuoles compared to animal cells. Chloroplasts perform photosynthesis to produce food for plants.

Uploaded by

Kintina Morata
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Home > Language Arts > Reading Comprehension > Science Reading
Comprehension > The Cell

The Cell

The basic units of structure for all living organisms are cells. All living things
are made up of cells. Every person, animal and plant, as well as tiny organisms
that can only be seen under a microscope are made up of cells. Living
organisms may be made up of billions and billions of cells or a single cell.

The introduction of the term cell is credited to a physicist named Robert


Hooke. The invention of the microscope helped Hooke describe the cells of the
bark of a tree and other plant cells. The term cell was introduced by Hooke in
1665, because they reminded him of the tiny rooms or cells used by monks.

Cells are the basic units of life because cells make up all living things. Cells
come from other cells, meaning they can reproduce to create new cells of the
same kind.

All animal cells are surrounded by a structure called cell membrane. The cell
membrane is like a boundary between the inside and outside of cells. Cell
membranes have different functions depending on the type of cell the
membrane surrounds. Some membrane control what enters or leaves the cell.

The cytoplasm of a cell is inside the cell membrane and is a liquid area that
contains different fluids that help keep the cell working. The fluids contain
enzymes, fats, sugars and acids. The waste products of a cell are also dissolved
within the cytoplasm before exiting the cell.

The nucleus of a cell is usually found in its center. The nucleus could be


considered the brain of the cell. The molecules of DNA are found in the nucleus
of a cell which determines the characteristics of the organism, such as what it
will look like.
DNA molecules contain the instructions for life. For a plant, it may be its
size, for people it may be eye or hair color and much more. Nearly all cells have
a nucleus. It also controls the eating, movement, and reproduction of the cell.

A plant cell is a little different than an animal cell. A cell wall is only found in
plant cells but not animal cells. The cell wall of a plant is found on the outside
of its cell membrane. The cell wall provides all plants protection and support,
and it also helps plants keep their shape. Cell walls also have tiny holes to allow
the movement of nutrients and waste. Bacteria, fungi, and some protozoa also
have cell walls.

Chloroplasts are also only found only in plant cells. Chloroplasts produce the


food for the plant cells. In addition, the process of photosynthesis depends on
the chloroplasts. The chloroplasts help the plant turn light energy from the Sun
into food for the plant. There are green chlorophyll molecules in every
chloroplast. Oxygen is also released through plants by the chloroplasts.

Vacuoles are a part of both plant and animal cells. Inside a


fluid, vacuoles store the food and nutrients the cell needs to survive. They also
store waste products of the cell to prevent contamination to the rest of the cell.
The waste will then be sent out of the cell. The vacuoles in plant cells are larger
than in animal cells because they hold large amounts of water and food.

Mitochondria also provides plant and animal cells with energy through a


process known as cellular respiration. The mitochondria take in nutrients,
breaks them down, and turns them into energy using molecules.

In summary, cells of plants and animals have many parts and functions which
are the basic units and parts of the organism.

1) All of the following are parts of animal cells EXCEPT:

A: Cell membrane

B: Nucleus
C: Cytoplasm

D: Cell wall

2) All of the following are parts of animal and plant cells EXCEPT:

A: Mitochondria

B: Cytoplasm

C: Chloroplasts

D: Vacuoles

3) Which of the following parts of a plant cell does photosynthesis depend upon?

A: Mitochondria

B: Chloroplasts

C: Vacuoles

D: Cell wall

4) Which of the following parts of a cell is considered the brain of the cell?

A: Nucleus

B: Cell membrane

C: Mitochondria

D: Vacuoles

5) Which of the following determines the characteristic of an organism?

A: Cytoplasm

B: Chloroplast

C: Cell membrane

D: DNA

6) Which of the following is released through plants by the chloroplasts?

A: Oxygen
B: Vacuoles

C: Mitochondria

D: Cell wall

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