Cell Organelles
- Organelle – tiny cell structures that carry out specific functions within the cells
- Cell Wall – a rigid layer of nonliving material (composed of cellulose) that
surrounds the cells of plants
- Cell Membrane – the next barrier within the cell wall – all cells have cell membranes
that
control what substances come into and out of the cell
- Nucleus – directs all of the cell’s activities (found in all cells)
- Cytoplasm – the region between the cell membrane and the nucleus where the
organelles are – a thick, clear gel-like fluid (found in all cells)
- Mitochondria – the "powerhouses" of the cell that convert energy in food
molecules to energy the cell can use to carry out its functions (found in all cells)
- Endoplasmic Reticulum – a maze of passageways that carries proteins and other
materials from one part of the cell to another (found in all cells)
- Ribosomes – small, grainlike- bodies attached to the ER that functions as
factories to produce proteins (found in all cells)
- Golgi Bodies – flattened sacs and tubes that receive proteins and other newly
formed materials form the ER, package them, and distribute them to other
parts of the cell (found in plant and animal cells)
- Chloroplasts – green organelles in plants that capture energy from the sunlight
and use it to produce food for the cell (plant cells only)
- Chlorophyll – green, light absorbing pigment found in chloroplasts (plant cells only)
- Vacuoles – storage areas within the cell for food, wastes and water (found in all cells)
- Lysosomes – small, round structures containing chemicals that breakdown
certain materials in the cell (found in plant and animal cells)
