Cell structure Cambridge IGCSE Biology revision
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In plain words
Every living thing is built from cells, the way a house is built from bricks. Each cell is a tiny factory with parts that have their own jobs: a control room, a power supply, a gate. Plant cells have a few extra parts that animal cells don't.
Three things to know
- Animal and plant cells both have a nucleus (controls the cell, holds the DNA), cytoplasm (where reactions happen), a cell membrane (controls what goes in and out), mitochondria (aerobic respiration) and ribosomes (make proteins).
- Plant cells also have a cell wall of cellulose (support), chloroplasts (photosynthesis) and a large permanent vacuole full of cell sap.
- A bacterial cell has a cell wall, membrane, cytoplasm and ribosomes, but no nucleus: its DNA is a loop, with small extra rings called plasmids.
Tips and tricks
- Three things only plant cells have: cell wall, chloroplasts, large vacuole. Three marks, learn them as a set.
- The membrane controls what enters and leaves. The wall is for support and lets everything through. Don't swap them.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Cell structure: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Which part controls what enters and leaves a cell?
The membrane is partially permeable; the wall lets everything through.
Where does aerobic respiration happen?
Cells that need a lot of energy have many mitochondria.
Which structure is found in plant cells but not animal cells?
Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll for photosynthesis.
What is the job of ribosomes?
Amino acids are joined into proteins at the ribosomes.
What is the cell wall of a plant cell made of?
Cellulose makes the wall strong.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 7 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Cell structure
Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 · 7 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
Name three structures found in a plant cell but not in an animal cell.[3]
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Cell wall, chloroplasts and a large (permanent) vacuole.
State the function of mitochondria and of ribosomes.[2]
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Mitochondria: aerobic respiration (releasing energy). Ribosomes: making proteins.
Explain why root cells do not contain chloroplasts.[2]
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They are underground and get no light, so they cannot photosynthesise.
Answers: Cell structure
- 1. Cell wall, chloroplasts and a large (permanent) vacuole.
- 2. Mitochondria: aerobic respiration (releasing energy). Ribosomes: making proteins.
- 3. They are underground and get no light, so they cannot photosynthesise.