Cell Structure and Function

The Cell
Key Concepts
• How are prokaryotic cells
What do you think? Read the two statements below and decide and eukaryotic cells similar,
whether you agree or disagree with them. Place an A in the Before and how are they different?
column if you agree with the statement or a D if you disagree. After
• What do the structures in a
you’ve read this lesson, reread the statements to see if you have changed
your mind. cell do?

Before Statement After

3. Different organisms have cells with different
structures.
4. All cells store genetic information in their
nuclei.

3TUDY#OACH

Use Prior Knowledge

Cell Shape and Movement Before you read this lesson,
Cells come in many shapes and sizes. The size and shape look at the figures and
of a cell is part of the function of the cell. Some cells, such headings to learn what the
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

as human red-blood cells, can be seen only by using lesson is about. Write what
a microscope. The cells can pass easily through small blood you know about the cell on a
vessels because of their small size. Their disk shapes are piece of paper. As you read
important for carrying oxygen. Nerve cells have parts that the lesson, fill in what you
learned about the cell.
jut out. These projections on nerve cells can send signals
over long distances. Some plant cells are hollow. These
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
hollow cells make up tubelike structures that can carry water
function
and dissolved substances to parts of the plant. (noun) the purpose for
which something is used
The size and shape of a cell make it possible for the cell
to carry out its functions. The parts that make up a cell have
their own functions as well. A cell’s parts are like the players
on a football team who perform different tasks on the
playing field. A cell is made up of different parts that
perform different functions to keep the cell alive.

Reading Essentials Cell Structure and Function 23

 Plant Cell

Mitochondrion Rough endoplasmic Smooth endoplasmic

reticulum reticulum
Ribosome Central vacuole

Cytoskeleton
Visual Check
1. Describe the location of
Vesicle
the cell wall.

Cell wall

Genetic
material
Nucleus Nucleolus
Nuclear
membrane Cell membrane
Chloroplast Golgi apparatus

Reading Check
2. Describe What are cell
Cell Membrane
All cells have some parts, or structures, in common. One
of these structures is a cell membrane. A cell membrane is a
flexible covering that protects the inside of a cell from the environment
outside the cell. You can see the cell membrane in both
drawings on this page. Cell membranes are made of proteins
and phospholipids.
Animal Cell

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

membranes made of?
Centriole Lysosome
Cell membrane
Smooth Rough
endoplasmic endoplasmic
reticulum reticulum
Visual Check
3. Identify Circle the
names of two parts in the
animal cell that are also
found in the plant cell.

Vesicle
Golgi
Genetic apparatus
material Ribosome
Nucleus Nucleolus Cytoskeleton
Nuclear Mitochondrion
envelope

24 Cell Structure and Function Reading Essentials

 Cell Wall
Every cell has a cell membrane. But some cells also have
a cell wall. Plant cells, fungal cells, bacterial cells, and some
protists have cell walls. A cell wall is a stiff structure outside the
cell membrane. A cell wall protects a cell from viruses and
other harmful organisms. In some plant and fungal cells, the
cell wall helps the cell keep its shape and gives it support.

Cell Appendages
If you look at a cell using a microscope, you might see
structures on the outside of the cell. These appendages might
look like hairs or long tails. They often help a cell move.
Flagella (fluh JEH luh) (singular, flagellum) are long and tail-
like. They whip back and forth to move the cell. Cilia (SIH lee
uh) (singular, cilium) are short, hairlike structures. They can
move a cell or move molecules away from a cell. The cilia in
your windpipe move harmful particles away from your lungs.

Cytoplasm and the Cytoskeleton

The fluid inside a cell is made of water, salts, and other molecules
and is called the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm contains a cell’s
cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is made of threadlike proteins that
are joined together. The cytoskeleton is a framework that gives
a cell its shape and helps it move. Reading Check
Cell Types 4. Describe the structure
of the cytoskeleton.
Microscopes helped scientists discover that cells can be
grouped into two types. There are prokaryotic (proh ka ree
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

AH tihk) cells and eukaryotic (yew ker ee AH tihk) cells.

Prokaryotic Cells
The genetic material in a prokaryotic cell is not
surrounded by a membrane. Look at the drawing below.
Prokaryotic cells also do not have many of the cell parts
other cells have. Most prokaryotic cells are unicellular
organisms and are called prokaryotes.

DNA Visual Check

Ribosome
5. Name three parts of a
Cytoplasm
prokaryotic cell.
Flagellum
Cell
membrane
Cell wall
Capsule

Reading Essentials Cell Structure and Function 25


Key Concept Check
6. Compare and
Contrast How are
prokaryotic cells and
eukaryotic cells the same?
How are they different?
SCIENCE USE V. COMMON USE
envelope
Science Use an outer covering
Common Use a flat paper
container for a letter
Reading Check
7. Contrast smooth ER and
rough ER.
26 Cell Structure and Function
Eukaryotic Cells
The cells of plants, animals, fungi, and protists are
eukaryotic cells. The genetic material of eukaryotic cells is
surrounded by a membrane. Every eukaryotic cell also has
organelles—other parts that are surrounded by a membrane and have
specialized functions. Eukaryotic cells are usually larger than
prokaryotic cells.
Cell Organelles
The organelles of eukaryotic cells have different functions
in the cell. Organelles help a cell carry out different
functions at the same time. These functions include getting
energy from food, storing information, and getting rid of
waste material.
The Nucleus
The largest organelle inside most eukaryotic cells is the
nucleus. The nucleus is the part of a eukaryotic cell that directs cell
activities and contains genetic information stored in DNA.
DNA is in structures called chromosomes. The number
of chromosomes in a nucleus is different for different species
of organisms.
The nucleus also contains proteins and an organelle
called the nucleolus (new KLEE uh lus). The nucleolus makes
ribosomes, organelles that help produce proteins. Two
membranes form the nuclear envelope that surrounds the
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
nucleus. The nuclear envelope has many pores. Certain
molecules, such as ribosomes and RNA, move into and out
of the nucleus through these pores.
Manufacturing Molecules
You learned that proteins are important molecules in
cells. Proteins are made of small organelles called ribosomes.
A ribosome is not surrounded by a membrane. Ribosomes
are in the cytoplasm of a cell. Ribosomes can be attached to
an organelle called the endoplasmic reticulum (en duh PLAZ
mihk • rih TIHK yuh lum), or ER. ER with ribosomes on its
surface is called rough ER. Rough ER is where proteins are
produced. ER without ribosomes on its surface is called
smooth ER. It makes lipids such as cholesterol. Smooth ER
also helps remove harmful substances from a cell.
Reading Essentials
 Processing Energy
All living things must have energy to survive. Cells
process some energy in specialized organelles called Make a half-book to record
information about cell
mitochondria (mi tuh KAHN dree uh) (singular,
organelles and their
mitochondrion). Most eukaryotic cells contain hundreds of functions.
mitochondria. Some cells in a human heart can contain
1,000 mitochondria.
ATP A mitochondrion is surrounded by two membranes.
Chemical reactions within mitochondria release energy.
Cell Organelles and Their Functions
This energy is stored in high-energy molecules called ATP—
adenosine triphosphate (uh DEH nuh seen • tri FAHS fayt).
The energy in ATP molecules is used by the cell for growth,
cell division, and transporting materials.
Chloroplasts The cells of some organisms, such as plants
and algae, contain organelles called chloroplasts (KLOR uh
plasts). Chloroplasts are membrane-bound organelles that use light
energy and make food, a sugar called glucose, from water and carbon
dioxide in a process called photosynthesis (foh toh SIHN thuh sus).
The sugar has stored energy that can be used when the cells
need it. Reading Check
8. Identify the types
Processing, Transporting, and Storing Molecules of cells that contain
The Golgi (GAWL jee) apparatus is an organelle that looks chloroplasts.
like a stack of pancakes. It gets proteins ready for their
specific jobs. It then packages the proteins into tiny
membrane-bound, ball-like structures called vesicles.
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Vesicles are organelles that transport substances to other

parts of the cell. Some vesicles in an animal cell are called
lysosomes. Lysosomes help break down and recycle different
parts of the cell. Key Concept Check
Some cells also have structures called vacuoles (VA kyuh 9. Explain the function of
the Golgi apparatus.
wohlz). Vacuoles are organelles that store food, water, and
waste materials for a cell. A plant cell usually has one large
vacuole. Some animal cells have many small vacuoles.

Reading Essentials Cell Structure and Function 27

Mini Glossary
cell membrane: a flexible covering that protects the inside of cytoskeleton: a network of threadlike proteins that are
a cell from the environment outside a cell joined together

cell wall: a stiff structure outside the cell membrane
chloroplast (KLOR uh plast): a membrane-bound
organelle that uses light energy and makes food—a sugar
called glucose—from water and carbon dioxide in a process
known as photosynthesis
nucleus: the part of a eukaryotic cell that directs cell activities
and contains genetic information stored in DNA
organelle: a membrane-surrounded component of a cell that
has specialized functions

cytoplasm: a fluid inside a cell that contains salts and other

molecules

1. Review the terms and their definitions in the Mini Glossary. Write a sentence that lists
two functions of the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell.

2. Fill in the table below to identify the functions of each organelle.

Organelle Function

Chloroplast

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Golgi apparatus

Smooth ER

Nucleus

3. Name three tasks carried out by the organelles of eukaryotic cells.

What do you think

Reread the statements at the beginning of the Connect ED
lesson. Fill in the After column with an A if you Log on to ConnectED.mcgraw-hill.com
agree with the statement or a D if you disagree. and access your textbook to find this END OF
Did you change your mind? lesson’s resources. LESSON

28 Cell Structure and Function Reading Essentials