Cell Organelles: Structure and Function

Plant and Animal Cell Organelles

• Small vesicles are used for storage of materials.
• Centrioles aid in cell division.
• Chloroplasts, found in plant cells, utilize solar energy to make chemical energy during photosynthesis.

Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)

• Acts as a highway of the cell, transporting materials.
• May or may not have ribosomes attached for protein manufacture.

Golgi Apparatus

• Inspects and packages proteins in vesicles for shipment around and outside the cell.

Lysosomes

• Contain enzymes that aid in disposing of the cell's waste.

Mitochondria

• Converts glucose into a usable form of energy, acting as the cell's powerhouse.

Nucleus and Nucleolus

• The nucleus acts as the cell's control center, storing genetic material.
• The nucleolus manufactures ribosomes.

Vacuoles

• Large vacuoles in plant cells store water and necessities for survival, aiding in cell rigidity.

Cell Analogy

Cell Structure and Function

• The nucleus is like the town hall, holding DNA and providing instructions.
• Mitochondria are like food processing plants, making energy for the cell.
• The Golgi apparatus is like a post office, packaging and delivering proteins.
• The endoplasmic reticulum is like factories making and transporting proteins.
• Ribosomes are like construction sites, manufacturing new proteins.
• Vacuoles are like storage tanks or dumps, storing food, waste, etc.
• The cell membrane is like the city border, regulating what enters and leaves the cell.
• Cytoplasm is like the foundation or land, holding organelles in place and giving the cell structure.
• Chloroplasts are like solar energy plants, where photosynthesis occurs in plants.
• The cell wall is like the city wall, protecting and supporting the cell.