Organelles Unleashed

Cell Composition

• Inorganic compounds found in cells include water, salts, and acids.
• The most important inorganic compound found in cells is water.
• Organic compounds found in cells include carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids.

Cell Structure

• The average size of an average cell is approximately 10-30 micrometers.
• There are over 200 different cell types in mammals.
• There are approximately 37.2 trillion cells in the human body.

Biomolecules

• Primary elements that form biomolecules in cells include carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen.
• Phosphorus is also a key element in biomolecules.
• Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for cells.
• Proteins provide the body with shape and form, and are a source of heat and energy.

Nucleic Acids

• RNA is a type of nucleic acid important for human metabolism.
• The main role of RNA is to translate genetic information into proteins.
• DNA is a double-stranded nucleic acid, while RNA is single-stranded.
• The flow of information from nucleic acids to protein is DNA → RNA → Protein.

Cell Membrane and Organelles

• The cell membrane is responsible for regulating the flow of materials into and out of the cell.
• The mitochondria is the organelle responsible for breaking down organic materials to produce energy.
• The Golgi apparatus is responsible for packaging substances for distribution within the cell or throughout the body.
• Lysosomes contain digestive enzymes and are involved in intracellular digestion.
• Ribosomes are involved in protein synthesis and can be found both free-floating in the cytoplasm and attached to the endoplasmic reticulum.
• The centrioles are responsible for maintaining the chromosome number during cell division and organizing microtubules.
• The endoplasmic reticulum is involved in the synthesis of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, as well as the storage of proteins and minerals.
• The rough endoplasmic reticulum is functionally associated with the endoplasmic reticulum and is responsible for packaging proteins in vesicles for excretion or internal use.

Cell Division

• During mitosis, a single cell divides into two identical daughter cells.
• When a cell is preparing for division, the DNA molecules are replicated.
• Anaphase is the phase of mitosis that involves the separation of sister chromatids.
• Somatic cells have a ploidy of 2n.
• There are four sub-phases in mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.
• Gametes in humans have a ploidy of 1n.
• The purpose of meiosis is to produce gametes with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell.
• Meiosis produces four daughter cells that are genetically unique.
• The main difference between mitosis and meiosis is the number of daughter cells produced and the ploidy of the resulting cells.

Test your knowledge on cytoplasmic organelles! Identify the organelles responsible for energy production, packaging substances, and waste elimination within a cell. Challenge yourself with questions on endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, and more.