Plant Cell Structure and Function

Many plants use lipids to store energy.

Lipids are stored as oil droplets in the cytoplasm of plant cells.

The cytoplasm is the gel-like substance that fills the cell.

Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus.

There are many organelles in eukaryotic cells besides the nucleus.

A type of membrane with tiny holes that allow proteins and nucleic acids to pass through.

The cell wall is an outer layer that provides structural support and protection to plant cells.

Proteins and nucleic acids are essential molecules for cell function and inheritance.

Nucleopore membranes help guide the formation of the cell wall in plant cells.

The cell is the fundamental unit of life, responsible for all the processes of living organisms.

The Golgi apparatus is a cellular organelle that modifies, packages, and sorts proteins and carbohydrates.

The Golgi apparatus is not essential for all cells to survive, which means some cells can function without it.

Peroxisomes are small, membrane-bound organelles that contain enzymes for various metabolic processes.

Peroxisomes are not directly involved in photosynthesis, which is the process plants use to convert sunlight into energy.

Photosynthesis is a complex process that occurs primarily in chloroplasts, which are organelles found in plant cells. They are responsible for converting light energy into chemical energy.

Microtubules are small tube-like structures that help cells move and maintain their shape.

Fibers, made of bundled microtubules, are within cells and provide structural support.

The cell cycle includes Interphase, a period of growth and preparation, and the 4 phases of mitosis, where a cell divides.

Root tips, shoot tips, and areas of leaf development are great places to observe mitosis in plants.

Mitosis is the process of cell division, resulting in two identical daughter cells. It doesn't change the genetic makeup of the cell.

A structure made of microtubules that forms in the middle of a dividing plant cell.

Tiny, membrane-bound sacs that are often found in the Golgi apparatus, they contain materials for cell wall construction.

The phragmoplast captures these vesicles and guides them to the center of the dividing cell, where they fuse.

A large, flat vesicle formed by the fusion of dictyosome vesicles in the center of the dividing cell.

The cell plate forms into two new primary cell walls and a middle lamella, which holds the two new cells together.

Meiosis is a type of cell division that produces gametes (sperm and egg cells), reducing the number of chromosomes by half, preparing for sexual reproduction.

During meiosis, the number of chromosomes is reduced from diploid (two sets) to haploid (one set). This ensures that when a sperm and egg cell fuse, the offspring receives the correct number of chromosomes.

Crossing over is a process that occurs during meiosis where homologous chromosomes exchange genetic material. This results in new combinations of genes in the offspring, increasing genetic diversity.

After the chromosome reduction in meiosis I, the cell divides again in meiosis II, resulting in four haploid daughter cells. This process is similar to mitosis, but with half the number of chromosomes.

Crossing over creates new combinations of genes, increasing genetic diversity within a population. This diversity allows organisms to better adapt to changing environments.