Worksheet Cell Biology

What is a cell?
Diagrams of animal and plant cell

Home-Work
Each cell has compartment that carry out a special function within the cell and each of these
compartments is called an organelle (mini organ). For each organelle above identify their function and
hence their importance to the whole cell and complete the table below ( hint use the table at the back
as a guide).
e.g.
Organelle
Chloroplast

Cell the organelle is present in

Plant cell

Function of the organelle

Contains the green pigment
chlorophyll which traps sunlight
so this energy may be used to
make food in photosynthesis.

Comparison of the animal and plant cell

When doing a comparison you must compare similar features of different things and instead of saying
that a feature is absent say why its absent and what is present instead.
e.g.
Animal cell
Contains starch granules

Plant cell
Contains chloroplast

The features you compare must be similar in function.Dont just say that the feature is present
somewhere and absent another place if something that is different but carries out a similar function is
present.
Animal cell
Starch granules absent

Plant cell
Starch granules present

Function of the organelle

Plant cell
Animal cell
Granule contains the form that Contains starch granules( plants
Contains glycogen granules (
the animal or plant stores
store the glucose they make in
animals store the glucose they
glucose in
the form of starch)
obtain in the form of glycogen)
Not all the time is there a corresponding feature in the thing you are comparing that carries out a
similar function and in this case it is okay to say the structure is absent. Give a reason why the feature is
present or absent.e.g.
Plant Cell
Has a cell wall containing cellulose and this
structure gives the cell a fixed shape and makes it
rigid. Its a fully permeable membrane that allows
everything in.

Animal cell
Cell wall is absent because the animal cell needs to
be flexible and so it does not have a fixed shape

Compare the organelles present in the animal or plant cell or both (remember to state why this
organelle may be important to the cell)using the table below?
Comparison of the animal and plant cell
Organelle and its function

Plant cell

Animal cell

Mitochondrion (sing ) mitochondria ( pl)

tranfersenery from the burning of organic
compounds to produce ATP ( Adenosine
triphosphate ) during respiration
Ribosome organizes the synthesis of
proteins
Endoplasmic reticulum prepares proteins
for export ( rough er) synthesizes steroids ,
regulates calcium levels breaks down toxc
substances ( smooth er)
Golgi apparatus - processes and packages
substances produced by the cell
Lysosome digests molecules . old
organelles and foreign substances
Microfilaments and microtubules
contribute to the support movement and
division of the cells
Cilia and flagella propel cells through the
environment, move materials over the cells
surface
Nucleus contains chromosomes and the
nucleolus. Stores hereditary information in
the form of D.N.A. , synthesizes ribosomes
Cell wall- contains cellulose which makes it
rigid and so it supports and protects the cell
Vacuole stores enzymes and waste
products
Chloroplasts stores energy from the sun so
it can be used to make food or organic
compounds during photosynthesis
Granule contains the form that the animal
or plant stores glucose in
Centrioles two short rods composed of
microtubules located near the nucleus.
During cell division they are in the movement
of chromosomes by the microtubules
Cell membrane this consists of fat and
protein and it is a selectively permeable
membrane that controls what enters and
exits the cell
Cytoplasm
Home-work
1. Define cell specialization and obtain pictures of the following specialized cells: xylem cells,
phloem cells, red blood cells, sensory nerve cells, motor nerve cells,sperm cell, egg cell,
lymphocyte, phagocytes , smooth muscle cells, striated muscle cells ,cardiac muscle cells,
palisade cells root hair cell.

2. Complete the table below:

Specialised Cell

Could it have stem

from a plant cell or
an animal cell ?

What is the main

special function of
this cell.

Modifications ( how is it
different from a typical
animal or plant cell)

How do these modifications or

adaptations help it carry out its
function

Specialised Cell

Could it have stem

from a plant cell or
an animal cell ?

What is the main

special function of
this cell.

Modifications ( how is it
different from a typical
animal or plant cell)

How do these modifications or

adaptations help it carry out its
function

Cells ,diffusion ,osmosis and active transport

Concentration can be defined in two ways.

Concentration

amount of solute that is

dissolved in a given
volume of solvent

Number of particles

e.g. area of high

concentration means
there is a "whole heap" of
particles

e.g. area of low

concentration means
there is a " lickle bit" of
particles

A solution is described as
being concentrated if
there is a "wholeheap" of
solute "in a lickle bit " of
solevent

Eg(s) of dilute and concentrated solutions

Dilute solution: 1 teaspoon of sugar ( solute) to a lake (solvent ) of water
Concentrated solution: 10 tablespoons of sugar to a cup of water
Concept of a concentration gradient:
In order for a gradient to exist there has to be a high point and a _____ point.
Which one of these diagrams has a gradient:

Indicate in which case it would be easier to ride bicycle?

Situation A

Situation B

In which situation would riding a bicycle require the MOST amount of energy

A solution is described as
being dilute if there is a
lickle bit of solute
dissolved in a whole heap
of solvent

Concentration gradient

From the diagram identify the features of a concentration gradient?

Indicate on the diagram the direction in which particles may move?
Do particles usually move up or down the concentration gradient?
A solution consists of a solute dissolved in a given volume of solvent. A solution consists of solute and
solvent particles.
Movement of solvent and solute particles between solutions

Situation 1

Situation 2

For each situation above describe the following:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The concentration of solute particles in situation A

The concentration of solvent particles in situation B
Whether solutions A and B in either situation is dilute or concentrated
Predict the movement of SOLUTE particles between solutions A and B
Predict the movement of SOLVENT particles between solutions A and B
In 4&5 above determine whether the solute and solvent particles move up or down the
concentration gradient?

When particles move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration then this
process is referred to as _________. Diffusion is defined as the movement of particles from an area of
_____concentration to an area of ____ concentration. Diffusion can also be described as the movement
of particles ______ the concentration gradient.The particles will keep moving to achieve a situation
where each area has the same concentration of the particles and this is referred to as _________. Since
the particles are always moving to maintain equilibrium then the equilibrium achieved is referred to as
__________ equilibrium. Diffusion can completely be defined as the movement of particles from an area
of high concentration to an area of low concentration until the particles are at equilibrium. Construct an
alternative definition for diffusion?( hint!! Use concentration gradient)
When the solutions are separated by a barrier with holes in it then particles can move from one
solution to the next. If the ______ in the barrier are big enough to allow the solute and solvent particles
to pass through then the barrier is referred to as a _____ permeable membrane. If the holes of the
barrier are big enough to allow the solvent particles to pass through but too small for e solute particles
to pass through then this membrane because of the _____ of the holes selects which particles will go
through and so it is referred to as a ____________ permeable membrane. In the presence of a
selectively permeable membrane only solvent particles may be allowed to go through the barrier or
both solvent and small enough ________ particles.

Examples of selectively and fully permeable membranes

Fully permeable membrane
Cell wall

Selectively Permeable Membrane

Cell membrane
Visking tubing
Parchment membrane
When two solutions are separated by a ___________ permeable membrane that only allows the
movement of solvent particles then a special type of diffusion occurs which is called ________. These
solvent molecules are usually small molecules such as _______ molecules or ethanol molecules. Osmosis
may be defined as the movement of water molecules from an area of high concentration of water
molecules to an area of low concentration of water molecules through a selectively-permeable
membrane until the water molecules are in ____________. Suggest another definition for osmosis in
terms of water molecules? (Hint !! Use concentration gradient )
Concentration can be defined in terms of the number of particles or the amount of solute dissolved in a
given volume of ________ within a solution. A solution may be described as dilute or concentrated. How
would solvent particles move between two solutions separated by a selectively -permeable membrane
in which one solution was dilute and the other solution is concentrated?

Can you describe osmosis in terms of the movement of water molecules between dilute and
concentrated solutions?
Using diagram A determine in which solution the water level will rise and draw a diagram to show any
differences between the heights of solutions A and B?
Three ways of defining osmosis:
Terms to be included
osmosis Area of high concentration,area of low
concentration,equilibrium,watermolecules,selective
permeable membrane
Dilute solution, concentrated solution ,equilibrium, water
molecules, selective permeable membrane,concentration
gradient
Solution with , concentrated solution ,equilibrium, water
molecules, selective permeable membrane,concentration
gradient
Complete the table below:
Process
Movement along the
concentration gradient
Membrane present

Types of particles moving

Occurrence

Diffusion
Down ( from areas of _____to
areas of ____ concentration )
A membrane may be ______ or
if present it may allow all
particles to move through it
regardless of its ____ i.e. it is
____ permeable
___particles e.g. gas molecules,
solute molecules, solvent
molecules , ions etc .
_______ solutions e.g. when
potassium permanganate is
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Definition

Osmosis
______ ( from areas of high to
areas of low concentration )
Membrane present selects which
particles can cross it based on
their size i.e. the membrane is
_________ permeable
________ molecules e.g. water
molecules or ethanol molecules
________solutions and involves
the movement of

added to water

_________molecules ONLY.

Does the process occur

________________
spontaneously or need
assistance
Description of solutions when compared to one another

_______________

Hypertonic, hypotonic and isotonic are terms that are used to describe the concentration of one
solution in comparison to another solution. Complete the table below.
Term
Hypertonic

Prefix and
meaning
Hyper
above

Suffix and meaning

Definition

-tonic refers to the

amount of solute in the
solution
Hypotonic
Hypo- under
-tonic refers to the
amount of solute in the
solution
Isotonic
Iso- equal
-tonic refers to the
amount of solute in the
solution
Describe solution A in relation to solution B in situation 1 and 2?

Situation 1

Situation 2

The cell contains a solution inside. It contains a cell fluid in which all the organelles are suspended and
interact with each other by sending substances from one organelle to the next and this is called the
cytoplasm ( cyto-cell plasm-fluid). Water can either enter or exit the cell depending on which type of
solution the cell is placed in. The outer barrier around the cell is called the ________________of the cell
and the inner barrier around the cell is called the ___________________ and acts as the
________________.

When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution it _______ water, when placed in a hypotonic solution it
gains _______, when placed in a solution that is isotonic it neither _____ nor ____ water. When the cell
gains water it _______and the adjective used to describe it is _________ and when a cell loses water it
________and so the adjective used to describe it is _________. Both cells can gain water and both be
firm or _______ but one cell has a retaining wall that will prevent it from gaining too much water and
help it to stay firm and intact but the other cell has no retaining wall and so it _______. Which cell do
you think bursts and which cell does not? When a cell bursts this is described as ________(cyto-cell lysisto burst). When one cell loses water one cell eventually shrivels and dies because for the reactions in the
cell to take place they need ______. When the other cell loses of water this causes the cell fluid known
as the __________ to tear away from the cell wall. In which cell do you think each situation happens?
Plasmolysis ( plasm-fluid lysis-to split) occurs when the fluid tears away from the cell wall because it has
lost so much water, in which cell does this occur?

Label which cell represents plasmolysis and which represents cytolysis? As the pressure within the plant
cell increases it reaches a point where it begins to push out water or prevent water from entering and
this pressure is referred to as the turgor pressure ( think of when you eat and your belly is full).
Activity
Predict whether water will move into or out of the cell. (calculate the percentages of solute and solvent
and predict the movement of water, identify the semi-permeable membrane and then predict the
direction in which water will move)

Which adjective would you use to describe solution A (outside of the cell) relative to the cell (remember
look at the amount of solute in each solution) hypotonic, hypertonic or isotonic?
Movement of particles contd
If the particles are given additional energy then they can move uphill i.e. they can move up or against
the concentration gradient and this process is known as active transport. Complete the table below by
with possible definitions of active transport?
Terms to be included
Active
Area of high concentration, area of low
transport concentration, equilibrium, particles
Area of high concentration, area of low
concentration, equilibrium, particles
concentration gradient

Definition

Identify which diagram which represents diffusion and which represents active transport?
A

Complete the table below :

Process
Movement along the
concentration gradient

Diffusion
Down ( from areas of
_____to areas of ____
concentration )

Osmosis
______ ( from areas of
high to areas of low
concentration )

Membrane present

A membrane may be
______ or if present it
may allow all particles to
move through it
regardless of its ____ i.e.
it is fully permeable

Membrane present
selects which particles
can cross it based on
their size i.e. the
membrane is _________
permeable

Types of particles
moving

____particles e.g. gas

molecules, solute
molecules, solvent
molecules , ions etc .

________ molecules e.g.

water molecules or
ethanol molecules

Occurrence

________ solutions e.g.

when potassium
permanganate is added
to water

_________solutions and
involves the movement
of ________molecules
ONLY.

Does the process occur

spontaneously or need
assistance

_______________

______________

Examples

Movement of potassium
manganate( _______
molecules) through
water ( _______
molecules). This shows
the movement of
particles ______ a
solution.

Movement of water in or
out of a cell. (the water
moves ______ the
solution outside of the
cell and the solution
within the cell called the
________)

Active transport
___ ( from areas of
___ concentration
to areas of high
concentration,
A membrane may
be ______ or if
present it
will____affect
which particles can
enter or exit the
cell.
___particles e.g.
gas molecules,
solute molecules,
solvent molecules ,
ions etc
________ solutions
and involves the
movement of
different types of
particles
Need _________.
These particles may
need _______ ( this
energy may be
obtained from the
mitochondria
within the cell from
a molecule called (
ATP adenosine
triphosphate) to
move across a
barrier or it may
get assistance from
_______ molecules
e.g. protein carriers
Transport of
minerals e.g.
nitrates into root
hair cells.

Use your knowledge of diffusion to predict what will occur in the diagram below and what will be
observed? i.e identify
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The particles that will move

Identify any membrane present
The type of membrane present
If any colour changes will be observed and where
Whether or not water levels will rise and where

Background information:
Starch is a large molecule, water is a small and glucose is smaller than a starch molecule but still much
bigger than a water molecule. The visking tubing has holes in it that allow small molecules to pass
through it.
Using the same apparatus above determine if there will be any colours changes that would be observed
and where?
Background information: when iodine comes in contact with any solution containing starch it becomes
blue black.

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