Download Activity 1 - Lo-net2

Virtual Science
Comenius Project 2008-2010
Cells
Activity 1 (GER)
Activity adapted by Joan Nievas from BBC.co.uk materials.
You have in your hands part of a document about cells. In your part there are many
missing words and you’ll need some help if you want to complete it.
You are going to work with the members of your group in your country and you are
going to contact by email with the other members of your group (in the other
countries) and ask them for the words you need.
There are no rules to have this contact by email but you are not allowed to send
parts of your document or the whole document. You can not send paragraphs of your
document to show the rest of members the information that you need. And you can’t
send information if other members have not asked for it.
You must only make questions. For example, in the first paragraph about the
specialized functions of the cells, you can not show your complete paragraph.
This is an example of a wrong question (because you send part of your document):
Hi. This is my first paragraph. I need the words substituted by (****). Thank you.
There are seven processes that are common to living things. These seven processes
are (****), (****), excretion, growth, (****), (****) and reproduction.
And this is an example of a right question:
I have three of the seven specialized functions. I need the second, the fourth, the
sixth and the seventh.
Another exemple of a wrong question (because you send not demanded
information):
I have three of the seven specialized functions. I have respiration … (you give not
demanded information).
When you have all the infomation you need, and your document has all the words,
you can send the document to the teacher attached in one email. Only one document
per group and per country.
Life Processes and Cells
Both animals and plants are made of cells. Cells form the basic organizational
building block for living things. Some cells have specialized functions.
There are seven processes that are common to living things. These seven processes
are (****), (****), excretion, growth, (****), (****) and reproduction.
Living things have certain life processes in common. There are seven things that they
need to do to count as being alive. The phrase MRS GREN (orange coloured column)
is a way to remember them:
M
R
S
G
(****)
(****)
(****)
Growth
(****)
(****)
R Reproduction
E Excretion
N (****)
(****)
(****)
(****)
It is easy to tell if something is a living being or not. A teddy bear might look like a
bear, but it can't do any of the seven things it needs to be able to do to count as
being alive.
Were these bears alive when they were photographed?
What about a car? A car can move, it gets energy from (****), it might have a car
alarm, it needs petrol and it gets rid of waste gases through its exhaust (****). But
it can't grow or make (****). So a car is not alive.
Have you ever seen a mother car with babies?
Animal cells and plant cells
The basic building block of animals and plants is the cell. Cells are very small and we
need a microscope to see them. The photographs show animal cells and plant cells,
as seen through a microscope.
These are cheek cells, seen through a microscope
GER - These are (****) cells, seen through a microscope
Cells are made up of different parts. It is easier to explain what these parts are by
using diagrams like the ones below.
Animal cells usually have an (****) shape, and
plant cells usually have a regular shape
Animal cells and plant cells both contain:



Cell membrane
(****)
(****)
Only plant cells also contain:



(****)
Vacuole
(****)
The table summarizes the functions or jobs of these parts.
Part
Cell
membrane
(****)
Nucleus
(****)
(****)
(****)
Function
(****)
(****)
(****)
Where photosynthesis happens – chloroplasts contain a green
substance called chlorophyll.
Contains a liquid called cell sap, which keeps the cell firm.
Made of a tough substance called cellulose, which supports the cell.
Cells and their functions
Humans are multi-cellular animals. We are made of lots of cells, not just one cell. The
cells in many multi-cellular animals and plants are specialized, so that they can share
out the processes of life. They work together like a team to support the different
processes in an organism.
You should be able to work out special features of a cell from a drawing, if you are
told what the cell can do. The tables below show examples of some specialized
animal and plant cells, with their functions and special features.
Type of animal cell
Red blood cells
Function
To carry nerve impulses
to different parts of the
body
Female reproductive
cell (egg cell)
(****)
Male reproductive cell
(****)
Type of plant cell
Root hair cell

Large surface area, for oxygen to
pass through
(****)



(****)
(****)
Can carry electrical signals


(****)
Contains lots of cytoplasm


Long tail for swimming
(****)

(****)
(****)
Special features
Function
(****)
Special features

Large surface area


(****)
Lots of chloroplasts
Leaf cell
(****)