Download Cell structure student notes PreAP 14-15

Characteristics of Life and Levels of Organization Notes
8 Characteristics of Life: Organism must have all 8 to be considered living.
Read Chapter 1 p. 16-19 and determine the 8 characteristics of life. List the characteristics below
highlighting the key words in each definition.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Levels of Organization:
Place the following levels in order from largest to smallest: Cells, Tissue, Organ, Organ System, Organism
Give an example for each using yourself as the organism and working your way down to cells
Ex: Organism – Jeremy Lin down to Cell—stomach muscle cell
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Cell Structure and Function Notes
Discovery of the Cell:
 Mid 1600’s scientists began using microscopes to observe living things

____________ ___________ used microscope to observe thin slice of ________—dead plant material
Cork seemed to be made of box-like chambers—Hooke called ___________

Anton van Leeuwenhoek discovered _____________ _____________ in pond water
Cell Theory:
 All living things composed of __________

Cells are the basic unit of ________________ and ________________ in living things

New cells are produced from _______________________ ____________
Cell and its Environment:
 Organisms made of one cell—_____________________ organisms
Ex: ____________________

Organisms made of many cells—______________________ organisms
Ex: ___________________________________

Each cell must be in “_______________” with its environment, exchange food, waste, H2O, CO2, O2 etc.

Process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment—___________________
Cell:

Organisms that do not have a distinct nucleus—_______________________ (PRO = BEFORE)
Ex: _____________________

Organisms with cells that have true nucleus and organelles—_______________________ (EU = TRUE)
Ex: __________________________________________
Cell Parts and Their Functions:
Specialized cell parts called __________________________—“little organs”
1. ___________ _______________________—determines what goes in and out of the cell
2. _________________________—gel-like medium that holds the organelles in position
3. ______________________—control center of the cell

Double membrane that surrounds the nucleus—______________ _________________

Hereditary information inside the nucleus—_________________________ (DNA)

Site where ribosomes are made--___________________
4. _______________________—makes proteins
5. _____________ ___________________ ________________________ (rough ER)—makes and
transports proteins within the cell

Called rough ER because of the _____________________ found on its surface
6. _____________ ___________________ ________________________ (smooth ER)—makes
and transport lipids and other materials within the cell

Called smooth ER because _____ ________________________ found on its surface
7. _________________________—network of protein filaments that helps cell maintain its shape
8. _______________ ________________________—processes and packages proteins and other
substances produced in the ER

Golgi apparatus prepares these substances either to be stored in the cell or secreted
outside the cell in membrane bound _______________
9. _________________________—supplies energy to the cell (powerhouse)
10. ______________________—sac-like structures for storage of materials such as water, salts,
proteins and carbohydrates

Plant cells usually contain a _______________ _________________ that fills most of the
cell—pressure from this large vacuole helps plants support themselves
Found in animal cells only:
11. ______________________—cleans up the cell and digests unwanted materials, contains
digestive enzymes
Found in plant cells only:
12. __________ ____________—provides support and protection for cell

Composed mainly of ___________________ (plant starch)—_____________ for our diet
13. ___________________—makes glucose using the energy from the sun (__________________)
Specialized Parts for movement:
1. ________________ (like little hairs)
2. __________________ (like a tail)
Specialized Cells:
Different cells in your body do different jobs. The ___________________ (how it’s built) of cells matches
the ______________________ (what it does).

Plant Examples:
1. Leaf cell—contains __________ ___________________ to maximize ________________________
2. Root cell (potato)—contains __________ _______________ to maximize water and starch storage

Animal Examples:
1. Epithelial cells—have __________ to increase ______________ _________________________;
found in the intestines
2. Muscle cells—contain ________ _____________________ to produce more energy for movement
3. Nerve cells—have fibers called ____________________ that allow nerve cells to
__________________________ with each other
Cell Membrane: (text p. 182)
1. ______ cells have a cell membrane
2. Cell membranes are _____________________________________________


control what enters and leaves the cell
not solid, but fluid—______________________________________________
3. Composition – ______________________________________

Phospholipid bilayer—_________________________________________________
ex: O2, CO2, H20, alcohol

Proteins—embedded in lipids, allows for passage of __________________________________
__________________________________________
a. _____________________________ – has a unique _____________________________
to identify the cell – how organ donors and recipients are matched
b. _____________________________ – allows __________________________________
needed by the cell to pass through the cell membrane
c. _____________________________ – allows cell to communicate with outside
environment
d. _____________________________ – helps keep membrane fluid and stable
VIRUSES (Latin for poison) text p.478
A. General Characteristics
1. A virus is an infectious agent made up of –
a. they have no nucleus, no organelles, no cytoplasm or cell membrane –
b. viruses have either –
2. Viruses are - organism that depends entirely upon another living organism
(host) for its existence in such way that it harms that organism.
B. Examples:
1. Bacteriophage –
3. Ebola
4. Common Cold
5. HIV
6. Herpes
7. H1N1
8. Avian Flu
2. Flu (influenza)
Viruses: Based on the characteristics of life and the general characteristics of a virus, are viruses considered
dead or alive? Explain in the space below.