Download Living Things Reference 1. cell – the smallest structure of a living

Living Things
1.
Reference
cell – the smallest structure of a living organism
2. theory - a well-supported collection of ideas that explains the natural world
3. organelles - cell parts that perform specific functions
4. chloroplasts - organelles, found only in plant cells, in which sugar is made during photosynthesis
5. cell wall - a stiff outer layer that surrounds a plant cell, protects it, and gives it shape
6. nucleus - the control center of a cell that directs the cell's activities
7. chromosomes - structures in the nucleus that contain an organism's genetic information and regulate the
cell's activities
8. tissue - a group of specialized cells with the same structure and function
9. organ - a structure that contains at least two types of tissue that work together to perform a specific
function
10. organ system - a group of organs that work together to perform a specific function
11. organism – all the organ systems working together to ensure survival
12. genes - pieces of DNA that carry all the information passed from parents to their offspring
13. DNA - the abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid, the chemical that provides detailed instructions for
cells, an individual’s biological “fingerprint”
14. sexual reproduction - a type of reproduction in which a sperm cell and an egg cell unite to form a single
cell
15. asexual reproduction - a type of reproduction in which a new organism is formed without the joining of a
sperm cell and an egg cell