Introduction
Does the cell function like a modern city?
All living things are made of cells. In multicellular organisms, cells with similar or coordinated functions work together and perform specific activities that help to maintain the healthy function of the organism. The cell
can be compared to a modern city. As city government is made of different departments, a cell is made of different functional subunits called organelles.
The mitochondria are like the nuclear power plants of the city. It produces energy for the cell. Lysosomes are like the recycling plants of the city. They deal with cellular waste. The Golgi apparatus is like the post office of the city. It packages and transports proteins to different destinations in the cell. An organelle is a specialized subcellular structure that has a specific function.The activity below will introduce you to the names of the different organelles of the cell. This is just an analogy to help you visualize the functional abilities of the cell. In reality, a single analogy cannot capture the intricate and complex roles of all the different functions performed by the organelles of a cell.
What organelles are specific to plants?
Some organelles are found only in plant cells, some only in animal cells, and some in both plant and animal cells. All cells of multicellular organisms have a cell membrane, a nucleus, cytoplasm, ribosomes, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum (smooth and rough), peroxisomes, and Golgi apparatus. Besides that, organelles such as a cell wall, vacuoles (smaller in animal cells), chloroplasts, and glyoxysomes are unique to plant cells, whereas only animal cells contain lysosomes and centrioles. Evidence suggests that some plant cells contain lysosomes, but they are not as prominent as in animal cells.
 | Click the card deck to view a card of an organelle. Drag the card to match the appropriate category. |
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