Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

Cell Structure

1
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

I will know I am successful if I can:

1. Label all parts of plant and animal cells and state their functions

2. State the differences between plant and animal cells

3. Calculate the size of cells using information from diagrams

Cells

A cell is the basic unit of life, from which larger structures such as tissues and

organs are made. Animals and plants are made of cells.

Cells are very small. These photographs show cells seen through a microscope.

Cheek cells Onion cells

These are cheek cells, seen These are onion cells,

through a microscope. seen through a microscope.

2
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

Animal cells usually have an irregular shape, and plant cells usually have a regular
shape

Cells are made up of different parts.

Copy the diagrams below and label the parts (I know I said I do not like
arrowheads!):

Lesson 1.1.1 continued

WORD BANK:

Cell membrane Cell wall Cytoplasm

Mitochondria Nucleus

Vacuole Chloroplasts

3
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

Mitochondria and Ribosomes

Some cell structures are too small to be seen with the light microscope.

Ribosomes are like this. They are found in the cytoplasm or attached to

structures called endoplasmic reticulum and are the site of protein synthesis.

They can only be seen using an electron microscope.

Mitochondria are tiny structures found in cells (one is called a mitochondrion).

Respiration, the chemical reaction that releases energy from glucose, happens in

mitochondria. This provides energy for life process such as movement and

growth.

4
 Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

Copy the notes and complete the diagrams

below:
Yeast and bacterial cells

Yeast is a single celled fungus.

It does not contain chlorophyll

and cannot make its own food
by photosynthesis.

It reproduces by budding.

WORD BANK

Cell membrane food storage granule cell wall nucleus

vacuole bud cytoplasm

Bacteria are unicellular organisms.

They feed on substances in their

surroundings and reproduce by dividing
in two.

Bacteria do not have a nucleus but

they do have a chromosome and
plasmids which contain the genetic
information.

WORD BANK

Plasmid Cytoplasm Genetic Material Cell Membrane

5
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

Copy and complete:

Function of the parts of cells

Cell part Function

Nucleus
Cell Membrane
Cytoplasm
Cell wall
Chloroplasts
Vacuole
Mitochondria
Ribosomes

Using the information from the diagrams and table, complete the
following table to show if a structure is present (✓) or absent (x)

Differences between cells

Cell part Plant cell Animal cell

Nucleus
Cell Membrane
Cytoplasm
Cell wall
Chloroplasts
Vacuole
Mitochondria
Ribosomes

6
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

We now know a lot about the structures and functions of parts of cells, and we
know they are small. So how small are they?

1. Measure the diameter of the field of view

2. Count how many cells are along the diameter of that field of view

3. Divide the diameter of the field of view by the number of cells

The diameter of the field of view is 2 mm.

1 millimetre (mm) = 1000 micrometres (μm)

1m 1m
m m 1 μm = 0.001 mm

Calculate the length of one cell

Length of 5 cells = 2mm or 2000 μm

Length of 1 cell =2 or = 2000

5 5

= 0.4mm or = 400 μm

To convert from micrometers (μm) into millimetre (mm) – divide by 1000

To convert from millimetre (mm) into micrometres (μm) – multiply by 1000

7
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

Try the following problems

The diagram shows three human cheek cells
1.
under a high power microscope. The diameter

of the field of vision is 0.03mm.

What is the average diameter of a cheek cell

in micrometres?

(2)

2. The unit used to measure the size of cells is the micrometer (μm)

The drawing shows rhubarb epidermal cells as seen through a microscope.

The diameter of the microscope field is 0.12mm

0.12mm

a. Calculate the average length of a single rhubarb cell (2)

b. Given that a human cheek epithelial cell is, on average, only one quarter
the length of a rhubarb epidermal cell, calculate the length of a cheek
cell. (2)

c. Given that a red blood cell is 7μm in diameter, list the three different cell
types in decreasing order of size (2)

8
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

I will know I am successful if I can:

1. Identify all parts of a microscope

2. Prepare and examine microscope slides of plant and animal cells

Cells are very small and cannot be seen with the naked eye; therefore, we need

to use a microscope to enlarge the structures. Stains are coloured dyes which

are often used see the more structures clearly. Examples of stains include

iodine solution and methylene blue.

Parts of a microscope

9
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

Preparing a microscope slide

Preparing an onion slide

Preparing a cheek slide

10
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

Success Criteria for Topic 1: Cell Structure

I will know I am successful in Topic 1 if I can state the following:

o Cells contain organelles which have functions.

o
o

o Bacterial cells are different from animal and plant cells as they
have no organelles which have membranes and their cell wall is
chemically different.

o Fungi have a cell wall which is not made of cellulose.

o Bacteria have plasmids and circular DNA.

11
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

Organelle function
mitochondria ATP is produced here when oxygen is
present
chloroplast absorbs light energy for photosynthesis
Cell membrane Controls movement of substances in and
out of cell
vacuole stores water and solutes to regulate
water content
nucleus controls cell activities and passes info to
next generation
ribosome where proteins are formed
plasmid small circle of DNA found in bacteria
Cell wall Provides shape and support to cells

12
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

I will know I am successful if I can:

4. Give examples of specialised cells

5. Explain how their structures are related to their functions

Type of cell:

How its structure makes it specialized:

Extension: Suggest why it contains lots of

mitochondria (not shown).

Type of cell:

Name the special protein found in red blood cells

and its function:

Extension: comment on the shape and size of red

blood cells.

Type of cell:

How its structure makes it specialized:

Extension: Name three types of muscle.

13
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

Type of cells

Left:

Right

State the functions of the two types of

cells

Left:

Right

Type of cell:

How its structure makes it specialized:

Extension: Name the organ where you

would find these cells.

Type of cell: Nerve cell (done for you!)

How its structure makes it specialized:

Extension: Name the three types of nerve

cell and identify which is shown here.

Label the dendrites, cell body and myelin

sheath.
14
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

I will know I am successful if I can:

1. Define cells, tissues, organs, organ systems and organ systems

2. Give examples of each

3. Identify some types of tissues as seem under the microscope

Type of tissue

Type of tissue

Type of tissue

Type of tissue

15
Cell Structure IGCSE Biology

16