UNIT 3: CELLULAR BIOLOGY – STRUCTURE RELATED
TO FUNCTION
3C: Cell Structure & Function
Roadmap for the year:
Unit 1: Interconnectedness of Life
Unit 2: Ecological Biochemistry
Unit 3: Cellular Biology: Structure Leads to
Function
 3A Origins of Life
 3B Cell Membrane and Transport
 3C Cell Structure and Function
Unit 4: DNA Structure and Cellular Reproduction
Unit 5: Gene Expression and Inheritance
Unit 6: Evolution and Classification of Living Things
Unit 7: Biotechnology, Human Biology, and Disease
The Big Picture for Unit 3…
Themes for the year:
How does this unit
contribute to your
understanding of the
following themes?
 Life on Earth has
various Levels of
Organization
 The Structure of
Living Things leads
to their Function
Evidence supports that earth and the organisms that inhabit it have changed greatly over time. The
diversity of life is the result of ongoing evolutionary change. Species alive today have evolved from ancient
common ancestors. Cells are the basic units of structure and function of all living things. Cells in a
multicellular organism are interdependent upon each other. Cells are dynamic and constantly work towards
maintaining homeostasis. Processes that occur at the cellular level provide the energy and basic structure
organisms need to survive.
1. How did life on Earth begin, and how has it changed over time?
2. How do cell structures enable a cell to carry out basic life processes?
3. How does a cell maintain homeostasis both within itself and as part of a multicellular organism?
4. How do organisms obtain the energy and they need to survive?
5. How do we know that all living things are made of cells?
6. Why aren’t all cells identical?
Suggested Resources…
Homework Assignments
Classwork Assignments
Laboratory Activities
Formative Assessments
Diagrams of: Plant & Animal Cells; Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells
Textbook: Chapter 7 (7.1 and 7.2), 8 (8.1, 8.2) and 9 (9.1)
Online Textbook Activities: Click on the Activities tabs for 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2, 9.1
Websites:
www.cellsalive.com
Directions: Below are check lists of things you should know and things you should be
able to do by the end of the unit. Use this tool to help you prepare for the unit assessment.
By the conclusion of this unit, you should know
the following:
1. A number of important discoveries led to our current
understanding of the structure and functions of cells.
2. The cell theory states that (1) all living things are made
v
up of cells, (2) cells are the basic units of structure and
v function in living things, and (3) new cells are
produced from existing cells.
3. Prokaryotic cells are generally smaller and less
complex than eukaryotic cells; however all cells share
certain fundamental similarities.
4. Prokaryotic cells do not separate their genetic material
within a nucleus. In eukaryotic cells, the nucleus
separates the genetic material from the rest of the cell.
5. Organisms exhibit a cellular hierarchy.
6. Most cell functions involve chemical reactions in
specialized structures.
7. In cells, as is true in many other systems, form leads
to function.
8. The structure and function of the following cell
structures/organelles: nucleus, nucleolus, cell
membrane, cell wall, cytoplasm, mitochondria,
chloroplasts, Golgi, ER, centrioles, vacuoles/vesicles,
cilia/flagella, ribosomes, lysosomes, cytoskeleton.
9. Most microscopes use lenses to magnify the image of
an object by focusing light or electrons.
10. All living things undergo a series of reactions called
cellular respiration in order to produce ATP.
11. Cellular respiration and photosynthesis are two of
many possible examples of metabolic reactions that
cells perform in order to maintain homeostasis.
Glucose and oxygen are the products of
photosynthesis and the reactants of aerobic cellular
respiration. Water and carbon dioxide are the
products of cellular respiration and the reactants of
photosynthesis
By the conclusion of this unit, you should
able to do the following:
be
1. List the components of the cell theory and name the
scientists and the discoveries they made that
contributed to it.
2. Compare and contrast eukaryotic and prokaryotic
cells based on size, structure and organism
examples.
3. Explain how the cellular hierarchy found in a
multicellular organism helps it to maintain
homeostasis
4. Compare and contrast the structure and functions of
various organelles found in typical plant and animal
cells.
5. Explain how cellular organelles work together to
maintain homeostasis within a cell.
6. Propose analogies between cell parts and other
systems such as a school or factory.
7. Give examples of the diversity of cell types and relate
the structure of cells to their specialized function.
8. Translate a drawing of how cell transport and a cell’s
endomembrane system work together to help a cell
secrete certain products.
9. Use the compound light microscope effectively.
10. Explain what ATP is, how it is produced, and
describe its importance in cell activities.
11. Explain where organisms get the energy they need
for life processes.
12. Explain how cellular respiration and photosynthesis
balance each other in nature.
Cell Structure and Function Key Terms
1) Cell:
2) Cell Theory :
3) Nucleus:
4) Cytoplasm :
5)
Cytosol:
6)
Organelle:
7)
Eukaryotic:
8)
Prokaryotic:
9)
Homeostasis :
10) Cell Differentiation:
11) Cellular Specialization:
12) Unicellular:
13) Multicellular:
14) Tissue:
15) Organ:
16) Organ System:
17) Organism: