Requirements for Flashcards
Using a 3x5 card, make a flash card for all terms.
Write the word on one side and the definition on the other.
When completed, use a rubber band to keep the cards
together and turn them in.
Make sure your name is on the first card.
Cell Vocabulary
Cell – The basic unit of all living things.
Organelles and their function
Organelle – A specialized part of a cell that has a specific function.
Found in both animal & plant cell
Cell Membrane – The outer portion of a cell. It surrounds the cell and helps keep the
contents inside. The membrane also controls what enters or leaves a cell.
Cytoplasm – All the material between a cell membrane and the nucleus; it includes the
various organelles which help a cell to function. It helps the cell keep its shape.
Cytoskeleton – Provides shape and support to the cell.
Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) – A series of interconnected membrane tubes and channels
in the cytoplasm; moves material through the cell. There are two types – Rough ER and
Smooth ER:
¬ Rough ER – Transports ribosomes around the cell.
¬ Smooth ER – Stores key products needed by cell (ex. Muscles cells – store
calcium required for muscle contractions). Makes products (fats, phospholipids,
and steroids) needed by the cell.
Golgi Body (Apparatus/Complex) – Stores, packages, and distributes proteins and fats
made by the ER. Also manufactures the lysosome.
Lysosome – Stores enzymes produced by cell. Digests food in the cell; packages and
removes waste from the cell; destroys organelles as they lose their function as well as
the cell when it dies (sometimes called the suicide organelle).
Mitochondria – Power plant of the cell.
Nucleolus – Located in the nucleus; manufactures ribosomes.
Nucleus – The control center of a cell. It contains genetic information that regulates
how a cell functions.
Ribosomes – Makes the proteins needed by the cell.
Vacuole – Stores food and waste products; removes waste from the cell; provides
support for the cell.
Found in just the plant cell
Cell Wall – The outermost part of a plant cell. It is found outside of the cell's
membrane. It is quite rigid and helps maintain the shape of the plant.
Central Vacuole - Contains water, and a place to store wastes that may be harmful to
the cell; provides structure and support for the plant cell.
Chloroplast – A green structure found inside a plant cell. This structure changes
sunlight into a usable form of energy for the plant. Works in conjunction with the
mitochondria to produce energy.
General Vocabulary Terms
Diffusion – The process of matter spreading out evenly from its source. An example of
diffusion is when perfume is sprayed and eventually is smelled throughout a room.
Organ – The part of an organism that is made up of tissues to perform a specific job.
Examples of organs include: skin, heart, lungs, stems, leaves, and roots.
Organism – Any living thing. Some may exist as a single cell (unicellular) but most are
made of many cells (multicellular) such as plants and animals.
Osmosis – A special form of diffusion that occurs in liquids. One liquid spreads evenly
within another liquid.
Photosynthesis - The plant takes water, carbon dioxide (CO2), and energy from the sun
and makes food for the plant; exhales oxygen.
System – A group of organs that works together performing a common function.
Examples of systems include the skeleton, nervous and vascular (tubes in plants).
Tissue – A group of cells that function together to meet a common purpose. Examples
include muscle, bone, , and cuticle (the outer covering of a plant).