Cell Structures and
Organelles
Cell Membrane
Found: All Cells
Location: Outer part of the cell
Structure: Phospholipid bilayer
Fluid, flexible
Function/ Purpose: Hold in the cell
parts and controls what enters
and leaves the cell
Cell Membrane
Cell Wall
Found: Plant cell and Prokaryotes
Located: outside of the cell membrane.
Structure: Rigid cellulose
Function: Protects the cell and helps maintain
its shape
Cell wall: Along the
perimeter.
Cytoplasm (Cytosol)
It is found in ALL cells
Location: Takes up the space between
the nucleus and the cell membrane. Fills
in the cell
Structure: Thick fluid
Function: To hold space between
organelles.
Nucleus
Found: Plant cell and Animal cell (Eukaryotes
ONLY)
Location: Animal cells- CENTER
Plant cells- Off to the corner
Structure: Membrane bound circle- Surrounded by
envelope
Contains Nucleolus and chromatin
Function: control cell process and contains DNA
Nuclear Envelope
Found: Plant cell and Animal cell
Location: surrounding the nucleus
Structure: Double membrane dotted with thousand
of nuclear pores
Function: controls flow of the nucleus into and out
of the cell
Nucleolus
Found: Plant cell and Animal cell
Location: middle of the nucleus
Structure: small and dense
Function: where ribosomes are made
Chromatin
Found: All Cells
Location: floating in the nucleus
Structure: DNA bound to proteins
Function: Genetic material
Nucleolus
chromatin
Nucleus
Nuclear
Envelope
Nuclear
envelope
Chromatin
nucleus
Nucleolus
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
Found: Plant and Animal cells
Location: In the cell’s cytoplasm, just
outside the nucleus
Structure: Interconnected tubes. Doesn’t
contain any ribosomes
Function: Synthesis and transportation of
lipids
Detoxifies substances
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
Found: Plant and Animal cells
Location: In the cell’s cytoplasm, just outside
the nucleus
Structure: Interconnected tubes coated with
ribosomes
Function: Is the main site of protein synthesis
and transportation
Smooth ER
Rough ER
Rough ER
Smooth ER
Ribosome
Found: Found in Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes
Location: All around the cell close and far from
nucleus and on the rough ER
Structure: A tiny round object
Function/ Purpose: Site of protein synthesis
Ribosomes
Found: Both plant and animal cells
Location: Found in the cytoplasm,
generally near the ER
Structure:
Stack of Flattened sac/ tubes
Can break off sections to move around
the cell
Function:
Sorts, modifies, and packages
proteins for use within the cell or
export outside the cell
Golgi Apparatus
Found: Animal cell and plant cell(rare)
Located: Throughout the cell
Structure: Bag filled with enzymes
Function: Digests materials (nutrients, old organelles,
bacteria)
Suicide cell: If cell is bad, will burst on purpose so
enzymes consume the cell
Vacuole
Found: In both plant and animal
Location: Large center in plants, small and scattered in animals
Structure: Simple membrane sac
Function/ Purpose: They store food, water, and variety of nutrients
Sometimes they store waste products
Vacuole
Cytoskeleton
Found: Plant cells and Animal cells, some Prokaryotes
Location: Throughout the cell
Structure: Network of protein filaments that helps the cell
maintain its shape
Function/ Purpose: Provides an important structural frame work
for cell shape
Centrioles
Found: Animal Cells ONLY
Location: Near nucleus
Structure: Small set of microtubules arranged in a specific way
Function: Help with cell division
cytoskeleton
centrioles
Cilia
Found: Animal cells
Location: Outside the Cell
Structure: Tiny hair like structures
Function/ Purpose: Move liquid past the surface of the cell
Flagella
Found: Animal cells and some Prokaryotes
Location: Outside the Cell
Structure: Tail like structure
Function/ Purpose: Whipping motion - propeller
Flagella
Chloroplasts
Found: Plant cell ONLY
Location: Inside of the cell
Structure: surrounded by two membranes
inside are large stacks of other membranes,
which contain the green pigment chlorophyll
Function/ Purpose: capture the energy from
sunlight and convert it into chemical energy in
a process called photosynthesis
Chloroplasts
Mitochondria
Found: Plant cell and Animal cell
Location: Throughout the cell
Structure: Outer and Inner membrane separated by matrix. Folds of
inner membrane are called cristae.
Function/ Purpose: produces the energy currency of the cell, ATP
and regulates cellular metabolism.