Vocabulary Words- Cells

Front 1

Cell Wall:
a rigid structure that surrounds the cell membrane and provides support to the cell

Back 1

Cell Membrane:
a phospholipid layer that covers a cell’s surface and acts as a barrier between the inside of a cell and the cell’s environment

Front 2

Nucleus:
in a eukaryotic cell, a membrane-bound organelle that contains the cell’s DNA and that has a role in processes such as growth, metabolism, and reproduction

Back 2

Chromosome:
in a eukaryotic cell, one of the structures in the nucleus that are made up of DNA and protein; in a prokaryotic cell, the main ring of DNA

Front 3

Cytoplasm:
the region of the cell within the membrane that includes the fluid, the cytoskeleton, and all of the organelles except the nucleus

Back 3

Endoplasmic Reticulum:
a system of membranes that is found in a cell's cytoplasm and that assists in the production, processing, and transport of proteins and in the production of lipids

Front 4

Ribosome:
a cell organelle composed of RNA and protein; the site of protein synthesis

Back 4

Mitochondria:
in eukaryotic cells, the cell organelle that is surrounded by two membranes and that is the site of cellular respiration, which produces ATP

Front 5

Vacuole:
a fluid-filled vesicle found in the cytoplasm of plant cells or protozoans

Back 5

Lysosome:
a cell organelle that contains digestive enzymes

Front 6

Chloroplast:
an organelle found in plant and algae cells where photosynthesis occurs

Back 6

Golgi Body:
a cell organelle that helps make and package materials to be transported out of the cell

Front 7

Cell:
in biology, the smallest unit that can perform all life processes; cells are covered by a membrane and contain DNA and cytoplasm

Back 7

Organelle:
one of the small bodies that are found in the cytoplasm of a cell and that are specialized to perform a specific function

Front 8

Photosynthesis:
the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce carbohydrates and oxygen

Back 8

Cell Respiration:
the process by which cells produce energy from carbohydrates; atmospheric oxygen combines with glucose to form water and carbon dioxide

Front 9

Glucose:
a hormone that is produced in the pancreas and that raises the blood glucose level

Back 9

Carbohydrate:
any organic compound that is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and that provides nutrients to the cells of living things

Front 10

Amino Acid:
any one of 20 different organic molecules that contain a carboxyl and an amino group and that combine to form proteins

Back 10

Protien:
an organic compound that is made of one or more chains of amino acids and that is a principal component of all cells

Front 11

Nucleic Acid:
an organic compound, either RNA or DNA, whose molecules are made up of one or two chains of nucleotides and carry genetic information

Back 11

DNA:
deoxyribonucleic acid, the material that contains the information that determines inherited characteristics

Front 12

Lipid:
a type of biochemical that does not dissolve in water, including fats and steroids; lipids store energy and make up cell membranes

Back 12

Organic Compound:
a covalently bonded compound that contains carbon, excluding carbonates and oxides

Front 13

Organism:
a living thing; anything that can carry out life processes independently

Back 13

Prokaryote:
a single-celled organism that does not have a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles; examples are archaea and bacteria

Front 14

Eukaryote:
an organism made up of cells that have a nucleus enclosed by a membrane, multiple chromosomes, and a mitotic cycle; eukaryotes include protists, animals, plants, and fungi but not archaea or bacteria

Back 14

End of Vocabulary Words