Cell Structure Practice Questions

Complete the table by stating the function of the nucleus and by naming the structure that releases energy during aerobic respiration.

Animal cells and plant cells have many sub-cellular structures in common.

State two structures that are found in a plant leaf cell but are not found in an animal cell.

Lactobacillus is a prokaryotic organism.

Which feature of a Lactobacillus cell shows that it is prokaryotic?

Put a cross ( ☒ ) in the box next to your answer.

☐ A it has a cell membrane

☐ B it has no nucleus

☐ C it has ribosomes

☐ D it has cytoplasm

Lactobacillus cells contain plasmid DNA.

Other than plasmid DNA, give two features of a bacterial cell.

Describe how the student should prepare the slide of onion epidermis cells.

Give one reason why a stain is added to the onion cells.

The microscope has an eyepiece lens of $\times 10$ and three objective lenses of $\times 4$, $\times 10$ and $\times 40$.

Calculate the lowest and the highest total magnification the student can use.

A cheek cell has a diameter of $0.045\ \mathrm{mm}$.

What is this diameter in micrometres?

Put a cross ( ☒ ) in the box next to your answer.

A $0.45\ \mu\mathrm{m}$

B $4.5\ \mu\mathrm{m}$

C $45\ \mu\mathrm{m}$

D $4500\ \mu\mathrm{m}$

A ribosome has a diameter of $25\ \mathrm{nm}$.

Give this diameter in micrometres.

Give the diameter of the cheek cell, $0.045\ \mathrm{mm}$, in metres, in standard form.

State the function of the cilia on these cells.

Ciliated epithelial cells contain large numbers of mitochondria.

Explain why.

Calculate the length of the magnified image of the chloroplast. Give your answer in millimetres.

$\ldots\ \mathrm{mm}$

Explain why an electron microscope, rather than a light microscope, is used to study the internal structure of a chloroplast.

Name structure A and state what it contains.

Explain how structures C and D adapt the sperm cell to its function.

Immediately after a sperm cell has fused with an egg cell, the cell membrane of the egg cell changes.

What is the function of this change?

Put a cross ( ☒ ) in the box next to your answer.

☐ A to prevent other sperm cells entering the egg cell

☐ B to allow more sperm cells to enter the egg cell

☐ C to release digestive enzymes into the egg cell

☐ D to provide nutrients for the developing embryo

Other than the change to its cell membrane, explain how the egg cell is adapted to its function.

Mitochondria can be seen in much greater detail with an electron microscope than with a light microscope.

This is because

Put a cross ( ☒ ) in the box next to your answer.

☐ A the electron microscope uses a brighter lamp

☐ B the electron microscope has a greater resolution

☐ C electrons have a longer wavelength than light

☐ D the specimen stays alive in an electron microscope

Explain how the development of the electron microscope has increased scientists' understanding of sub-cellular structures.

Describe how the student should change the microscope to view the cells at the highest total magnification and obtain a clear image.

Using a total magnification of $\times 100$, the image of one moss leaf cell measures $4.5\ \mathrm{mm}$ in length.

Calculate the actual length of this cell. Give your answer in micrometres.

$\ldots\ \mu\mathrm{m}$

Estimate the mean length of one of these cells. Give your answer in micrometres.

$\ldots\ \mu\mathrm{m}$

Give one reason why this value is only an estimate of the mean cell length.

Using the information in the table, state whether species X is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. Give one reason for your answer.

Describe the function of the flagellum and of the ribosomes in a cell of species X.

Calculate the magnification of the micrograph.

$\times \ldots$

Explain why ribosomes cannot be seen using a light microscope.

A cell from the leaf of a moss plant and a cell of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis both make proteins, but they differ in many other ways.

Compare the sub-cellular structures of a plant leaf cell with those of a bacterial cell, and explain how these structures are related to their functions.

Calculate the magnification of the micrograph.

$\times \ldots$

Calculate the actual length of the mitochondrion. Give your answer in millimetres, in standard form.

$\ldots\ \mathrm{mm}$