Cells Alive Internet Activity

Name:

Cells Alive- Internet Lesson .............www.cellsalive.com

Objectives: Understand the relative sizes of objects, including the cell, sketch and identify the function of cell structures; compare eukaryote to prokaryote cells; compare plant and animals cells

Part A. "HOW BIG IS A...." (click on the interactive link "howbig" to access this page)

Instructions: Look at the objects that can be found on the head of a pink. Zoom in and out to determine which object is the smallest, then slowly zoom out so you can see how other objects compare.

1. If you zoom all the way in, what is the smallest object on the head of the pin? Rhino Virus Zoom out a little farther, what is the hook shaped object you see? Ebola Virus

2. Compare each of the following objects on the pin, circle the one that is larger.

a) baker's yeast or e. coli b) lymphocyte or ragweed c) red blood cell or staphylococcus d) ragweed or dust mite

3. In the photo below, there is a line that says 200 nanometers. This is used to help you determine how big an object is. It works similar to the way a map works. The line reprents 200 nanometers, but the object itself is bigger. Use the line to estimate how many lines (200 each) would fit across the object.

How big is it? ________

Part B: Go to Cell Models and locate the image of a bacterial cell . Label the image below.

Part C: Go to the Animal Cell Model and click through each of the parts and read their descriptions. Use the information to answer the questions and make sketches of the cell organelles.

Sketches

11. Rough ER

12. Mitochondrion

13. Centrosome

14. Microtubules

1. What do the mitochondrion do?

* Mitochondria provide the energy a cell needs to move, divide, produce secretory products, contract - in short, they are the power centers of the cell. They are about the size of bacteria but may have different shapes depending on the cell type. Mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles, and like the nucleus have a double membrane. The outer membrane is fairly smooth. But the inner membrane is highly convoluted, forming folds (cristae) as seen in the cross-section, above. The cristae greatly increase the inner membrane's surface area. It is on these cristae that food (sugar) is combined with oxygen to produce ATP - the primary energy source for the cell.

2. How big are the mitochondrion?

* 5-10 micrometers

3. What is the function of the golgi apparatus?

* The Golgi apparatus is a membrane-bound structure with a single membrane. It is actually a stack of membrane-bound vesicles that are important in packaging macromolecules for transport elsewhere in the cell. The stack of larger vesicles is surrounded by numerous smaller vesicles containing those packaged macromolecules. The enzymatic or hormonal contents of lysosomes, peroxisomes and secretory vesicles are packaged in membrane-bound vesicles at the periphery of the Golgi apparatus

4. What structure is found on the rough ER that is not found on the smooth ER?

* Ribosomes

5. Where is the nucleolus found?

* Nucleus

6. What