Question

List five specific structures commonly found in cells and describe each of their general functions (they don't have to be true organelles).

Answer 1

1) The plasma membrane

• Maintains the boundary of the cell.
• Acts as a semi permeable membrane to solutes and other proteins.
• Decides what enters the cell through various membrane proteins.
• Maintains the water concentration of the cell.

2) Cytoskeleton

• Maintains the cell structure.
• Helps in locomotion in some cell.s
• Forms the mitotic spindle and helps pull chromatids apart during cell division.

3) Nucleus

• Houses the DNA.
• The DNA controls almost all aspects of the cell.
• mRNA is made inside the nucleus.
• The DNA is the genetic material from which all proteins are made and this determines how the cell functions.

4) Ribosomes

• Protein factory of the cell - Translation of mRNA into protein happens here.
• Made up of a minor and major subunit.
• It is a protein RNA hybrid.

5) Mitochondria

• Uses the end products of various metabolic reactions to form an electron gradient
• This is used to phosphorylate ADP into ATP
• ATP is the energy frequency of the cell.