Question 1.

What is the basic, functional and structural unit of life?

Answer:
Cell

Question 2.
Which cell does not have nucleus?
Answer:
Red blood cell

Question 3.
What is the name of the organism which can be seen only with the help of microscope?
Answer:
Microorganisms

Question 4.
What are the organisms which are composed of many cells packed together called?
Answer:
Multicellular organisms

Question 5.
What is the name of the power house of the cell?
Answer:
Mitochondria

Question 6.
Name one example of prokaryotic cell.
Answer:
Blue-green algae

Question 7.
Amoeba and Paramecium belong to which category of organisms?
Answer:
Unicellular

Question 8.
Which instrument is used to observe cells?
Answer:
Micrbscope

Question 9.
Why we do not sense any pain when we cut nails and hair?
Answer:
Nails and hair are made up of dead cells.

Question 10.
What is the name of living substance present in cell?
Answer:
Protoplasm

Question 11.
What is the other name of cell membrane?
Answer:
Plasma membrane

Question 12.
What is the name of thread-like structure present in nucleoplasm?
Answer:
Chromatin

Question 13.
What is the name of cell which has a well-defined nucleus?
Answer:
Eukaryotic cell

Question 14.
Name the two types of cell.
Answer:
Prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells.

Cell Structure and Functions Class 8 Extra Questions Short Answer Questions
Question 1.
What is the function of cell wall?
Answer:
Cell wall is a tough, rigid layer that surrounds some types of cells (plants and some bacterial cells). The major function of the cell wall is to provide rigidity, tensile strength, structural support, protection against
mechanical stress and infection.

Question 2.
Name the parts of the nucleus and state its function.
Answer:
Nucleus consists of three main parts—nuclear membrane, nucleoplasm and nucleolus. Nucleus plays an important role during cell division. It also controls the activities of the cell.

Question 3.
What is an organ?
Answer:
The structure that contains more than one type of tissues and is visible to the naked eyes are called organs.

Question 4.
What do you mean by unicellular and multicellular organisms?
Answer:
Organisms which consists of only one cell are called unicellular organisms while the organisms made up of more than one cell are called multicellular organisms.

Question 5.
Give a brief description of nucleus.
Answer:
Nucleus is a dense round body found in the centre of an animal cell and mostly on the periphery of the plant cell. The nucleus controls all the activities in a cell.

Question 6.
Name the following:

 Controls the function of a cell.

 Selectively allows things to get in and out of the cell.

 Transfer characters from parents to offsprings.

Answer:

 Nucleus

 Cell membrane

 Genes

Question 7.
What is nucleolus?
Answer:
A spherical body present at the centre of the nucleus is called the nucleolus.

Question 8.
What is endoplasmic reticulum?
Answer:
It is the system of complex folded network of membranous tubes which connects nuclear membrane with the plasma membrane. They allow movement of substances within the cell.

Question 9.
What are cell organelles?
Answer:
The tiny components present in the cytoplasm are called cell organelles.

Question 10.
What is cell membrane?
Answer:
The thin and delicate membrane surrounding the cell cytoplasm is called cell membrane.

Cell Structure and Functions Class 8 Extra Questions Long Answer Questions
Question 1.
Differentiate between
(a) Cell wall and cell membrane
(b) Leucoplast and chloroplast
(c) Vacuole in a plant cell and an animal cell
(d) A tissue and an organ
Answer:
(a)

Cell wall Cell membrane

(i) It is present in only plant cells. (i) It is present in both plant and animal cells.

(ii) It is rigid, thick structure. (ii) It is delicate, thin structure.

(iii) It is completely permeable to ordinary

(iii) It is selectively permeable to molecules.
molecules.

(iv) It is metabolically inactive and nonliving. (iv) It is metabolically active and living.

(b)

Leucoplast Chloroplast

(i) It is colourless plastid. (i) It is green plastid.

(ii) It is found in underground parts of plants (ii) It is found in green parts of plants like leaves,

like, roots, and underground modified stems. stem and sepals.

(iii) It help in storage of food. (iii) It helps in photosynthesis.

(c)

Vacuoles in plants Vacuoles in animals

(i) Plant cell vacuoles are large in size. (i) Animal cell vacuoles are smaller in size.
 (ii) Usually a large central vacuole is found. (ii) Many vacuoles are found.

(iii) It is usually permanent structure. (iii) It is mostly temporary structure.

(d)

Tissue Organ

It is made of similar cells.

It is made of similar tissues. Example: Heart,
Example: Muscle tissue, connective tissue, nerve
lung, stomach, etc.
tissue, etc.

Question 2.
What are the main functional regions of a cell? Explain.
Answer:
Main functional regions of a cell are:

 Plasma membrane: This is the membrane which makes the outer boundary of the cells. It is very thin, delicate and selectively permeable.

 Cytoplasm: Cytoplasm is viscous, transparent jelly-like substance of the cell. It contains cell organelles.

 Nucleus: Nucleus controls the working of the cell. It is a dense oval body lying in the protoplasm of the cell.

Question 3.
Define cell membrane and state its functions.
Answer:
Cell membrane or plasma membrane is a thin, delicate membrane surrounding the cytoplasm. Following are the functions of cell membrane:

 It separates the cells from one another and also separates the cells from the surrounding medium.

 It gives a definite shape to the cell.

 Being porous, it allows the movement of substances from both inside and outside the cells.

 Its porous structure helps in regulating the movement of materials through the cells.

Question 4.
Define nucleus and state its major parts.
Answer:
Nucleus is a dense round body found in the centre of an animal cell and mostly on the periphery of the plant cell. The nucleus controls all the activities in the cell like digesting movement of substances with¬in
tj^ie cell. Nucleus also controls the process of cell division. This is the reason nucleus is also known as the ‘brain of the cell’.
Nucleus consists of four major parts. They are:

 Nuclear membrane

 Nucleoplasm

 Nucleolus

 Chromatin

Cell Structure and Functions Class 8 Extra Questions Higher Order Thinking Skills
Question 1.
Which organism is more efficient in its functioning—unicellular or multicellular? Why?
Answer:
Multicellular organisms are more efficient in its functioning because labour is divided among the cells and have great capacity to survive than unicellular organisms.

Question 2.
What would happen if animals have cell wall?
Answer:
All parts of the animal would become rigid which will make their movement of limbs and body parts difficult.

Question 3.
Cells consist of many organelles, yet we do not call any of these organelles as structural and functional unit of living organisms. Explain.
Answer:
Organelles cannot function outside the cell as an independent unit. They can perform their functions only when they are within the living cells.

Question 4.
Why plant cells need cell walls?
Answer:
As plants cannot move, they need protection against variations in temperature, high wind speed, atmo¬spheric moisture, etc.