CHAPTER – 8

CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS

Objective Type Questions

1. Name the following:

(a) Microscope (b) Robert Hooke (c) Cytoplasm (d) Genes (e) Plant cell

(f) Chloroplast (g) Nerve cells (h) Muscle cells (i) Amoeba

(j) Ostrich cell; Bacteria cell (k) Mycoplasma (l) Ostrich egg

(m) (i) Leaves (ii) Roots (n) Bacterium , Amoeba (o) Red Blood Cells

2. Fill in the following blanks with suitable words:

(a) protoplasm (b) function (c) 0.1; 0.5 (d) cell (e) organs

(f) organism (g) tissues (h) organ systems

3. State whether the following statements are true or false :-

(a) True (b) False (c) True (d) False (e) False (f) False

Subjective Type Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

1. What is a tissue? Give two examples of tissues.

The group of similar cells which work together to perform a particular function
is called a tissue. Example muscle tissue and photosynthetic tissue.

2. What is an organ system? Which of the following are plant organs and
which are the animal organs?

Brain, Leaf, Lungs, Roots, Stem, Kidneys, Flower, Heart

A group of interconnected organs which works together to do a big job for the
organism, is called an organ system.

Plant organs: leaf, roots, stem, flower; Animal organs: brain, lungs, kidneys,
heart
3. a) State the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

b) Name any two prokaryotes and eukaryotes

(a) The organisms made of prokaryotic cells are called prokaryotes. All the
prokaryotes are simple, unicellular organisms. Prokaryotes have no real
nucleus in their cells. Prokaryotes are relatively simple organisms. The
organisms made of eukaryotic cells are called eukaryotes. In other words, the
organisms whose cells possess a nucleus bound by a nuclear membrane are
called eukaryotes. All the organisms other than bacteria and blue-green algae
are eukaryotes.

(b) Bacteria and Blue-green algae are prokaryotes. Fungi and protozoa are
eukaryotes.

4. a) Why are nerve cells long and have branches?

b) Make a sketch of human nerve cell.

(a) The nerve cells are long and have projections so that they can make
contacts with many other nerve cells and carry messages over long distances
(between brain and other parts of the body).

(b) Refer to figure 13a.

5. What are pseudopodia in Amoeba? What are the functions of

pseudopodia?

The Amoeba cell has finger-like projections of varying lengths protruding out
of its body which are called pseudopodia (pseudopodia means false feet).
Amoeba can produce pseudopodia on any side by pushing the cytoplasm in
that side. The pseudopodia appear and disappear when Amoeba ‘moves’ or
‘feeds’. For example, Amoeba moves very slowly with the help of pseudopodia
(which keep on appearing and disappearing to make it move). Amoeba also
uses pseudopodia to catch (or engulf) the food particles from the water in
which it lives.

6. Where are chromosomes found in a cell? State their functions.

Nucleus contains thread-like structures called chromosomes. The function of
chromosomes is to transfer the characteristics from the parents to the
offsprings through the genes (which is called inheritance).

7. What are genes? Where are genes located?

Genes are the units of inheritance. They are held on the chromosomes present
in the nucleus of a cell. Gene is a unit of inheritance in living organisms
(which is transferred from a parent to offspring during reproduction and
determines some characteristic feature of the offspring). Thus, genes control
the transfer of hereditary characteristics from parents to offsprings. This
means that our parents pass on some of their characteristic features to us
through their genes. It is the genes inherited (or received) from our parents
which are responsible for our various body features. In other words, it is the
genes on the chromosomes which decide all sort of things about us, say, the
colour of our eyes, the look of our hair, the shape of our nose, our complexion,
our appearance, etc.

8. What is a plastid? What is the name of green plastids present in plant

cells?

The organelles containing pigments (coloured matter) and present in the

cytoplasm of plant cells are called plastids. Plastids can be of many different
colours. The plastids containing green pigment (chlorophyll) are known as
chloroplasts. The green colour of leaf is due to the presence of green coloured
plastids (chloroplasts) in its cells.

9. What is the function of cell wall in a plant cell?

The cell wall protects the plant cell, gives it a fixed shape and makes it rigid
(strong).

10. Name two cells which are found in animals and two which are found
in plants.

Nerve cells and muscle cells are animal cells. Photosynthetic cells and xylem
cells are plant cells.
Long Answer Type Questions

1. a) What is cytoplasm? What are its functions?

b) What is protoplasm? Name the four elements which make up major

part of protoplasm

(a) Cytoplasm is a transparent, jelly-like material which fills the cell between
nucleus and cell membrane. Cytoplasm is a kind of chemical factory of the
cell. Here, new substances are built from materials taken into the cell, and
energy is released and stored. In fact, most of the chemical reactions which
keep the cell alive take place in the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm of a cell has
many tiny structures in it. The various structures present in the cytoplasm of
a cell are called ‘organelles’.

(b) The cytoplasm and the nucleus taken together make up the protoplasm.
All the living matter in a cell is called protoplasm. Protoplasm is a liquid
substance which is present inside the cell membrane. Protoplasm includes
cytoplasm, nucleus and other organelles. Most of the protoplasm is made up
of compounds of only four elements: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen.

2. a) What are unicellular organisms? Name any two unicellular

organisms

b) What are multicellular organisms? Name any two multicellular

organisms

(a) The organisms which are made up of only ‘one cell’ are called unicellular
organisms. Some of the examples of unicellular organisms (or single-celled
organisms) are: Amoeba, Paramcium, Euglena.

b. The organisms which are made up of many cells are called multicellular
organisms. For example, a rose plant, a neem tree, a rat, a human being (man)
and an elephant.

3. a) Draw the general diagram of an animal cell and label it

b) Draw the general diagram of a plant cell and label it

c) Explain why, chloroplasts are found only in plant cells.

(a) Refer to Figure 6.

(b) Refer to Figure 7.

(c) Chloroplasts are the plastids required for the food making process, called
photosynthesis, and thus they are only present in plant cells.

4. a) An amoeba cell can change its shape and a white blood cell in human
blood can also change its shape. What is the difference between an
amoeba cell and a white blood cell?

b) Out of Amoeba and White blood cell, Which one is a) eukaryotic cell
and b) Prokaryotic cell

(a) Amoeba is a single cell which can change its shape. A white blood cell
(WBC) present in human blood is another example of a single cell which can
also change its shape. The difference between Amoeba cell and white blood
cell is that while Amoeba cell is a full-fledged organism capable of independent
existence, white blood cell is merely a cell of human blood which is not a full-
fledged organism and hence cannot exist independently. It can exist only
inside the blood.

(b) Both are eukaryotic cells.

5. a) State three differences between a plant cell and an animal cell

b) Which of the following are prokaryotic cells and which are eukaryotic
cells?

Amoeba cell, Bacterium cell, Human cheek cell, Blue-green algae cell,
Onion peel cell.

(a)1. A plant cell has a cell wall around it. An animal cell does not have a cell
wall around it.

2. A photosynthetic plant cell has chloroplasts in it. Other plant cells have
different plastids in them. An animal cell does not have chloroplasts or other
plastids.
3. A plant cell has a large vacuole in it. An animal cell has usually no vacuole.
Only some animal cells have small vacuoles. (b) bacterium cell and blue green
algae cell are prokaryotic cells, rest all are eukaryotic cells here.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. (b) 2. (c) 3. (c) 4. (d) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (b) 8. (c) 9. (d) 10. (a)

21st Century Skills

1. (a) (i) Chloroplast (ii) Cell wall (b) (i) Chlorophyll (ii) Cellulose

2. A : Nucleus ; B : Mitochondria ; C : Cell membrane ; D : Cytoplasm ; E :

Chromosomes

3. (a) (i) Eukaryotic cell (ii) Prokaryotic cell (b) (i) Amoeba cell (ii) Bacterium
cell

4. (a) Plastids (b) (i) Chloroplasts (ii) Green (iii) Help in the making of food by
leaves of the plant by photosynthesis (c) Red colour