ScienceAges 10-12

Plant & animal cell structures

Compare plant and animal cell organelles, specialised cells, diffusion, osmosis and microscopy. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 10-12

Plant & animal cell structures

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. What is the net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration down a concentration gradient: diffusion or active transport?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
2. Which rigid outer layer made of cellulose surrounds plant cells (but NOT animal cells) to provide structural support and prevent bursting: the cell wall or the nucleus?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
3. How is a nerve cell (neurone) adapted to carry electrical impulses rapidly over long distances in the body: it has a long insulated axon and branched dendrites, or it is spherical?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
4. Which cellular transport process moves ions or molecules AGAINST a concentration gradient (from low to high concentration) and requires energy from respiration (ATP): active transport or diffusion?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
5. Which large fluid-filled sac inside a mature plant cell stores cell sap and pushes outward to keep the cell turgid (firm): the permanent vacuole or the ribosome?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
6. How is a human red blood cell adapted to carry as much oxygen as possible: it has a biconcave disc shape, is packed with haemoglobin and has no nucleus, or it has a rigid cellulose wall?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
7. Which organelle is the control centre of a eukaryotic cell and contains the cell’s genetic material (DNA): the nucleus or the cell wall?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
8. What is the jelly-like fluid filling the cell where most chemical reactions take place and organelles are suspended: cytoplasm or chlorophyll?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
9. How is a plant root hair cell specially adapted for absorbing water and mineral ions from soil: it has a long finger-like projection that greatly increases surface area, or it has thick bark?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
10. What type of cell division produces two genetically identical daughter cells for growth and tissue repair: mitosis or fertilisation?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
11. Which organelle packages and modifies proteins into vesicles for secretion outside the cell: the Golgi apparatus or the cell wall?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
12. In a light microscope, if the eyepiece lens has a magnification of ×10 and the objective lens has a magnification of ×40, what is the total magnification: ×400 or ×50?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane

12 questions · Seed 45 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 10-12

Plant & animal cell structures

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. What is the net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration down a concentration gradient: diffusion or active transport?
Diffusion
Diffusion is a passive process driven by the random thermal motion of particles.
2. Which rigid outer layer made of cellulose surrounds plant cells (but NOT animal cells) to provide structural support and prevent bursting: the cell wall or the nucleus?
Cell wall
Plant cell walls are composed of cellulose fibres that give strength and shape.
3. How is a nerve cell (neurone) adapted to carry electrical impulses rapidly over long distances in the body: it has a long insulated axon and branched dendrites, or it is spherical?
It has a long insulated axon and branched dendrites
Dendrites receive signals from other cells and the long axon transmits impulses rapidly.
4. Which cellular transport process moves ions or molecules AGAINST a concentration gradient (from low to high concentration) and requires energy from respiration (ATP): active transport or diffusion?
Active transport
Active transport uses carrier proteins and metabolic energy (ATP) to pump substances uphill against a gradient.
5. Which large fluid-filled sac inside a mature plant cell stores cell sap and pushes outward to keep the cell turgid (firm): the permanent vacuole or the ribosome?
Permanent vacuole
The central vacuole maintains turgor pressure against the plant cell wall.
6. How is a human red blood cell adapted to carry as much oxygen as possible: it has a biconcave disc shape, is packed with haemoglobin and has no nucleus, or it has a rigid cellulose wall?
It has a biconcave disc shape, is packed with haemoglobin and has no nucleus
Losing the nucleus makes room for more haemoglobin, and the biconcave shape increases surface area for oxygen diffusion.
7. Which organelle is the control centre of a eukaryotic cell and contains the cell’s genetic material (DNA): the nucleus or the cell wall?
Nucleus
The nucleus houses chromosomes (DNA) and coordinates cell growth, protein synthesis and division.
8. What is the jelly-like fluid filling the cell where most chemical reactions take place and organelles are suspended: cytoplasm or chlorophyll?
Cytoplasm
Cytoplasm is the aqueous cytosol and suspended structures between the cell membrane and nucleus.
9. How is a plant root hair cell specially adapted for absorbing water and mineral ions from soil: it has a long finger-like projection that greatly increases surface area, or it has thick bark?
It has a long finger-like projection that greatly increases surface area
The elongated root hair maximises surface area for osmosis and active mineral uptake.
10. What type of cell division produces two genetically identical daughter cells for growth and tissue repair: mitosis or fertilisation?
Mitosis
Mitosis replicates chromosomes and divides once to yield two identical diploid cells.
11. Which organelle packages and modifies proteins into vesicles for secretion outside the cell: the Golgi apparatus or the cell wall?
Golgi apparatus
The Golgi apparatus processes, sorts and packages proteins and lipids for transport.
12. In a light microscope, if the eyepiece lens has a magnification of ×10 and the objective lens has a magnification of ×40, what is the total magnification: ×400 or ×50?
×400
Total magnification = eyepiece magnification × objective magnification = 10 × 40 = ×400.

12 questions · Seed 45 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 10-12

Plant & animal cell structures

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. What is the net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration down a concentration gradient: diffusion or active transport?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
2. Which rigid outer layer made of cellulose surrounds plant cells (but NOT animal cells) to provide structural support and prevent bursting: the cell wall or the nucleus?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
3. How is a nerve cell (neurone) adapted to carry electrical impulses rapidly over long distances in the body: it has a long insulated axon and branched dendrites, or it is spherical?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
4. Which cellular transport process moves ions or molecules AGAINST a concentration gradient (from low to high concentration) and requires energy from respiration (ATP): active transport or diffusion?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
5. Which large fluid-filled sac inside a mature plant cell stores cell sap and pushes outward to keep the cell turgid (firm): the permanent vacuole or the ribosome?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
6. How is a human red blood cell adapted to carry as much oxygen as possible: it has a biconcave disc shape, is packed with haemoglobin and has no nucleus, or it has a rigid cellulose wall?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
7. Which organelle is the control centre of a eukaryotic cell and contains the cell’s genetic material (DNA): the nucleus or the cell wall?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
8. What is the jelly-like fluid filling the cell where most chemical reactions take place and organelles are suspended: cytoplasm or chlorophyll?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
9. How is a plant root hair cell specially adapted for absorbing water and mineral ions from soil: it has a long finger-like projection that greatly increases surface area, or it has thick bark?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
10. What type of cell division produces two genetically identical daughter cells for growth and tissue repair: mitosis or fertilisation?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
11. Which organelle packages and modifies proteins into vesicles for secretion outside the cell: the Golgi apparatus or the cell wall?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
12. In a light microscope, if the eyepiece lens has a magnification of ×10 and the objective lens has a magnification of ×40, what is the total magnification: ×400 or ×50?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane

12 questions · Seed 45 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 10-12

Plant & animal cell structures

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. What is the net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration down a concentration gradient: diffusion or active transport?
Diffusion
Diffusion is a passive process driven by the random thermal motion of particles.
2. Which rigid outer layer made of cellulose surrounds plant cells (but NOT animal cells) to provide structural support and prevent bursting: the cell wall or the nucleus?
Cell wall
Plant cell walls are composed of cellulose fibres that give strength and shape.
3. How is a nerve cell (neurone) adapted to carry electrical impulses rapidly over long distances in the body: it has a long insulated axon and branched dendrites, or it is spherical?
It has a long insulated axon and branched dendrites
Dendrites receive signals from other cells and the long axon transmits impulses rapidly.
4. Which cellular transport process moves ions or molecules AGAINST a concentration gradient (from low to high concentration) and requires energy from respiration (ATP): active transport or diffusion?
Active transport
Active transport uses carrier proteins and metabolic energy (ATP) to pump substances uphill against a gradient.
5. Which large fluid-filled sac inside a mature plant cell stores cell sap and pushes outward to keep the cell turgid (firm): the permanent vacuole or the ribosome?
Permanent vacuole
The central vacuole maintains turgor pressure against the plant cell wall.
6. How is a human red blood cell adapted to carry as much oxygen as possible: it has a biconcave disc shape, is packed with haemoglobin and has no nucleus, or it has a rigid cellulose wall?
It has a biconcave disc shape, is packed with haemoglobin and has no nucleus
Losing the nucleus makes room for more haemoglobin, and the biconcave shape increases surface area for oxygen diffusion.
7. Which organelle is the control centre of a eukaryotic cell and contains the cell’s genetic material (DNA): the nucleus or the cell wall?
Nucleus
The nucleus houses chromosomes (DNA) and coordinates cell growth, protein synthesis and division.
8. What is the jelly-like fluid filling the cell where most chemical reactions take place and organelles are suspended: cytoplasm or chlorophyll?
Cytoplasm
Cytoplasm is the aqueous cytosol and suspended structures between the cell membrane and nucleus.
9. How is a plant root hair cell specially adapted for absorbing water and mineral ions from soil: it has a long finger-like projection that greatly increases surface area, or it has thick bark?
It has a long finger-like projection that greatly increases surface area
The elongated root hair maximises surface area for osmosis and active mineral uptake.
10. What type of cell division produces two genetically identical daughter cells for growth and tissue repair: mitosis or fertilisation?
Mitosis
Mitosis replicates chromosomes and divides once to yield two identical diploid cells.
11. Which organelle packages and modifies proteins into vesicles for secretion outside the cell: the Golgi apparatus or the cell wall?
Golgi apparatus
The Golgi apparatus processes, sorts and packages proteins and lipids for transport.
12. In a light microscope, if the eyepiece lens has a magnification of ×10 and the objective lens has a magnification of ×40, what is the total magnification: ×400 or ×50?
×400
Total magnification = eyepiece magnification × objective magnification = 10 × 40 = ×400.

12 questions · Seed 45 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification