ScienceAges 13-15

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 13-15

Plant & animal cell structures

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. Which three structures are present in a typical palisade plant cell but ABSENT from a human cheek (animal) cell: cell wall, chloroplasts and large permanent vacuole, or nucleus, cytoplasm and mitochondria?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
3. Which green organelles found in plant leaf cells (but NOT animal cells) absorb light energy to carry out photosynthesis: chloroplasts or mitochondria?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
4. 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
5. Single-celled organisms such as bacteria that lack a membrane-bound nucleus (their DNA floats in the cytoplasm) are called: prokaryotic cells or eukaryotic cells?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
6. Which tiny structures in the cell assemble amino acids into proteins according to genetic instructions: ribosomes or vacuoles?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. Why do root hair cells contain NO chloroplasts: they are underground in the dark where no light reaches for photosynthesis, or they are animal cells?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
11. Cells that have a true membrane-bound nucleus (such as plant, animal and fungal cells) are called: eukaryotic cells or prokaryotic cells?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
12. Which organelle packages and modifies proteins into vesicles for secretion outside the cell: the Golgi apparatus or the cell wall?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 13-15

Plant & animal cell structures

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
2. Which three structures are present in a typical palisade plant cell but ABSENT from a human cheek (animal) cell: cell wall, chloroplasts and large permanent vacuole, or nucleus, cytoplasm and mitochondria?
Cell wall, chloroplasts and large permanent vacuole
Both plant and animal cells have a nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane and mitochondria; only plant cells have a cellulose wall, chloroplasts and a large central vacuole.
3. Which green organelles found in plant leaf cells (but NOT animal cells) absorb light energy to carry out photosynthesis: chloroplasts or mitochondria?
Chloroplasts
Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll and convert light energy into chemical energy in glucose.
4. 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.
5. Single-celled organisms such as bacteria that lack a membrane-bound nucleus (their DNA floats in the cytoplasm) are called: prokaryotic cells or eukaryotic cells?
Prokaryotic cells
Prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) have no nucleus or membrane-bound organelles.
6. Which tiny structures in the cell assemble amino acids into proteins according to genetic instructions: ribosomes or vacuoles?
Ribosomes
Ribosomes are the sites of protein synthesis (translation) in all living cells.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Why do root hair cells contain NO chloroplasts: they are underground in the dark where no light reaches for photosynthesis, or they are animal cells?
They are underground in the dark where no light reaches for photosynthesis
Without sunlight underground, chloroplasts would be useless; root cells rely on sugars transported from leaves.
11. Cells that have a true membrane-bound nucleus (such as plant, animal and fungal cells) are called: eukaryotic cells or prokaryotic cells?
Eukaryotic cells
Eukaryotes possess a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles.
12. 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 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 13-15

Plant & animal cell structures

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. Which three structures are present in a typical palisade plant cell but ABSENT from a human cheek (animal) cell: cell wall, chloroplasts and large permanent vacuole, or nucleus, cytoplasm and mitochondria?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
3. Which green organelles found in plant leaf cells (but NOT animal cells) absorb light energy to carry out photosynthesis: chloroplasts or mitochondria?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
4. 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
5. Single-celled organisms such as bacteria that lack a membrane-bound nucleus (their DNA floats in the cytoplasm) are called: prokaryotic cells or eukaryotic cells?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
6. Which tiny structures in the cell assemble amino acids into proteins according to genetic instructions: ribosomes or vacuoles?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. Why do root hair cells contain NO chloroplasts: they are underground in the dark where no light reaches for photosynthesis, or they are animal cells?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
11. Cells that have a true membrane-bound nucleus (such as plant, animal and fungal cells) are called: eukaryotic cells or prokaryotic cells?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane
12. Which organelle packages and modifies proteins into vesicles for secretion outside the cell: the Golgi apparatus or the cell wall?
Nucleus · Cytoplasm · Membrane

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 13-15

Plant & animal cell structures

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
2. Which three structures are present in a typical palisade plant cell but ABSENT from a human cheek (animal) cell: cell wall, chloroplasts and large permanent vacuole, or nucleus, cytoplasm and mitochondria?
Cell wall, chloroplasts and large permanent vacuole
Both plant and animal cells have a nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane and mitochondria; only plant cells have a cellulose wall, chloroplasts and a large central vacuole.
3. Which green organelles found in plant leaf cells (but NOT animal cells) absorb light energy to carry out photosynthesis: chloroplasts or mitochondria?
Chloroplasts
Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll and convert light energy into chemical energy in glucose.
4. 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.
5. Single-celled organisms such as bacteria that lack a membrane-bound nucleus (their DNA floats in the cytoplasm) are called: prokaryotic cells or eukaryotic cells?
Prokaryotic cells
Prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) have no nucleus or membrane-bound organelles.
6. Which tiny structures in the cell assemble amino acids into proteins according to genetic instructions: ribosomes or vacuoles?
Ribosomes
Ribosomes are the sites of protein synthesis (translation) in all living cells.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Why do root hair cells contain NO chloroplasts: they are underground in the dark where no light reaches for photosynthesis, or they are animal cells?
They are underground in the dark where no light reaches for photosynthesis
Without sunlight underground, chloroplasts would be useless; root cells rely on sugars transported from leaves.
11. Cells that have a true membrane-bound nucleus (such as plant, animal and fungal cells) are called: eukaryotic cells or prokaryotic cells?
Eukaryotic cells
Eukaryotes possess a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles.
12. 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 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification