Notes

Energy is a key to life. One of the most important jobs for any cell is getting, and using, energy. As you know, the main source of energy on Earth is the sun. Green plants use chloroplasts to change energy from sunlight into chemical energy. Only plant cells have chloroplasts.
Mitochondria are also energy handlers. They are found in both plant and animal cells. Mitochondria are organelles that change chemical energy into a form that the cell can use. It's a bit like getting a check for a birthday gift and taking it to the bank. The bank changes the check to money you can use to buy something whenever you want. In a similar way, mitochondria change chemical energy to a form that the cell can easily use. Vacuoles are like bubbles, found inside both plant and animal cells. But they are filled with fluid, not air. They are called vacuoles (which means empty) because some look empty, but they're not. They are containers surrounded by a membrane. In a plant cell, a large central vacuole takes up most of the cell. Vacuoles are smaller in animal cells. They can be used for bringing in, storing, and digesting food, and also for storing and expelling waste, storing other molecules, or pumping out extra water.
A cell wall is a stiff structure outside the cell membrane of plant cells. It gives the cell its shape and strength. In many plants, cell walls function like bones in animals. They support the structure of the plant. Animal cells do not have cell walls.
All cells have some things in common, but they also vary a lot. They all have cell membranes and cytoplasm. They all have chromosomes with information the cell needs to function. In both plant and animal cells the chromosomes are in a nucleus, surrounded by a membrane. Both plant and animal cells have endoplasmic reticulum,Golgi bodies, mitochondria, and vacuoles. Plant cells have cell walls and chloroplasts, but animal cells don't.
Particular types of cells may have some things they are good at and other things they don't do so well. Those differences show up in their different structures. Cells are like people with different jobs. Different types of cells have different things they specialize in, and different ways to do them.
Centrioles are found only in animal cells. They function in cell division. Zoom in and notice the 9 groups of 3 arrangement of the protein fibers. The chloroplast is the site of photosynthesis. It consists of a double membrane. Cut the outer membrane to get a better look inside. The nucleus is called the headquarters of the cell. It is a large dark spot in eukaryotic cells. It controls all cell activity. Zoom in close an you will see that the nuclear membrane has many pores. The nuclear membrane is continuous with the E.R. Cut the nucleus open to get a better look inside.
Lysosomes are called suicide sacks. They are produced by the golgi body. They consist of a single membrane surrounding powerful digestive enzymes. From this screen you can cut the lysosome and move it around. For more information hit the next button. Visit the Virtual Cell website. You'll be able to view a cell and cell organelles without using a microscope. Rotate and cut cell organelles to see what they look like inside. Compare this virtual cell with your cell model. THE END