Anatomy of a Cell Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nucleus

In human cells, most of the genetic material (DNA) is contained within the nucleus of the cell. It is elaborately packaged in an increasingly complex series of structures. DNA is wrapped around proteins called histones, which function almost like a spool.

These histones are arranged in units called nucleosomes, which are themselves arranged in a sequence of larger structures before arriving at the chromosomes that we known and love. Most cells in the human body contain a nucleus, though they are absent from red blood cells.

Answer: Golgi apparatus

When proteins are newly created by ribosomes in the endoplasmic reticulum, they then need to be sent to the correct area of the cell to carry out their function. Part of the role of the Golgi apparatus, or Golgi body, is to pack these new proteins into small vesicles such that they can then be moved around the cell more efficiently and without suffering any damage from other molecules.

Answer: Lysosome

Similar to, but larger than, the vesicles in which proteins are packed by the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes are also bounded by a lipid bilayer. They contain hydrolytic enzymes (a type of protein) than are excellent at breaking bonds in other molecules to split them into their component parts.

For example, proteins can be broken down into amino acids, and long RNA molecules can be broken down into individual nucleic acids.

Answer: Mitochondrion

Mitochondria (the plural of mitochondrion) are incredibly important organelles which serve a variety of other functions in addition to being the main source of chemical energy in the cell. They have been shown to have a role in the cell cycle, the series of steps through which a cell goes in order to divide and multiply. Mitochondria contain their own genome (separate from the DNA found in the nucleus), which has led many scientists to suggest that they originate from a eukaryotic cell gobbling up a prokaryotic cell some time in the distant past.

Answer: Cell wall

The cell wall can be found throughout much of nature, including in the cells of plants, fungi and most bacteria. However, most animal cells are without a cell wall, meaning that their cells lack the defined shape and protection that the cell wall affords.

Although it is present in many different kingdoms of organisms, the cell wall varies significantly in its composition. In plant cells, it is largely comprised of cellulose and pectin, whilst in most bacteria it is made of peptidoglycan.

Answer: Endoplasmic reticulum

Whilst the endoplasmic reticulum is usually considered a separate cellular component, it is actually a continuous extension from the outer membrane of the nucleus. Comprising a labyrinthine network of membranous sacs called cisternae, the endoplasmic reticulum is home to another group of subcellular components known as ribosomes, the sites of protein synthesis.

Answer: Cytosol

Easily confused with the cytoplasm, the cytosol is the fluid within a cell, whilst the cytoplasm is everything within a cell apart from the cell nucleus. However, the fact that cell biologists sometimes call the cytosol the cytoplasmic matrix only makes matters worse.

The difference in concentration of certain molecules between the cytosol and the extracellular domain is important in a variety of processes. For example, the concentration gradient of sodium and potassium ions allows neurons to 'fire' in the brain.

Answer: Vacuole

Whilst they are rarely found in animal cells, vacuoles are often one of the largest organelles in a plant or fungal cell. As they serve a variety of functions in the cell (including maintaining the internal pH and storing waste products) they can vary in size over time depending on the needs of the cell at any given moment.

The membrane of the vacuole is called the tonoplast, a name coined by Dutch scientist Hugo de Vries in 1885.

Answer: Ribosome

Whilst you often hear than our DNA is home to genes that pass on certain characteristics, a cell biologist considers a gene as a code for a single protein. The creation of a protein molecule from the sequence of nucleic acids (DNA) is a two-step process - transcription and translation. Ribosomes are the place in which the second process (translation) takes place. Nucleic acids are 'read' by the ribosome in groups of three, with different groups of three encoding different amino acids.

The ribosome links these amino acids together in a long chain, which is then correctly folded to produce the final protein product.

Answer: Cell membrane

Cell membranes are a feature of all cells, as they are the outer layer than defines the boundary between the inside of the cell and the outside. Typically they are partially-permeable, meaning that some molecules can pass across the membrane easily whilst others find it more difficult. Small charged molecules such as sodium and potassium ions move across the membrane via pores called ion channels, whilst larger molecules have to be transported by membrane proteins in a variety of more complex processes.