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Flip to reveal answersName the four structures common to ALL cells.
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All 14 Flashcards — Structures common to all cells
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Question
Name the four structures common to ALL cells.
Answer
**DNA, cytoplasm, plasma membrane and ribosomes** (memory hook: D-C-M-R).
Question
Define an organelle.
Answer
A **specialised structure inside a cell** that carries out a **particular function** (for example a ribosome or nucleus).
Question
Which universal structure is also an organelle?
Answer
**Ribosomes** — found in all cells and counting as an organelle.
Question
What does DNA do in a cell?
Answer
It is the **genetic material** — the cell's stored instructions.
Question
What is cytoplasm?
Answer
The **watery jelly** inside the cell where chemical reactions take place.
Question
What does the plasma membrane do?
Answer
It is the cell's **outer boundary**, controlling what **enters and leaves**.
Question
What is the function of ribosomes?
Answer
They **build proteins** by joining amino acids together.
Question
Is a nucleus common to all cells? Why?
Answer
**No** — prokaryotic cells have **no nucleus**; their DNA floats free in the cytoplasm.
Question
Name an organelle in which a DNA base pair could be located.
Answer
The **nucleus** (in eukaryotes). **Mitochondria** also contain DNA, and **chloroplasts** do in plant cells.
Question
Where is the DNA in a prokaryotic cell?
Answer
Free in the **cytoplasm**, in a region called the **nucleoid** — there is no nucleus.
Question
Name two structures that are NOT found in every cell.
Answer
Any two of: **nucleus, cell wall, mitochondria, chloroplasts** (these are not universal).
Question
Define a prokaryotic cell.
Answer
A cell with **no nucleus** and **no membrane-bound organelles** (for example a bacterium).
Question
Define a eukaryotic cell.
Answer
A cell **with a nucleus** and membrane-bound organelles (for example animal, plant and fungal cells).
Question
Which structure should you pick for 'found in all domains of life'?
Answer
**Ribosomes** — universal and also an organelle; never answer 'nucleus'.
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Cell structure
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