Chapter 3 Vocabulary words and PHSchool link

Chapter 3: Vocabulary for all sections

active transport: The movement of materials through a cell membrane using energy.

amino acid: A small molecule that is linked chemically to other amino acids to form proteins.

carbohydrate: An energy-rich organic compound made of the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

cell: The basic unit of structure and function in living things.

cell membrane: The outside cell boundary that controls which substances can enter or leave the cell.

cell theory: A widely accepted explanation of the relationship between cells and living things.

cell wall: A rigid layer of nonliving material that surrounds the cells of plants and some other organisms.

chloroplast: A structure in the cells of plants and some other organisms that captures energy from sunlight and uses it to produce food.

compound: Two or more elements that are chemically combined.

cytoplasm: The material within a cell apart from the nucleus.

cytoskeleton: A protein "framework" inside a cell that gives the cell a shape.

diffusion: The process by which molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid; the genetic material that carries information about an organism and is passed from parent to offspring.

element: Any substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances.

endoplasmic reticulum: A cell structure that forms passageways in which proteins and other materials are carried through the cell.

enzyme: A protein that speeds up chemical reactions in a living thing.

Golgi body: A structure in a cell that receives proteins and other newly formed materials from the endoplasmic reticulum, packages them, and distributes them to other parts of the cell.

lipid: Energy-rich organic compound, such as fat, oil, or wax, that is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

lysosome: A small, round cell structure containing chemicals that break down large food particles into smaller ones.

mitochondria: Rod-shaped cell structures that convert energy in food molecules to energy that cell can use to carry out its functions.

multicellular: Consisting of many cells.

nucleic acid: Very large organic molecule made of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and phosphorus, that contains the instruction cells need to carry out all the functions of life.

nucleus: The control center of the eukaryotic cell that directs the cell's activities and contains the information that determines the cell's form and function.

organ: A structure in the body that is composed of different kinds of tissue.

organ system: A group of organs that work together to form a major function in the body.

organelle: A tiny cell structure that carries out a specific function within the cell.

osmosis: The diffusion of water molecules through a selectively permeable membrane.

passive transport: The movement of materials through a cell membrane without using the cell's energy.

protein: Large, organic molecule made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur.

ribosome: A small grain-like structure in the cytoplasm of a cell where proteins are made.

RNA: Ribonucleic acid; a nucleic acid that plays an important role in the production of proteins.

selectively permeable: A property of cell membranes that allows some substances to pass through, while others cannot.

tissue: A group of similar cells that perform the same function.

unicellular: Made of a single cell

vacuole: A sac inside a cell that acts as a storage area.

Study link: http://www.phschool.com/
code: cvj 1030