Cells and Life Slides
Life Science
Mega-Deck
Cells & Life
Discovering the microscopic building blocks, the cell theory, and how all living organisms function.
Unit 1: Cell Biology Interactive Lectures
What is Living?
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Nonliving Things
Desks, books, and classroom lights are nonliving. They do not have the characteristics of life.
Living Things
Classmates, teachers, and plants are all living organisms. They share the seven characteristics of life.
Hover over the blank spaces during presentation to reveal the answer key!
Characteristics of Life (1-3)
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1
They are Organized
All living things are made up of cells, which are the fundamental building blocks.
2
They Grow and Develop
Organisms increase in size or change during their lifetimes.
3
They Reproduce
Living things create new organisms through the process of reproduction.
Write down the revealed words on your sheet.
Characteristics of Life (4-7)
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4
They Respond to Stimuli
Organisms react to changes in their environment, which are called stimuli.
5
They Maintain Internal Conditions
The ability to maintain steady internal conditions is called homeostasis.
6
They Use Energy
Cells need and use energy to carry out all their essential functions.
Hover to reveal each key concept!
Hooke Discovers Cells
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Who was Robert Hooke?
More than 300 years ago, Robert Hooke built a microscope to observe a thin slice of cork.
The "Little Boxes"
He saw empty room-like structures and named them cells because they looked like little boxes or tiny rooms.
CORK CELLS
Hover to reveal the structure and discoveries.
Improved Magnification
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270x
Image Magnification
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
A Dutch merchant who built microscopes that could magnify about 270 times their original size.
New Discoveries
He was the first to view tiny living organisms in pond water and human blood!
Hover to reveal the magnification details.
Principles of Cell Theory (1 & 2)
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Principle 1
All Living Things Are Made of Cells
Whether you are a tiny bacterium or a massive blue whale, you are composed of one or more cells.
Principle 2
Cells are the Smallest Unit of Life
Cells carry out the essential functions that keep an organism alive.
Hover to reveal the first two principles.
Principles of Cell Theory (3)
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Principle 3
All Cells Come from Existing Cells
New cells are produced only when existing cells go through the process of cell division.
Hover to reveal how new cells are made.
Light Microscopes
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Using Light and Lenses
Light microscopes use light and lenses to enlarge an image of an object.
Can enlarge images up to 1,500 times their original size!
LIGHT SOURCE
Requires thin samples so light can pass through them.
Hover to reveal light microscope details.
Electron Microscopes
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TEM
Transmission
Electrons pass through an object. Perfect for studying the structures inside a cell.
SEM
Scanning
Electrons bounce off the surface to produce a realistic, three-dimensional (3D) image.
Electron microscopes can magnify images 100,000x or more!
Cell Organization
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Unicellular
Made of only one cell. That single cell performs all essential life functions.
Multicellular
Made of two or more cells. Cells are organized into specialized working groups.
Hover to reveal cell counts.
Prokaryotic Cells
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Simple & Unlined
In a prokaryotic cell, the genetic material is not surrounded by a protective lining.
They are much smaller than eukaryotic cells and have fewer cell structures inside.
BACTERIA
Most prokaryotes are simple, single-celled bacteria.
Hover to reveal prokaryote features.
Eukaryotic Cells
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PLANTS & ANIMALS
Made of complex, highly organized eukaryotic cells.
Complex & Structured
Genetic material is surrounded by a lining (the nucleus).
They have membrane-bound structures inside called organelles with specific jobs.
Hover to reveal eukaryotic features.
The Three Domains
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Domain 1
Bacteria
Simple unicellular organisms. Prokaryotic cell type.
Domain 2
Archaea
Unicellular prokaryotes that often live in extreme environments.
Domain 3
Eukarya
Organisms with eukaryotic cells (plants, animals, fungi, protists).
Hover to reveal cell classification.
Six Kingdoms of Life
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1. Bacteria
Simple single cells.
2. Archaea
Extreme single cells.
3. Protista
Complex single/multi cells.
4. Fungi
Absorb their nutrients.
5. Plantae
Make their own food.
6. Animalia
Ingest/take in food.
Organisms are classified using cell type, habitat, food sources, and common ancestry.
Cell Barrier
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The Cell Membrane
A flexible outer covering that protects the inside of all cells.
It is semipermeable, which means only certain substances can pass through it.
GATEKEEPER
Controls what enters and leaves the cell.
Hover to reveal cell barrier properties.
The Cell Wall
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STIFF OUTER LAYER
Protects and supports plant, fungi, and bacterial cells.
Outer Protection & Support
The cell wall is a stiff structure located outside the cell membrane.
It helps cells maintain their shape and provides structural support. Animal cells never have one!
Hover to reveal cell wall structures.
Cell Size Limits
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The Surface Area Problem
As a cell grows, its volume increases faster than its surface area.
If a cell gets too large, its cell membrane surface area is too small to move enough nutrients and waste materials in and out.
RATIO LIMITS
This volume-to-surface-area ratio is why cells must stay tiny!
Hover to reveal size limit dynamics.
Cell Fluids & Builders
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Cytoplasm
The fluid inside the cell that contains salts and other molecules.
Ribosomes
Tiny organelles where proteins are made. They are not surrounded by a membrane.
Hover to reveal cell builders.
Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)
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Rough ER
Ribosomes Attached
Covered in ribosomes on its surface. This is the primary site where proteins are made in the cell.
Smooth ER
No Ribosomes
Has a smooth surface. It helps remove harmful substances and toxins from the cell.
Hover to reveal ER functions.
Storage Vacuoles
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Saclike Storage
Vacuoles are organelles that store food, water, and waste materials.
Plant cells have one large vacuole for support. Animal cells have many tiny vacuoles.
PLANT SUPPORT
The central vacuole can take up half the plant cell's total volume!
Hover to reveal cell storage systems.
Packaging & Transport
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Golgi Apparatus
Prepares and packages proteins into tiny membrane-bound structures called vesicles.
Lysosomes
Vesicles that break down and recycle cell waste and materials.
Hover to reveal cell shipping networks.
Cell Energy
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ATP
The cell's main energy molecule.
The Powerhouse Mitochondria
Organelles that power the cell through a process called cellular respiration.
This process converts energy in food molecules into a usable chemical energy form called ATP.
Hover to reveal cellular fuel.
Plant Power
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Chloroplasts
Organelles inside plants and algae that use light energy to make food.
They produce a simple sugar called glucose from water and carbon dioxide.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Animal cells do NOT have chloroplasts!
Hover to reveal solar capture systems.
Cell Control Center
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The Nucleus
Directs all cell activities and stores instructions in DNA (organized inside chromosomes).
The Nucleolus
A smaller structure inside the nucleus that makes ribosomes.
Hover to reveal instructions database.
Cell Comparison
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Plant Cells Only
- Have a rigid cell wall for support
- Have chloroplasts for food production
- Have one large central vacuole
Animal Cells Only
- No cell wall (flexible cell membrane only)
- No chloroplasts (consumers of energy)
- Have lysosomes and many tiny vacuoles
Plants and animal cells differ in structures, but both are eukaryotic!
Specialized Cells
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Red Blood Cells
They are disk-shaped to glide through blood vessels easily and carry oxygen.
Xylem Cells
They are hollow, tubelike cells that transport water throughout a plant.
Neurons
Have long branches to transmit info from one part of the body to another.
A cell's unique shape and structure is always linked to its biological function!
Cells and Life Notes
Cells & Life
Student Skeleton Notes — Page 1
Name
____________________
Date
____________________
Period
__________
1. What is a Living Thing?
• Desks, books, and lights are examples of nonliving things.
• Classmates, teachers, and plants are all living things, which are scientifically called _______________________.
2. Seven Characteristics of Life
1. Organization: All living things are composed of microscopic building blocks called _____________________.
2. Growth & Development: Organisms increase in size or change during their ______________________.
3. Reproduction: Living things create new organisms through a process called ________________________.
4. Response to Stimuli: Organisms react to external or internal environmental changes, which are called ______________________.
Unit 1: Cells and Life Mastery Turn to Page 2 →
Cells & Life
Student Skeleton Notes — Page 2
5. Homeostasis: The ability of an organism to maintain steady internal conditions is called ______________________.
6. Energy Use: Cells need and use energy to carry out all their essential _______________________.
3. History of Cell Discovery
• Over 300 years ago, Robert Hooke built a microscope to examine ___________________. He observed tiny compartments that he named ___________________ because they resembled little boxes.
• Anton van Leeuwenhoek created microscopes that could magnify up to ___________ times. He was the first to view living organisms in ________________________.
4. Principles of Cell Theory
-
All living things are composed of _______________________________ cells.
-
Cells are the smallest unit of life, performing functions that keep organisms alive.
-
All new cells come from existing cells through _______________________________.
Unit 1: Cells and Life Mastery Turn to Page 3 →
Cells & Life
Student Skeleton Notes — Page 3
5. Modern Microscope Technology
• Light microscopes use ______________________________ to enlarge images up to ____________ times.
TEM (Transmission): Passes electrons _________________ the specimen to study structures ____________ the cell.
SEM (Scanning): Bounces electrons off the outer surface to create a ___________________________ image.
6. Cell Organization & Types
Unicellular
Made of only _________________.
