7

SCIENCE
Second Quarter – Module 3
Cell: The Basic Structural
and Functional Unit of Life

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

_
 What I Need to Know

Life comes from life. Have you ever wondered what your body is made up of?
Or how your body maintains, adapts, and changes through time? How about animals
and plants? Have you ever wondered what comprises the internal structures of plants
and animals?
In this module, you are going to learn the “unseen workers” within a human’s
body and what makes up the marvellous structures of plants and animal.

This module consists of four (4) lessons:

 Lesson 1 - Cell Parts and Their Functions

 Lesson 2 - The Plant Cell
 Lesson 3 - The Animal Cell
 Lesson 4 - Comparing Plant and Animal Cell

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. differentiate plant and animal cells according to the presence or absence

of certain organelles (S7LT-IIc-3); and
2. explain why the cell is considered the basic structural and functional unit of
all organisms (S7LT-IIe-5)

Enjoy reading the module and have fun accomplishing all the activities prepared
for you!

1
 Lesson
Cell Parts and Their Functions
1
In the previous lesson, you have learned that all living things possess a unique
and complex biological organization arranged in ascending order from cell to
biosphere.

Answer Activity 1 to refresh your knowledge about the levels of biological

organization.

What’s In

Activity 1: Fill Me!

Directions: Copy the inverted pyramid in your Science activity notebook. Place the
words in the inverted pyramid according to the correct order (from simple to complex)
of the levels of biological organization.

COMMUNITY POPULATION ECOSYSTEM ORGAN SYSTEM

BIOSPHERE CELL ORGANISM ORGANS TISSUES

complex

simple

Figure
Figure 1. 1.
Levels of Biological
Levels Organization
of Biological

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 What’s New

Activity 2: Try Me!

Directions: Try this at home following the steps shown in Figure 2 below.

Step 1: Fill in a clear, small plastic bottle with water about one fourth (¼) of its
container.
Step 2: Pour in a few powdered soap or detergent.
Step 3: Shake the bottle.
Step 4: Observe the bubbles formed inside the bottle

The plastic bottle represents the organism and the bubbles inside represents
the cells. As you have observed, the bubbles stick together side by side. Cells of all
living things are like this. They grouped together to form an organism.

Figure 2. Plastic Bottle with Soap Bubbles

The plastic bottle represents the organism and the bubbles inside it represent
the cells. As you have observed, the bubbles stick together side by side. Cells of all
living things are like this. They are arranged side by side and grouped together to form
tissues, tissues into organs, organs into organ systems, and organ systems into
organisms.

Warning: DO NOT DRINK THE CONTENTS OF THE BOTTLE.

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 What is It

Cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms. It is the
structural unit of life because the entire body of an organism is made up of cells
which provide structure for the body. The cell is also known as the functional unit of
life because it regulates all the functions, like taking in of nutrients from food,
converting food into energy and carrying out specialized functions inside an organism.
When Robert Hooke carefully examined a very thin slice of cork, he thought the
close-up view resembled small, empty rooms. He referred these tiny rooms as cells
(from the Latin word Cellulae, which means “small rooms”). A cell is made up of tiny
organs called organelles that perform specific functions. These are called organelles
because these are like “little organs” that has their own function.
In this lesson, you are going to study the different cell organelles which are
found in a cell and their corresponding functions.

Table 1. Cell Organelles and Their Functions

CELL ORGANELLE FUNCTION

NUCLEUS

 houses DNA (the hereditary

material) as well as various proteins
including the nucleolus

 considered as “brain” of the cell

because it controls all its activities
Source:https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-cell-
differentiation-process-importance-examples.html

MITOCHONDRION
Plural: Mitochondria

 one of the largest organelles within

a cell
 also known as the “powerhouse” of
the cell
 it is where the energy of the cell, the
Source: https://study.com/academy/lesson/mitochondrion- ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), is
definition-function-structure.html
produced

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RIBOSOMES

 dot-like organelles that contain

RNA and specific proteins within
the cytoplasm
Ribosomes  manufacture proteins within the cell

Source: https://joshandkarlasproject.weebly.com/nucleolus-
nucleous-ribosomes-and-vacuole.html

ROUGH ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM

 has ribosomes attached to its
surface
 involved in the production of
antibodies and insulin
 transportation channel of produced
proteins in the smooth endoplasmic
reticulum
 site of protein synthesis in the cell
Source: https://www.genome.gov/genetics-
glossary/Endoplasmic-Reticulum-rough

SMOOTH ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM has no ribosome on its surface

 smoother in appearance as
compared to the rough ER
 involved in the synthesis of lipids
(e.g. phospholipids) and
carbohydrates that are used to build
the cell membrane
 also involved in the transportation of
vesicles, enzyme production in the
liver, contraction of muscle cells in
the muscles, and synthesis of
Source: https://www.genome.gov/genetics- hormones in the brain cells
glossary/Endoplasmic-Reticulum-Smooth

GOLGI BODIES/ GOLGI APPARATUS

 responsible for transporting,
modifying, and packaging proteins
and lipids into vesicles for delivery
to targeted destinations
 located in the cytoplasm next to the
endoplasmic reticulum and near
the cell nucleus
 many types of cells contain only
Source: https://www.dreamstime.com/structure-golgi-apparatus- one or several Golgi apparatus
animal-plant-cell-major-organelle-most-eukarytoic-cells- such as plant cells that can contain
image137227168
hundreds

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LYSOSOMES  act as the waste disposal system
of the cell by digesting obsolete or
unused materials in the cytoplasm,
from both inside and outside the
cell
 the “cleaners” of the cell
 rarely seen in plant cell
Source: https://microbenotes.com/lysosomes-structure-
enzymes-types-functions/

VACUOLES
 a space inside the cell that does not
contain cytoplasm, surrounded by a
membrane and filled with fluid
which stores food and water
materials for the cell
 plant cells contain large vacuoles
that occupies 50% of its volume
Source: https://sites.google.com/site/kmhvacuole/
CELL/PLASMA MEMBRANE
 encloses the contents of the cell
 is like a fence or a gatekeeper that
protects the cell from the outside
environment
 controls what materials can go in
and out of the cell
 made up of two layers of
phospholipids (phospholipids
bilayer)

Source: https://www.timvandevall.com/science/plant-cell-
diagram/

CYTOPLASM
 is a jelly-like fluid where organelles
are located

Source: www.clker.com/clipart-animal-cell.html.

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CELL WALL

 adds covering for which

provides support, protection
and shape to the cell

Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/cell-wall-
373613.
CHLOROPLAST

 contains pigments such as

chlorophyll which is needed for
photosynthesis and gives
plants its green appearance

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpt_0lvwXbc
CENTRIOLE

 tube-like structure that aid in

cell division; responsible for
separating the chromosomes
during animal cell division

Source:
https://www.genome.gov/sites/default/files/tg/en/illustration/
centriole.jpg

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 What’s More

Activity 3: What am I?

Directions: Answer the two (2) sets of activities below. Write your answer in your
Science activity notebook.
1. Guess the Riddle!

What is present in a CALL but not in a BALL;

It is present in a WELL but not in a WALL;
And is mostly seen twice in ALL.

Answer: ________________

2. Explain this statement:

Why is the cell considered as the basic structural and functional unit of all
organisms?

Answer: ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

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 Lesson
The Plant Cell
2

What’s In

In our previous lesson, you have learned that cells have so many workers, the
cell organelles, that work together to carry out life functions.
In this module, you will learn the significant organelles that can only be found
in a plant cell.
Enjoy this lesson and have fun while discovering amazing facts about plant cell.

Activity 1: Word Hunt

Directions: Form a word out of the given number in sequence based on the numbers
corresponding to the letters in the alphabet inside the box below. A description of the
organelle is already provided for you to easily come up with the name of the organelles
asked. Write your answer in your Science activity notebook.
A–1 B–2 C–3 D–4 E–5 F–6
G–7 H–8 I–9 J – 10 K – 11 L – 12
M – 13 N – 14 O – 15 P – 16 Q – 17 R – 18
S – 19 T – 20 U – 21 V – 22 W – 23 X – 24
Y – 25 Z – 26

Example:
Description: The basic unit of life.
Example: 3 – 5 – 12 – 12
Answer: CELL
1. Description: Controls the activities of the cell.
Code: 14 – 21 – 3 – 12 – 5 – 21 – 19
Answer: _________________________

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 2. Description: Gives the cell its shape.
Code: 3 – 5 – 12 – 12 13 – 5 – 13 – 2 – 18 – 1 – 14 – 5
Answer: ____________ __________________________
3. Description: Jelly-like fluid where the organelles are located.
Code: 3 – 25 – 20 – 15 – 16 – 12 – 1 – 19 – 13
Answer: ________________________________
4. Description: Manufacturer of proteins within the cell.
Code: 18 – 9 – 2 – 15 – 19 – 15 – 13 – 5 – 19
Answer: _______________________________
5. Description: Powerhouse of the cell.
Code: 13 – 9 – 20 – 15 – 3 – 8 – 15 – 14 – 4 – 18 – 9 – 15 – 14
Answer: _____________________________________________

What’s New

A plant cell has almost the same organelles with that of an animal cell but there
are organelles that are found only in plant cell.

Activity 2: Describe Me!

Directions: You are asked to describe an unknown specimen as shown in the picture
below. In three (3) sentences, describe what you see in the picture. Write your
descriptions in your Science activity notebook.

Answer:

_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________

Figure 1. Unknown Specimen

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 What is It

What is a Plant Cell?

Plant cells contain nucleus along with other organelles as discussed in Lesson
1: Cell Parts and their Functions. However, there are organelles which are distinct and
can be found only in plant cells as emphasized in the figure below.

Figure 2. Plant Cell

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 What’s More

Activity 3: Label Me!

Directions: Label the picture by using the names of the organelles inside the word
bank below the picture. Write your answers in your Science activity notebook.

2 7
8
3 9

10
4
11

12
5

Figure 3. The Plant Cell

Word bank
Cell Wall Cell Membrane Cytoplasm
Vacuole Chloroplast Mitochondrion
Ribosomes Lysosomes Nucleus
Rough ER Smooth ER Golgi Bodies

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 Lesson
THE ANIMAL CELL
3

What’s In

In the previous module, you learned about plant cells. Plant cells have cell wall
that surrounds the cell membrane. This gives the plant cell its unique rectangular
shape and rigidity. You have also learned that plant cells have chloroplast which
contains pigments such as chlorophyll needed for photosynthesis and gives plants
their green color. In this module, you will study about animal cells, its organelles, and
functions.

Activity 1: Complete Me!

Directions: Complete the words below by filling in the missing letters. Write the
complete word in your Science activity notebook

WORD: CLUE:

1._UCL_US It controls all the activities of the cell.

2. CY_OPL_ _M It is where all the organelles are located.
3. V_CUOL_ It holds water, food and waste materials.
4. CH_ORO_LAS_ It is the site of photosynthesis in plant cells.
5. CELL WA_ _ It provides support, protection, and shape to the
plant cell.

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 What’s New

Activity 2: Word Hunt!

Directions: Form a word out of the given number in the code sequence to form the
mystery word. Write your answer in your Science activity notebook. An example is
done for you.
A–1 B–2 C–3 D–4 E–5 F–6
G–7 H–8 I–9 J – 10 K – 11 L – 12
M – 13 N – 14 O – 15 P – 16 Q – 17 R – 18
S – 19 T – 20 U – 21 V – 22 W – 23 X – 24
Y – 25 Z – 26

Example:
Description: The study of living things.
Example: 2 – 9 – 15 – 12 – 15 – 7 – 25
Answer: BIOLOGY

1. Description: Living things that have capacity for spontaneous movement.

Code: 1 – 14 – 9 – 13 – 1 – 12
Answer: ___________________
2. Description: The basic unit of life.
Code: 3 – 5 – 12 – 12
Answer: ____________
3. Description: “Considered the little organs” of the cell.
Code: 15 – 18 – 7 – 1 – 14 – 5 – 12 – 12 – 5 – 19
Answer: __________________________________

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 What is It

What Is an Animal Cell?

An animal cell is a eukaryotic cell, which also contains nucleus and other
membrane-bound “little organs” called organelles, that perform different functions
inside the cell as discussed in Lesson 1: Cell Parts and their functions.
Animal cells are found within every animal. They are of different sizes for which
the largest known animal cell is the ostrich egg, that can stretch over 5.1 inches across
and weigh about 1.4 kilograms. This is in complete opposite to the nerve cells in the
human body which is too small to be visible without the use of a microscope.
Animal cells also have irregular shapes. They are different from other cells
because they do not have cell wall, which allows them to take on different shapes.
Also, the most distinct organelle found only in animal cell is the centriole (Figure 1)
which is a tube-like structure that aid in cell division. They are generally found close to
the nucleus. It is responsible for separating the chromosomes during animal cell
division.

Source: https://www2.palomar.edu/users/warmstrong/images/animal4.gif

Figure 1: Parts of Animal Cell

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 What’s More

Activity 3: Let’s CELLebrate!

Directions: Use the diagram to complete the chart with the needed information. The
first item has been completed for you as an example. Write your answers in your
Science activity notebook.

F
C

Label Organelle Function

1. A Mitochondrion The powerhouse of the cell.
2. B Modifies and packages proteins and
lipids.
3. C
4. D Cytoplasm
5. E Encloses the contents of the cell.
6. F

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 Lesson
Comparing Plant
4 and Animal Cells

What’s In

Activity 1: Remember Me?

Directions: Study the diagram of a plant and an animal cell below. Then, complete
the statements that follow. Write your answers in your Science activity notebook.

Figure 1. The Plant and Animal Cell Organelles

1. The structure labeled A are found in both types of cells. The name of the structure
is _____.
2. Unlike animal cells, plant cells have cell walls. In the diagram it is labeled as
_______.
3. The organelle labeled E is known as “The Brain” of the cell. It is the _______.
4. It is the site of photosynthesis. The organelle I is _______.
5. The powerhouse of the cell is the mitochondrion. In the diagram it is labeled as
_____.

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 What’s New

Activity 2: Take a Pic!

Directions: Study carefully the pictures below and answer questions 1 and 2. Write
your answer in your Science activity notebook.

1. Which one is a plant cell? _________________

2. Which is an animal cell? _________________
3. Write the differences that you observe in the Pictures A and B of the cells
according to: a. size _________________
b. shape _________________

A B

Source:
Source: http://omsscience7.oregonsd.net/cells https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plagiomniu
m_affine_laminazellen.jpeg(2006)

Figure 2. The Plant and Animal Cell

What is It

Both plant and animal cells are eukaryotic which means they contain
membrane-bound organelles like the nucleus and mitochondria. However, plant cells
and animal cells do not look exactly the same or has all of the same organelles, since
each of them have different needs. For example, plant cells contain chloroplasts since
they need to perform photosynthesis, but animal cells do not.

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 So, how are plant cell and animal cell similar to or different from each other?
Why do plants and animals have differences? Plant and animal cells differ because
they have to perform different functions. Both animal and plant cells have
mitochondria, but only plant cells have chloroplasts. Plants don’t get their sugar from
eating food, so they need to make sugar with the help of the sunlight. This process
which is known as photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplast. Once the sugar is
made, it is then broken down by the mitochondria to make energy for the cell. Because
animals get sugar from the food they eat, they do not need chloroplasts: just
mitochondria.
Both plant and animal cells have vacuoles. A plant cell contains a large, singular
vacuole that is used for storage and maintaining the shape of the cell. In contrast,
animal cells have many, smaller vacuoles.
Plant cells have a cell wall and a plasma membrane. In plants, the cell wall
surrounds the plasma membrane. This gives the plant cell its boxlike shape. This also
allows the plants to remain strong and stand upright even if it grows to great heights.
Animal cells simply have a plasma membrane, but no cell wall.
The table below summarizes the similarities and differences of animal cells and
plant cells. Notice the organelles that can be found in both types of cells and observe
carefully the organelles which are present only in animal cell or in plant cell.

Table 1. Comparison Between Plant & Animal Cell

Basis of Comparison Plant Cell Animal Cell

Cell Wall Present Present
Centrioles Absent Present
Chloroplast Present Absent
Cytoplasm Present Present
Endoplasmic reticulum Present Present
Golgi body Present Present
Lysosome Rarely present Present
Mitochondria Present Present
Nucleus Present Present
Plasma membrane Present Present
Ribosomes Present Present
Vacuole Only one huge vacuole Many and smaller in size

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 What’s More

Activity 3: Fill Me!

Directions: Copy the Venn Diagram in your Science activity notebook. Compare and
contrast plant and animal cells by filling in the Venn Diagram with the organelles listed
in the box below. The common organelles must be written in the overlapping area (A),
while the differences are in the non-overlapping areas (B) and (C).

Cell Wall Endoplasmic reticulum Nucleus

Centrioles Golgi body Plasma membrane
Chloroplast Lysosome Ribosomes
Cytoplasm Mitochondria Vacuole

B Plant Cell C Animal Cell

Differences A Differences
Similarities

Figure 5. Venn Diagram of the Comparison Between Plant and Animal cell

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 What I Have Learned

A. Cell Analogy
Directions: Fill in the blanks below with the specific cell organelle that works for its
specific function. Choose your answer from the box and write your answers in your
Science activity notebook.

Ribosomes Mitochondria Cell

Nucleus Cell Wall Golgi Bodies
Cell Membrane Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum Vacuoles
Chloroplast

Imagine you are inside a factory. The factory itself is the (1) _____. To
protect it from robbers and looters, the factory is protected by an inner wall that
represents the (2) _____, and the outer wall represents the (3) _____. Inside the
factory is the control room where computers are located that direct the movements of
the machineries. The control room represents the (4) _____. In another area, workers
are busily performing their duties. The workers represent the (5) _____. These workers
translate the information sent by the control room to the machineries used. Also, inside
the factory is the power supply room represented by the (6) _____ which provides
energy for the continuous operation of the factory. There is also the packaging room
where products are being sorted out, ready for delivery. The packaging room
represents the (7) _____. Prior to the delivery, the packages are transported through
a conveyor which represents the (8) _____. They serve as the channel where products
are moved. The products will then be stored in the storage room. The storage room
represents the (9) _____. On the other hand, the machinery which produces the
products represents the (10) _____. They are responsible for making the products
produced inside the factory.

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 What I Can Do

To show your learnings about the lesson, make your own 3D model of either a
plant and animal cell. You can use any materials available at home such as
cardboards, egg shell, yarn, sticks, pebbles, and other materials you find useful.
Please take note on the important organelles that are only present in a plant cell and/or
animal cell.

The table below will serve as your basis as to the equivalent points that you will
receive in making your own plant and animal cell model.

Table 1. Cell Model Rubric

Excellent Satisfactory Needs
(5 points) (4 points) Improvement
(3 points)
Project is accurate and Project shows Project is not neatly
Appearance shows the evidence of neatness and done. Organelles
considerable effort. organization. are not organized.

Cell model uses materials not Cell model uses good Minimal creativity is
Creativity often seen in most projects. materials. shown in the project.

All organelles are accurately Most organelles are Some organelles are
detailed and clearly accurately detailed not clearly
presented. Actual numbers of and clearly presented. presented. Few
Details organelles are represented. Actual number of organelles are
organelles are represented.
represented.

11+ organelles are correctly 8-10 organelles are 5-7 organelles are
Labelled located and labelled in the correctly located and correctly located and
Organelles model. labelled in the model. labelled in the
model.

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 Assessment

I. Multiple Choice: Read each question carefully and choose the best answer
from the given choices A to D. Write the letter of your answer in your Science
activity notebook.

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. All cells have cell wall. C. All cells contain chloroplast.
B. All cells contain centriole. D. All cells have cell membrane.

2. Why are lysosomes considered as the “cleaners” of the cell?

A. Lysosomes digest damage cell parts.
B. Lysosomes support and protect the cell.
C. Lysosomes pump materials that enter the cell.
D. Lysosomes transport materials from one cell to another.

3. Which part of the cell controls the “entry and exit” of materials?
A. Cell membrane C. Endoplasmic Reticulum
B. Cell wall D. Golgi bodies

4. Mitochondria are organelles that produce energy for the cell. Which part of the
body has many mitochondria?
A. Hair C. Nails
B. Heart D. Nose

5. Which organelle packages and sorts the product of the cell?

A. Cell Wall C. Chloroplast
B. Cell Membrane D. Golgi Bodies

6. Which organelle serves as the “brain” of the cell?

A. Cell Membrane C. Lysosome
B. Cytoplasm D. Nucleus

7. What is the function of chloroplasts in plants?

A. Enable the plant to make their own food
B. Make the plants rigid and rectangular in shape
C. Give the plants energy needed to make food
D. Store food, water, and waste products of the plants

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II. Identification: Label the parts of the animal and plant cells using the word/s
found in the box below.
WORD BANK

Cell Membrane Lysosomes Nucleolus

Cell Wall Vacuole Nucleus
Chloroplast Mitochondrion Cytoplasm
Ribosomes Centriole Golgi Body

9
12
2

13
3

14
10 4
0
15
11 5
1

The Plant Cell The Animal Cell

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 Additional Activities

Activity: Name Game

I. Directions: Let’s play a name game. An organelle is given to you and you
are going to describe it in one word based on its function or description.
Number one is done as an example.
1. Mitochondria - Powerful mitochondria
2. Cell Membrane
3. Chloroplast
4. Vacuoles
5. Cytoplasm

II. Directions: Compare a cell to a “sunny side up” egg. Provide its
similarities by identifying labels A, B, and C.

Figure 3. Sunny-side Up Egg

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