GRADE - VIII - BIOLOGY

CHAPTER - 8 : CELL - STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS

LESSON NOTES & THINKSHEET SOLUTIONS
Answer the following questions:

1. Make a sketch of the human nerve cell. What function do

nerve cells perform?
(Diagram)

● Nerve cells​ ​receive and transfer messages from the

receptor organs ​to the brain/spinal cord​ and carry
information f​ rom the brain/spinal cord​ to different parts of
the body.
● It helps to control and coordinate the working of different
parts of the body.

2. Write short notes on the following :

● Cytoplasm
​Cytoplasm is a jelly like substance present between the
cell membrane and the nucleus.
It is made up of 80% water and is usually clear and
colourless.
Cytoplasm contains cell organelles such as mitochondria,
ribosomes, Golgi bodies etc.
It helps in the exchange of materials between cell
organelles.
● Nucleus :
 It is generally spherical and located in the centre of the cell.
Nucleus is covered by a ​nuclear membrane​, which is
porous and allows the movement of materials from
cytoplasm and ​nucleoplasm​ (inner part / inside of
nucleus).
Nucleolus​ is the spherical body that lies within the
nucleus.
Nucleus contains thread-like structures called
chromosomes ​which carry ​genes​ that help in transfer of
characters from the parents to offspring.
The nucleus is the control centre of all activities that take
place in the cell.

3. Make sketches of animal and plant cells. State three

differences between them :
( Diagrams - Plant & Animal cell )

Plant cell Animal cell

● They are large, size is
fixed and usually
rectangular in shape.
● Cell wall is present
● Cell vacuole is present
(90 % of cell volume)
● Chloroplast is present
● Centrosome is absent
● They are small in size,
shape is almost round
and irregular
● Cell wall is absent
● Cell vacuole is present.
(smaller than that of
plant cells, one or more
in number)
● Chloroplast is absent
● Centrosome is present
and it helps in cell
division
4. State the difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
Prokaryotes
Pro = primitive
karyon = nucleus
● Most prokaryotes are
unicellular.
● The nucleus is not well
organised - without a
nuclear membrane.
● Nucleolus is absent.
● Cell organelles such as
plastids, mitochondria,
Golgi bodies etc. absent
Eg - bacteria, blue green
algae etc.
Eukaryotes
Eu = true
karyon = nucleus
● Most eukaryotes are
multicellular.
● The nucleus is well
organised - with a
nuclear membrane.
● Nucleolus is present.
● Cell organelles such as
plastids, mitochondria
Golgi body etc. present.
Eg - fungi, plants, animals etc.

5. Where are chromosomes found in a cell? State their

function.
​ hromosomes are thread-like structures found in the nucleus
C
of a cell.
Function:​ Chromosomes carry genes and help in the inheritance
or transfer of characters from the parents to the offspring.

6. Cells are the basic structural units of living organisms.

Explain.
​ he cell is the smallest ​structural and functional unit​ of living
T
matter that is capable of functioning independently.
● A single cell can be a complete organism itself - as in
bacteria and protozoa.
 ● A unicellular organism captures and digests food, respires,
excrete, grows and reproduces. These functions in
multicellular organisms are carried out by groups of
specialised cells which are organised into​ tissues ​and
organs​ such as in higher plants and animals.
All these points clearly explain why a cell is known as the basic
structural and functional unit of life.

7. Explain why chloroplasts are found only in plant cells.

​Chloroplasts are found only in plant cells because they are
required for photosynthesis.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS :

1. Why is amoeba not having a fixed shape ?

The change in shape of amoeba is due to the formation of
pseudopodia which facilitates its movement and helps in
capturing food.

2. Define ‘gene’.
A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity,
which controls the transfer of hereditary characteristics from
parents to offspring.

3. What are plastids?

Plastids are small coloured bodies found scattered in the
cytoplasm of the leaf cells. They are of different colours. Some of
them contain green pigment called chlorophyll. Green coloured
plastids are called chloroplasts.

4. What is pseudopodia ?
 Pseudo = false ; podia = feet.
Pseudopodia are the projections of varying length protruding out
of the body of an amoeba. They are formed as a result of the
streaming movement of protoplasm and disappear as amoeba
moves or feeds.

THINKSHEET SOLUTIONS - [GRADE VIII - BIOLOGY]

CHAPTER - 8 : CELLS - STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS.
THINKSHEET - 1
1. Respiration,food intake​ and ​excretion​ are also performed by the
cells.
2. Fingerprints will not have the same information as they have now.
Formation of identity cards might have problems
3. Microprocessors and bionic chips in the integrated circuits of mobiles
might be the closest. But till date, none of the man made things have
been able to perform anything very close to complex biological
structures.
4. Cell size does not depend on the size of the organism. Nerve cell of a
mouse is multiple times larger than any other cell of an elephant.
5. Wooden table (yes) ; glass sheet (no); liver (yes); plastic bag (no);
kidney (yes).
6. Wooden table is made up of dead cells of plants.
7. No, as the egg cell has gone multiple cell division while transforming
into a chicken. Chicken is a complex organism with a variety of cells.
8. i. False
ii. True
iii. True
iv. True
v. True
vi. True
​ THINKSHEET - 2

1. A​. Plastids are not present in animal cells. Without plastids, leaves
will not be able to perform photosynthesis.
​B​. The cell wall is not present in animal cells. Without cell walls, plant
cells will not have a definite shape.
​C.​ The nuclear membrane is absent in prokaryotic cells. Nuclear
material will be mixed with other organelles present in the
cytoplasm. Also the nucleus will not have a definite structure.
D​. The cell membrane is present in all organisms as it holds the
whole cell together. The cell membrane is the covering which is
keeping all the organelles together.
​ ​. Cytoplasm is the most essential part of the cell, hence universally
E
present. Also endoplasmic reticulum is one of the universal
organelles.

2. A​. Cell membrane is porous and thus allows the exchange of material
across it. But the balloon sheet does not have such pores and hence
it restricts the same.
B. (c)​ .Prokaryotic cells are not well developed; they do not have a
well defined nucleus. Hence we can compare it with the jelly inside
the balloon.
C.​ Cytoplasm.
D. (b).​ As plant cells have both cell walls (wooden box) as well as
cell membrane (balloon).
​ ​. These are the cell organelles, such as mitochondria, vacuoles etc
E
F.​ Cell wall, plastids are present in all plant cells.

3. A ​ .​ Yes. Almost all the cells have nucleus (except RBC) and hence
DNA which contains genes.
​B.​ yes. It is coded into the DNA which is contained in almost all the
cells.
​C.​ Genes are present in the​ nucleus.
4. Animal cells lack the cell wall, hence it will get deformed.
5. No, if plants could move, they would become like animals. Cell wall
protects them from extreme weather conditions. The absence of a
cell wall will be required for easy mobility.