Living Things in the Biosphere

Front

Cell Noun

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[sel]

Back

Cell

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The basic unit of structure and function in all living things, which serves as the fundamental building block of life.

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Example: The image shows an animal cell with labeled parts, illustrating its structure and function as the basic unit of life.

Front

Unicellular Adjective

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[yoo-ni-sel-yuh-ler]

Back

Unicellular

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Describing an organism made of a single cell that is responsible for carrying out all of its life functions.

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Example: An amoeba is shown as a single-celled organism with labeled parts like nucleus and pseudopods, demonstrating its life functions.

Front

Multicellular Adjective

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[muhl-tee-sel-yuh-ler]

Back

Multicellular

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Describing an organism that consists of many cells, which are often specialized to perform different tasks for the whole organism.

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Example: The image shows how different tissues in the human body are made of specialized cells, illustrating a multicellular organism.

Front

Prokaryote Noun

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[proh-kar-ee-oht]

Back

Prokaryote

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A single-celled organism that does not have a distinct nucleus or other specialized, membrane-bound organelles within its cell.

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Example: The image shows a prokaryotic cell with labeled parts, explaining its structure and lack of a nucleus.

Front

Eukaryote Noun

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[yoo-kar-ee-oht]

Back

Eukaryote

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An organism whose cells contain a distinct nucleus and other organelles enclosed within membranes, typical of all life except bacteria.

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Example: The image shows an animal cell with a distinct nucleus and organelles, typical of eukaryotes.

Front

Cell Membrane Noun

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[sel mem-breyn]

Back

Cell Membrane

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The thin, flexible barrier that surrounds a cell, regulating which substances are able to pass into and out of it.

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Example: The image shows the cell membrane as a barrier with proteins embedded, illustrating its role in regulating substance passage.

Front

Cell Wall Noun

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[sel wawl]

Back

Cell Wall

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A rigid layer that surrounds the cell membrane of plants, fungi, and bacteria, providing structural support and protection.

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Example: The image shows a bacterium with a labeled cell wall, explaining its protective and supportive role.

Front

Cytoplasm Noun

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[sahy-toh-plaz-uhm]

Back

Cytoplasm

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The jelly-like substance that fills the interior of a cell, enclosing the nucleus and surrounding the other organelles.

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Example: The image shows the cytoplasm filling the cell, surrounding the nucleus and organelles.

Front

Ribosome Noun

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[rahy-buh-sohm]

Back

Ribosome

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A small, complex organelle found within all living cells that serves as the primary site of protein synthesis.

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Example: The image shows how ribosomes synthesize proteins by linking amino acids together.

Front

Vacuole Noun

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[vak-yoo-ohl]

Back

Vacuole

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A membrane-bound storage sac inside a cell that holds water, food, and waste products for the cell's use.

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Example: The image shows a plant cell with a labeled vacuole, highlighting its role as a storage sac.