2.1 Cell Structure & Size of Specimens

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Place the following cellular measurements into order, starting with the smallest.

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The palisade mesophyll cell in Fig. 1 is printed in a student's text book.

Magnification: 7800×

Fig. 1

The student measures the height of the printed image as 6.2 cm. 

Calculate the height of the palisade cell. 

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An artery supplies blood from a man's shoulder to his wrist, before it splits to supply the various parts of his hand.

Identify the statement(s) about the artery in Table 1 that could be correct?

Place a tick (✓) in the box(es) that show(s) a plausible statement. 

Table 1

A form of vascular tissue in plants, the xylem, consists of a large amount of dead tissue yet still performs its function.

Explain how dead tissue in certain parts of the xylem is an advantage over live tissue.

Compare the similarities and differences in the structure of animal and bacterial cells.

Include reference to the relative sizes of cellular structures in your answer.

Identify the protein, produced by these cells, that is required for the digestion of carbohydrates.

Suggest how the cell in Fig. 1 is adapted for its function.

Fig. 1

Identify each structure and which level of organisation each one belongs to.

Explain how two separate organs of the musculoskeletal system, muscles and bones, work together to perform the function of movement.

Fig. 2 shows a human muscle cell from a person's leg muscle.

Fig. 2

Identify the levels of organisation that this cell belongs to.

A new-born baby is thought to have around 1 250 000 000 000 (1.25 × 10¹²) cells. That same baby, as an adult male, is estimated to have 37 000 000 000 000 (3.7 × 10¹³) cells. If the new-born baby had a mass of 3.1kg at birth, estimate the mass of the adult male. Give your answer in appropriate units to the nearest whole number. 

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Table 1

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The mass of bacterial cells was measured in femtograms (fg).

1 femtogram = 1 x 10^-15g
Fig. 1Calculate the mass of bacteria, in grams, immediately after binary fission when the cell growth rate was 0.1 fg s^-1.Give your answer in standard form.

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The electron micrograph in Fig. 2 shows some cellular structure in a leaf. A student uses a ruler to measure the scale bar, which is found to be 1.5 cm.

Calculate the magnification of the image.

The boxes on the left describe processes carried out by cells.

The boxes on the right contain the names of the cells that carry out these processes.

Draw one straight line from each box on the left to a box on the right to link the process to the cell type. 

Draw six lines.

An example has been done for you. 

Fig. 1

On Fig. 1 draw: 

• a label line to identify one guard cell and label it G
• a label line to identify one of the stomata and label it S.

[2]

The nucleus of an animal cell has a diameter of about 6 µm. 

Suggest a reason why bacteria do not have a nucleus.

Fig. 1 is a photomicrograph of part of the upper surface of a broad bean leaf, Vicia faba.

Fig. 1

[2]

[1]

The tissue shown in Fig. 1 is transparent.

Explain why it is important to the plant that the tissue shown in Fig. 1 is transparent.

Fig. 1

Identify the function of a muscle cell and explain how they are adapted for this function.

Identify the type of specialised cell shown and match each one to the correct function.

Describe how the xylem is adapted for carrying water and mineral ions around a plant.

Animal and plant cells have some structural features in common.

Name two structures you would find in both an animal cell and a plant cell.

Fig. 1

Name structure X.

Calculate the actual length of structure X in Fig. 1.

Show your working.

Failure of structure X to develop properly in the cells of a plant root could be catastrophic to a plant. 

Suggest an explanation as to why.