Organelles of Eukaryotic Cells

Diagrams of a eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell. Click on image for full size (24K GIF) Modified from NIH Below is a list of organelles that are commonly found in eukaryotic cells. Organelle Function Nucleus The “brains” of the cell, the nucleus directs cell activities and contains genetic material called chromosomes made of DNA. Mitochondria Make energy out of food Ribosomes Make protein Golgi Apparatus Make, process and package proteins Lysosome Contains digestive enzymes to help break food down Endoplasmic Reticulum Called the "intracellular highway" because it is for transporting all sorts of items around the cell. Vacuole Used for storage, vacuoles usually contain water or food. (Are you are thirsty? Perhaps your vacuoles need some water!) Plant cells also have: Chloroplasts Use sunlight to create food by photosynthesis Cell Wall For support

A Matter of Scale - interactive showing the sizes of things, from very tiny to huge - from NSF

Page created April 13, 2004 by Lisa Gardiner.
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