Skip to content
B1 L1BiologyPaper 1Foundation + Higher

B1 L1Animal and plant cells

Animal and plant cells share five parts. Plant cells also have a cell wall, and often a permanent vacuole and chloroplasts.

    Screen 1 of 12

    Screen 1

    Real cells under a microscope

    • All living things are made of cells.
    • This is a painting of what you see down a light microscope: human cheek cells (left) and pondweed leaf cells (right).
    • Animal and plant cells are eukaryotic cells: their genetic material is enclosed in a nucleus.
    Labels:
    A painting of two round views down a light microscope. Left: human cheek cells stained blue, flat and uneven in shape, labelled nucleus, cytoplasm and cell membrane. Right: pondweed leaf cells, brick-shaped and packed in rows, with green chloroplasts round their edges, labelled cell wall, chloroplast, nucleus and permanent vacuole. A 50 micrometre scale bar under each view.
    A painting based on light micrographs. Only the cheek cells are stained.

    Screen 2

    Real cells and cell diagrams

    • Real cells are tiny, packed together and almost see-through.
    • A diagram is simplified on purpose: one neat cell, with every part drawn clearly.
    • Stains colour the cells: the blue is a dye. The green chloroplasts are their real colour.

    Tap a difference to see it on both pictures.

    A painting of two round views down a light microscope: blue-stained human cheek cells on the left and green pondweed leaf cells packed in rows on the right.

    Real cells (painting)

    animal on the left · plant on the right

    Cell diagrams

    animal on the left · plant on the right

    Stains colour the cells: the blue is a dye. The green chloroplasts are their real colour. In the diagram, each part has its own colour so you can tell them apart.

    Screen 3

    Inside an animal cell

    • Most animal cells have five parts: a nucleus, cytoplasm, a cell membrane, mitochondria and ribosomes.
    • Each part has a job. Tap a part to see it.
    • Turn the colour off to see the cell as an exam diagram.
    Colour:

    Tap a part to see its job.

    nucleuscytoplasmcellmembranemitochondrionribosomes
    A diagram of an animal cell.
    A diagram is simplified. Each part has its own colour so you can tell them apart. Real cells are almost colourless.

    Screen 4

    Cell parts working together

    • The parts of a cell work together to keep the cell alive.
    • Press Next step to follow glucose and oxygen into a cell.

    instructionsglucoseoxygencarbon dioxidenucleuscytoplasmenergy releasedmitochondrioncell membraneribosomesprotein
    glucose (orange)oxygen (white with a red rim)energy releasedA diagram is simplified.

    Screen 5

    Checkpoint 1 of 3

    Quick check on screens 1 to 4. Tap an answer.

    1.In the painting, the cheek cells are blue. Why are they blue?

    2.Oxygen passes into a cheek cell. Which part of the cell controls this movement?

    3.A muscle cell needs energy to contract. What do its mitochondria do?

    Screen 6

    Building a plant cell

    • Plant cells have the same five parts as animal cells.
    • They also have a cell wall, and often a permanent vacuole and chloroplasts.
    • Press Next step to build a plant cell.

    nucleuscytoplasmcellmembranemitochondrionribosomescell wallpermanent vacuole (cell sap)chloroplast
    A diagram is simplified. Only the green of the chloroplasts is a real colour. More on the vacuole: B1 L9 Osmosis.

    Screen 7

    Animal and plant cells compared

    • Animal and plant cells share five parts.
    • Only plant cells have a cell wall, and often a permanent vacuole and chloroplasts.
    • Tap a part, then tap where it belongs.

    Tap a part to start.

    animal cellsplant cellsboth

    Screen 8

    Checkpoint 2 of 3

    Quick check on screens 6 and 7. Tap an answer.

    1.A plant cell has a cell wall and a cell membrane. What does the cell wall do?

    2.Which of these parts do both animal cells and plant cells have?

    3.A cell has a nucleus, mitochondria, no cell wall and no permanent vacuole. Where is it from?

    Screen 9

    How big are the parts?

    • Cells and their parts are measured in micrometres (µm). 1 mm = 1000 µm.
    • To estimate how many parts fit across a cell: width of the cell ÷ width of the part.
    • Worked example: a cheek cell is about 50 µm across. Its nucleus is about 10 µm. 50 ÷ 10 = 5 nuclei.
    Table: About how big?
    PartAbout how big
    plant cell10 to 100 µm
    animal cell10 to 30 µm (a cheek cell is bigger: about 50 µm)
    nucleus5 to 10 µm
    chloroplastabout 5 µm
    mitochondrionabout 1 µm
    ribosomeabout 25 nm (0.025 µm)
    10 µm5Tap a part to line it up across the cell.

    Tap a part to line it up across the cell.

    Each part is drawn to scale across the cell. A real cell has only one nucleus. A diagram is simplified.

    Try it

    Screen 10

    Plant cells respire day and night

    • Chloroplasts absorb light to make food by photosynthesis. This happens only in the light.
    • Mitochondria release energy by aerobic respiration. This happens all the time, day and night.
    • Plant cells respire as well as photosynthesise.

    Photosynthesis needs light. Respiration never stops.

    photosynthesis: ONrespiration: ONfood (glucose)chloroplastmitochondrionenergy released
    food (glucose)energy releasedA diagram is simplified. Photosynthesis and respiration in detail: B4 Bioenergetics.

    Screen 11

    Which cell is it?

    • Tap a card, then choose: animal cell, or plant or algal cell.
    • Look for the cell wall first. Not every plant cell has chloroplasts.

    Tap a card to start.

    A diagram is simplified. How root hair cells and muscle cells are adapted: B1 L5 Specialised cells.

    Screen 12

    Checkpoint 3 of 3

    Quick check on screens 9 to 11. Tap an answer.

    1.A pondweed cell is about 60 µm long. A chloroplast is about 5 µm long. How many fit along it?

    2.When do the mitochondria in a leaf cell release energy?

    3.Cells from an onion bulb have no chloroplasts. How can you tell they are plant cells?

    Quiz

    Quiz: B1 L1 Animal and plant cells

    10 questions. Tap an answer. Your first answer counts towards your score.

    Animal and plant cells are eukaryotic cells. What does eukaryotic mean?

    Why can you not see ribosomes in the painting of cheek cells?

    Which sentence about the cytoplasm is correct?

    Enzymes are proteins. Where in a cell are enzymes made?

    What is inside the permanent vacuole of a plant cell?

    Cotton fibres are made of the same tough substance as plant cell walls. What is this substance?

    Which part does every plant cell have, but no animal cell has?

    A cheek cell is about 50 µm across. A mitochondrion is about 1 µm long. About how many mitochondria would fit end to end across the cell?

    Why does a leaf cell need both chloroplasts and mitochondria?

    A single cell from a pond has a nucleus, a cell wall made of cellulose and a chloroplast. What is it most likely to be?

    Exam questions

    The same 5 questions as the B1 L1 Exam questions worksheet. 20 marks.

    Write your answer, then open the mark scheme and tick each point you made.

    01Figure 1 shows a plant cell.

    Figure 1
    123

    01.1Complete Figure 1.

    Choose answers from the box.

    [3 marks]
    cell membranecell wallchloroplastmitochondrionnucleuspermanent vacuole

    01.2What is the function of the cell wall?

    Tick (✓) one box.

    [1 mark]
    01.2 What is the function of the cell wall?

    01.3Name the substance that plant cell walls are made of.

    [1 mark]
    Mark scheme
    • (1)
    • (1)
    • (1)
    • (1)
    • (1)

    01.1: 1 mark for each correct label. If more than one word from the box is written on one line, do not give that mark. allow "vacuole" for 3. do not accept "cell membrane" for 1.
    01.2: If more than one box is ticked, give 0 marks.
    01.3: allow phonetic spellings, such as "celulose". do not accept "cell sap", "chlorophyll" or "cellular".

    Model answer01.1 1 cell wall; 2 chloroplast; 3 permanent vacuole. 01.2 It strengthens the cell. 01.3 Cellulose.

    02A student used a light microscope to look at cells from the inside of her cheek.

    Figure 2 shows her drawing of one cheek cell.

    Figure 2
    cell membranecytoplasmnucleusA cheek cell

    02.1The cheek cell has no cell wall.

    Give one other way that the cheek cell in Figure 2 is different from the plant cell in Figure 1.

    [1 mark]

    02.2About 6 nuclei would fit side by side across the cheek cell.

    The cheek cell is 48 µm wide.

    Estimate the width of the nucleus.

    [2 marks]
    µm

    02.3The student could not see any mitochondria or ribosomes in the cheek cell.

    Suggest why.

    [1 mark]
    Mark scheme
    • (1)
    • (1)
    • (1)
    • (1)

    02.1: allow the same points written about the plant cell (for example "the plant cell has chloroplasts"). ignore "no cell wall" (given in the question). do not accept "it has no nucleus" or "it has no mitochondria".
    02.2: Correct answer with no working = 2 marks. allow 8 µm written anywhere in the space. do not accept 288 (48 × 6) or 42 (48 − 6).
    02.3: allow "too small to see clearly". allow "the magnification / resolution of a light microscope is not high enough". do not accept "cheek cells have no mitochondria" or "the stain hides them".

    Model answer02.1 The cheek cell has no chloroplasts. 02.2 48 ÷ 6 = 8 µm. 02.3 Mitochondria are too small to see clearly with a light microscope, and ribosomes are far too small to see at all: its resolution is not high enough.

    03Draw one line from each sub-cellular structure to its function.

    (Online: choose one function for each structure.)

    [3 marks]
    Mitochondria
    Nucleus
    Ribosomes

    Mark scheme
    • (1)
    • (1)
    • (1)

    If more than one line is drawn from a structure, do not give the mark for that structure.

    Model answerMitochondria: aerobic respiration; nucleus: contains genetic material, which controls the activities of the cell; ribosomes: protein synthesis.

    04Plant cells have a permanent vacuole.

    04.1Name the liquid inside the permanent vacuole.

    [1 mark]

    04.2Give the function of the permanent vacuole.

    [1 mark]
    Mark scheme
    • (1)
    • (1)

    04.1: allow "a (weak) solution of sugars and salts". do not accept "water" alone or "cytoplasm".
    04.2: allow "supports the cell" or "keeps the cell turgid". ignore "stores cell sap". do not accept "strengthens the cell wall" or "makes food".

    Model answer04.1 Cell sap. 04.2 It helps to keep the cell firm.

    05A student looked at cheek cells and at leaf cells from pondweed with a light microscope.

    Compare the structure of a cheek cell with the structure of a pondweed leaf cell.

    In your answer, give the function of each structure you name.

    [6 marks]
    Mark scheme

    Level of response. Read your answer, choose the level that fits best, then pick your mark.

    LevelMarksDescriptor
    35–6A detailed and coherent comparison. At least three structures are correctly given as found in both cells and at least two as found only in the pondweed leaf cell, with a correct function for most structures named.
    23–4Some structures are correctly given as found in both cells or only in the pondweed leaf cell, with a correct function for some of them. The comparison may be incomplete.
    11–2Simple statements, such as "the plant cell has a cell wall" or "both have a nucleus", with few or no functions.
    00No relevant content.

    Indicative content

    • both cells have a nucleus, which contains genetic material that controls the activities of the cell
    • both have cytoplasm, where most chemical reactions happen
    • both have a cell membrane, which controls the movement of substances into and out of the cell
    • both have mitochondria, where aerobic respiration happens, releasing energy
    • both have ribosomes, where proteins are made (protein synthesis)
    • both are eukaryotic: the genetic material is enclosed in a nucleus
    • only the pondweed cell has a cell wall, made of cellulose, which strengthens the cell
    • only the pondweed cell has chloroplasts, which absorb light to make food by photosynthesis
    • only the pondweed cell has a permanent vacuole, filled with cell sap, which keeps the cell firm
    • the cheek cell has an irregular shape; the pondweed cell has a regular, brick shape
    • Do not credit "mitochondria make / produce energy" (that statement scores nothing; other points can still score).

    Your mark:

    Model answer (Level 3)Both cells are eukaryotic, so both have a nucleus, which contains genetic material that controls the activities of the cell. Both have cytoplasm, where most chemical reactions happen, and a cell membrane, which controls the movement of substances into and out of the cell. Both have mitochondria, where aerobic respiration releases energy, and ribosomes, where proteins are made. Only the pondweed cell has a cell wall made of cellulose, which strengthens the cell. Only the pondweed cell has chloroplasts, which absorb light to make food by photosynthesis, and a permanent vacuole filled with cell sap, which keeps the cell firm. The cheek cell has an irregular shape, but the pondweed cell is a regular brick shape.

    Total: 0 out of 20

    Printable copy: the B1 L1 Exam questions worksheet and its mark scheme (PDF) are in Downloads.

    Downloads

    Worksheet answers are in the PowerPoint, in green, after each worksheet.

    All B1 lessons Daily 5 Exam practice Revision sheet (PDF)