Cell: The Building Block of Life

What argument would you give for the necessity of a cell wall in plants usually fixed in one place versus in animals usually moving from one place to the other?

What consequences would you predict for a plant cell if its cell wall were to become as flexible as a cell membrane?

Why is it important to cut the two potato pieces in roughly equal size and measure their initial weight before placing them in different liquids?

Do white flowers contain any pigment? Give reasons.

Draw a well-labelled schematic diagram of a plant or an animal cell using these clues —

Instead of many small ones, why does a cell not have a single giant mitochondrion? How does this relate to the concept of surface area?

If the skin cells start dividing by meiosis instead of mitosis, what do you think will happen to a cut on the skin?

Differentiate between the following pairs of terms based on the clues given in parentheses:

Two similar animal cells are placed in two different solutions: Cell X is placed in pure water. Cell Y is placed in a concentrated salt solution. Cells are observed after some time. Cell X swells, and Cell Y shrinks. Which statement provides the correct explanation for the above observations?

Which of the following option(s) of the pairs of cell organelles are correctly placed under the given categories?

Two students, Renu and Rohit, were having a discussion on the plastids. Renu emphasised that all parts of the plants, even roots, contain plastids. However, Rohit did not agree with the statement and told her that plastids are absent in plant roots since the roots are underground and do not need to perform photosynthesis. Who is correct? Justify your answer.

Mitochondria and chloroplasts are two important organelles in a plant cell. Discuss how these two organelles are structurally and functionally similar to each other, and different from each other.

Which of the following pairs of cell organelles contains DNA?

Indicate the presence or absence of following structures in bacterial and animal cells:

Identify the pair that incorrectly matches the cell organelle with its function.

What outcome do you expect, if all the mitochondria are removed from a eukaryotic cell?

The cell membrane of a cell is made up of proteins and lipids. Which cell organelles help in the synthesis of cell membrane? Write the path of these compounds from their site of synthesis to the cell membrane and show this through a labelled diagram.

What would happen if gametes are formed by mitotic divisions?

A farmer, Deepa, was very happy with the harvest of amla (Indian Gooseberry) and lemons on her farm. However, she could sell only one-fourth of the produce in the local market. Recognising that a significant amount of produce may be lost post-harvest, she employed a traditional yet scientifically sound method to extend the shelf life of amla and lemons. She turned perishable produce into profitable products, such as pickles and sharbat. She used the excess produce to prepare pickles, murabbas, and sharbat by adding appropriate amounts of salt, sugar, or jaggery to small pieces of fruit and their juices. These were then stored in small glass bottles for sale, helping her prevent the wastage of post-harvest produce. This shift from farming to agro-processing would strengthen food security and boost the local economy, creating a sustainable model that cuts waste while increasing her income. Based on the above passage answer the following questions: