Life Unit Vocabulary

1. Organism – a living thing.

2. Cell – the basic unit of function and structure in living things.

3. Autotroph – an organism which produces its own food.

4. Heterotroph – an organism which cannot make its own food.

5. Unicellular – made of only one cell.

6. Multicellular – made of many cells.

7. Microscope – a device that uses lenses to make tiny objects appear larger.

8. Cell Theory – The theory that states: 1. All living things are made of cells. 2. Cells are the basic unit of structure and function in living things. 3. All cells are produced from other cells.

9. Cell wall – A rigid layer of nonliving material that surrounds the cells of plants and some other organisms.

10. Cell membrane – The outside boundary of a cell; controls which substances can enter or leave the cell.

11. Nucleus – the control center of the cell that controls the cell’s activities and determines the cell’s characteristics.

12. Cytoplasm – the part of the cell which contains the organelles and a gel-like material.

13. Mitochondria – Rod-shaped organelles that produce the energy needed to carry out a cell’s functions.

14. Prokaryote – an organism whose cells DO NOT have a nucleus.

15. Eukaryote – an organism whose cells DO have a nucleus.

16. Chloroplast – An organelle in plant cells and some other organisms that captures energy from sunlight and uses it to produce food.

17. Vacuole – A water-filled sac inside a cell that acts as a storage area.

18. Lysosome – A small rounded organelle that contains chemicals that break down large food particles into smaller ones.

19. Ribosome – A tiny structure in the cytoplasm of a cell where proteins are made.

20. Endoplasmic reticulum – A cell structure that forms a maze of passageways in which proteins and other materials are carried from one part of the cell to another.

21. Golgi Body – A structure in a cell that receives proteins and other materials from the endoplasmic reticulum, packages them, and distributes them to other parts of the cell.

22. Organelle – A tiny cell structure that carries out a specific function within the cell.