ACTIVTY: Complete the key ideas activity

Directions: Read the passage below. Then, using the passage for evidence, give me the evidence
for the key ideas. Feel free to highlight important pieces while you read.

What Are Cells?

Cells are the basic units of life. All living things are composed of cells and cells perform the
functions needed for an organism to survive. Cells make copies of themselves to produce new cells.

There are many varieties of cell shapes and sizes. Although there are many differences from
one cell to the next, all cells have two characteristics in common. All cells are surrounded by a
barrier called a cell membrane and all cells contain genetic information at some point in their lives.

There are two broad categories of cells: prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These categories
depend on whether the cell contains a nucleus. A nucleus is a large structure that contains the cell’s
genetic information called DNA.

Prokaryotes
Prokaryotes are cells that do not contain a nucleus. In fact, the word prokaryote means
“before the nucleus.” These types of cell contain DNA but it is not found in a nucleus. Instead, the
DNA is found in the cytoplasm. Additionally, prokaryotes do not contain organelles. Organelles
are structures that perform different functions in the cell. Instead, prokaryotes carry out all the
functions needed to keep the organism alive in its cytoplasm. Prokaryotes contain only one
structure within them - ribosomes. Ribosomes are important to protein synthesis (making protein).
An example of a prokaryotic cell is bacterium.

Eukaryotes
Eukaryotes are cells that contain a nucleus. The word eukaryote means “true nucleus.” A
eukaryote’s DNA is found within the nucleus. Eukaryotic cells also contain membrane-bound
organelles. The organelles carry out different functions important to the survival of the cell.
Examples of eukaryotic cells are animal cells, plant cells and protists.

🔑KEY IDEAS:
🔑The cell is the basic unit of life.
This means that:
🔑All cells have some characteristics in
common.
This means that:

🔑 There are two broad categories of

cells.
This means that: