Answer Key

Practice Zone (Pages 119–120)

A. 1. d 2. d 3. a 4. b 5. a
B. 1. protein 2. nucleolus 3. genes 4. vacuole 5. microscope
C. 1. False. The cell wall is made up of cellulose.
2. True
3. False. The gel-like fluid inside the nucleus is nucleoplasm.
4. False. The cells in human body have different shapes and sizes.
5. True
D. 1. The basic structural and functional unit of a living organism is called a cell.
2. Cell membrane
3. He was the first scientist to observe a living cell under microscope.
4. Endoplasmic reticulum helps in synthesis, storage and transportation of substances within the
cell. It also helps in protein synthesis.
5. Chromoplasts
E. 1. Cell walls are present only in plant cells. A cell wall is an extra layer present outside the cell
membrane. Plants are fixed in one place, have to face unfavourable conditions and do not have
any skeleton for support. The cell wall provides rigidity and protection to the plant cells.
2. Amoeba and WBCs in human body do not have a specific shape. They have pseudopodia and
show amoeboid movements.
3. Cells are stained before observing under a microscope as they are colourless. A stain is a dye
which is absorbed by the specimen and gives it a particular colour. This helps to identify and
observe the various parts of the specimen. Methylene blue, safranin and crystal violet are some
examples of stains.
4. All living organisms, whether unicellular or multi-cellular, can produce more cells by
undergoing cell division. Hence, cell division is the basis of life. It helps the organism to grow
or to replace old or damaged cells.
5. Prokaryotic cells Eukaryotic cells
They lack a well-defined membrane-bound They have a well-defined membrane-
nucleus. bound nucleus.
The genetic material freely floats in the The genetic material is enclosed within the
cytoplasm. nucleus.
Bacteria and cyanobacteria (Nostoc, Anabaena) All plants and animals have eukaryotic
are some examples of prokaryotic cells. cells.

F. 1. Plastid and cell wall are the two organelles that are seen only in the plant cell.
Plastids are double membrane-bound organelles and are spherical or oval in shape. They have
certain pigments that have specific functions.
Cell wall is an extra layer present outside the cell membrane. Plants are fixed in one place,
have to face unfavorable conditions and do not have any skeleton for support. The cell wall
provides rigidity and protection to the plant cells. It is made up of cellulose.

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 2. The nucleus is referred to as the brain of the cell as it controls all the major activities of the
cell. It is the largest and the most important part of the cell. It is surrounded by a nuclear
membrane, which is porous and allows the movement of molecules from the cytoplasm and the
nucleus. Inside the nucleus, a dense fluid called nucleoplasm is present.
The smaller, spherical structure present within the nucleus is called nucleolus, which plays
an important part in protein synthesis. The nucleus contains thread-like structures called
chromatin. When the cells are about to divide, the chromatin changes into rod-like, thicker
structures called chromosomes. They carry genes that are responsible for transfer of hereditary
characters from parents to offsprings.
3. Cell is the basic structural and functional unit of an organism. When a group of cells join to
perform a specific function, it is called a tissue. Many tissues group together to form an organ,
such as heart, brain and stomach. A group of organs that performs a function together form
an organ system, such as muscular system and circulatory system. Many such organ systems
work together in a living organism.
4. The cell theory was formulated by three biologists – Theodor Schwann, Matthias Schleiden
and Rudolph Virchow. The postulates are:
1. All living organisms are made up of cells.
2. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all living organisms.
3. All cells arise from pre-existing cells by cell division.
4. All cells have the same chemical composition.
5. Given below is the well-labelled diagram of an animal cell.
Lysosome Ribosome
Cell membrane
Golgi apparatus
Cytoplasm

Endoplasmic
reticulum

Vacuole
Centrosome

Mitochondrion

Nucleolus
Nuclear Membrane
Nucleoplasm
G. 1. Vacuoles are fluid filled sac-like structures, which store excess food and water that a cell uses
to survive harsh conditions. Since plant is fixed in a place, the large vacuoles help them to face
the unfavourable environmental conditions. On the other hand, animals can move from one
place to another to overcome environmental stress.
2. Golgi bodies are responsible for packaging, modifying and transporting proteins and fats to
different parts of the cell and also help to synthesize lysosomes. These functions would be
affected if there were no Golgi bodies in the cell.

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Incredible Science Grade 8 TM.indb 84 24/11/21 11:31 AM

 H. 1. Second picture represents a plant cell.
Cell membrane Cell membrane Cell wall
Cytoplasm Cytoplasm
Vacuole
Chloroplast

Vacuole

Nucleus
Nucleus

2. White blood cells

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Incredible Science Grade 8 TM.indb 85 24/11/21 11:31 AM