Mitochondrion and Chloroplast

Mitochondria and chloroplasts are organelles. Organelles are small parts of the cell. Scientists on recently, in the 1970's, discovered how to see how they work by separating the organelles. Before, they could see some of the largest organelles but they could not see how they work.

The mitochondrion is sometimes called the 'Power House' of the cell. This is because the mitochondrion, using cellular respiration, harnesses the energy within glucose to make an energy rich molecule called ATP. AYP provides power to drive most chemical reactions within the cell. The mitochondrion has an outer membrane and an inner membrane, or cristae. The outer membrane is brown oval shaped. The cristae is beige and has lots of curves. Inside the cristae is a blue substance called Matrix.

The chloroplast has an outer and inner membrane. It is curved on the top and flat on the bottom. Within in are towers and stacks of disks called granal thylakoid. The chloroplast is the reason why plants can feed themselves. Using photosynthesis, it uses the Sun's energy to convert Carbon Dioxide to glucose. The most important part of this occurs within a granum, on disks called thylakoid membranes.

- Kara Science 8

Cells!

Who: Before they had microscopes to see the cells, people did not understand that plants and animals were made up of cells.

What: Cells are the basic building block of life.y They are the basic unit of organization of organisms.

When: The electron microscope was invented in the 1940s.

Where: All life and organisms are made up of cells. Single cell organisms such as bacteria is made of cells called prokaryotic cells. Multicellular plants and animals are made of cells called eukaryotic cells.

Why: Prokaryotic cells do not have membrane bound structures within them. Cells that do have membrane bound structures within are called eukaryotic cells. The membrane bound structures within are called organelles. Each organelles has a specific function so it survives.