JAI GURU DEV

MAHARISHI VIDYA MANDIR SR.SEC.SCHOOL, CHETPET, CHENNAI-31

CLASS: IX
SUBJECT: BIOLOGY
CHAPTER: 5. THE FUNDAMENTAL UNIT OF LIFE
1) How does an Amoeba obtain its food?
Amoeba obtain its food by the process of endocytosis. In Amoeba,
the food particles get surrounded by a cell membrane which
invaginates to form pseudopodia. The pseudopodia then merge
with each other forming a food vacuole which is engulfed into the
body of Amoeba. These vesicles are called phagosomes where the
food is digested.
2) How do substances like CO2 and water move in and out of
the cell
CO2 – Diffusion Water – Osmosis
3) What would happen if the plasma membrane ruptures or
breaks down?
Plasma membrane is the selectively permeable membrane that
surrounds the cell and allows the entry and exit of selected materials
of the cell. If it ruptures, the contents of the cell will come in direct
contact with the surrounding medium and not only unwanted
material will be able to enter freely into the cell, but useful material
will also find its way out of the cell easily. This will seriously disrupt
the various metabolic activities of the cell and will result in its eminent
death.
4) Define diffusion. Differentiate between diffusion and osmosis.
Spontaneous movement of molecules from a region of high
concentration to a region of lower concentration is called diffusion.
DIFFUSION OSMOSIS
1. It occurs in any medium. It occurs in liquid medium only.
2. Diffusing molecules may be It involves movement of
solid, liquid or gaseous solutes. solvent molecules only.

3. Semipermeable membrane is Semipermeable membrane is

not required required

5) In brief state what happens when:

(a) Dry apricots are left for some time in pure water and later
transferred to sugar solution.
(b) A red blood cell is kept in concentrated saline solution.
(c) Rheo leaves are boiled in water first and then a drop of
sugar syrup is put on it.
(a) The apricots swell due to endosmosis initially and when transferred
to sugar solution shrink again due to exosmosis.
(b) RBCs shrink due to exosmosis.
(c) There will be no change in cell shape or size because the cells are
dead due to boiling.
6) What is osmosis?
The passage of water from a region of high water concentration
through a semi-permeable membrane to a region of low water
concentration.
7) Who discovered cells and how?
Robert Hooke in 1665 discovered the cells. He examined thin slices of
Cork under a self designed primitive microscope and saw that they
resembled the structure of a honey comb. The latter consisted of
many tiny compartments. Cell is a Latin word for a ‘Little room’.
8) Differentiate between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell.
PROKARYOTIC CELL EUKARYOTIC CELL
1. Size: Generally small (1-10mm) Size: Generally large. (5-100mm)
2. Nuclear region: It is termed Nuclear region: Well defined and
nucleoid. It lies in the cytoplasm surrounded by a nuclear region.
and not covered with a nuclear
membrane.
3. Chromosome: Single. More than one chromosome.
4. Membrane bound cell organelles Membrane bound cell organelles
absent. present.
5. Ex: Cyanobacteria Ex: Plant cell, Animal cell

9. Differentiate between rough and smooth endoplasmic

reticulum. How is endoplasmic reticulum important for
membrane biogenesis?
Rough endoplasmic reticulum Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
1. They have ribosomes attached They do not have ribosomes
on their surface. attached on their surface.
2. RER which has ribosomes are SER helps in manufacturing lipids
responsible for the
manufactures proteins

Some of the proteins and lipids from endoplasmic reticulum help in

building the cell membrane. This process is known as membrane
biogenesis.
10) Why are lysosomes known as ‘suicidal bags’?
Lysosomes are known as ‘suicidal bags’ because when cell gets
damaged during the disturbance in cellular metabolism, lysosomes
may burst and the digestive enzymes thus released digest their
own cell.
11) What would happen to the life of a cell if there were no Golgi
apparatus?
If there were no Golgi apparatus, the material synthesised by
endoplasmic reticulum would not be carried to the various parts inside
and outside of the cell. As the Golgi apparatus performs the
function of storage and modification of the material synthesised in
the cell, these materials would not be stored and modified further.
Moreover there will be no production of lysosomes.
12) What are chromosomes made up of? How are chromatin,
chromatid and chromosomes related to each other?
Chromosomes are made up of DNA and protein. Chromatin is a thread
like structure which is composed of DNA (DEOXYRIBO NUCLEIC ACID)
and proteins to form a rod like chromatid. Two similar chromatids
 attach to a centromere to form a chromosome.
13) Why is the cell called the structural and functional unit of
life?
All living organisms are made up of cells. This shows that the cell is
the structural unit of life. Each living cell has the capacity to perform
certain basic functions that are characteristics of all living forms. For
example, phagocytic cells eat or kill unwanted or foreign particles
inside the body (ex. WBCs). Some cell, ex.,pancreatic cells, small
intestinal cells, liver cells secrete enzymes and hormones. That is
why cell is called the structural and functional unit of life.
14) List any four functions performed by nucleus.
a) It controls all the metabolic activities of the cell.
b) It takes part in the formation of ribosomes.
c) It regulates cell cycle.
d) It contains genetic information in the form of genes located in the
chromosomes and is concerned with the transmission of hereditary
traits from one generation to other.
15) Draw a well labelled diagram of an eukaryotic nucleus.
How is it different from nucleoid?
(a) Nucleoid is undifferentiated.
(b) Nucleoid is not bound by nuclear membrane.
(c) Nucleoid does not contain well defined chromosomes.
(d) Nucleoid does not possess nucleolus and nucleoplasm
16) Make a comparison and write down ways in which plant cells
are different from animal cells.
Plant cells Animal cells
1. Plant cells are larger in size Animal cells are comparatively
smaller in size.
2. They contain cell wall made of Cell wall is absent. Only plasma
cellulose which is present membrane is present.
outside the plasma membrane
3.They contain plastids, i.e., Plastids are absent.
chloroplasts, leucoplasts and
chromoplasts
4. Centrosomes are absent. Centrosomes are present.
5. Larger vacuoles are present. Vacuoles are either absent or are
very small in size
6. Food is stored in the form of Food is stored in the form of
starch. glycogen.
7. Lysosomes are either absent or More number of prominent
are very few in number lysosomes are present.

17) Write the name of different plant parts in which chromoplast,

chloroplast and leucoplast are present.
i) Chromoplast are present in flowers, fruits or any other coloured part
of the plant (other than green part).
ii) Chloroplasts are present in leaves and stem of plant (green part).
iii) Leucoplasts are present anywhere in plant as they are colourless
and store food.
18) Differentiate between mitosis and meiosis.
 MITOSIS MEIOSIS
1. It occurs in somatic cells. It occurs in reproductive cells.
2. It is an equational division. It is a reductional division.
3. Two daughter cells are formed Four daughter cells are formed.
4. Daughter cells have same Daughter cells have half the
number of chromosome as the number of chromosomes as the
parent cell. parent cell.
5. It consists of four stages. It consists of eight stages.
6. It helps in growth and repair of It is responsible for production of
injured tissues. gametes.

19) Which organelle is known as the powerhouse of the cell?

Why?
Mitochondria are known as power house of the cell because these are
the sites of cellular respiration. They release energy in the form of ATP
(Adenosine Triphosphate). This energy is then utilised by the
organelles to carry out their basic functions.
20) a) Define plasmolysis.
b) Which cell organelle is commonly called ‘Scavenger of the
cell ‘? From where it arises?
a) It is the shrinkage of protoplasm due to loss of water when kept in
a hypertonic medium.
b) Lysosomes are commonly called ‘Scavenger of the cell ‘. These arise
from the Golgi complex.
21) Draw a neat diagram of plant cell and label the parts.
.