Everything you need to ace your quiz on the Characteristics of Life and Cell Organelles — study the notes, watch the video, then test yourself!
All living things share six key characteristics. If something checks all six boxes — it's alive! Learn each one below.
Two major types of cells — the key difference is where the DNA lives.
| Feature | Eukaryotic | Prokaryotic |
|---|---|---|
| DNA location | Inside the nucleus | Floating in the cytoplasm |
| Has a nucleus? | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Examples | Plants, animals, fungi, protists | Bacteria |
| Unicellular or multicellular? | Both possible | Always unicellular |
Watch this video on the Characteristics of Life to reinforce what you just studied!
Organelles are structures inside a cell that each do a specialized job. Think of them as the departments of a tiny city.
Now that you know your organelles, watch this rap to help lock it all in before the quiz!
Every organelle has a city counterpart. Just like a city needs all its departments working together to thrive — so does your cell!
🌆 Imagine your cell is a bustling city. It has a government center, a power grid, factories, delivery trucks, waste management, and border control — all working in perfect harmony to keep the city alive and running. Remove any one piece, and the whole system suffers.
Just as the Mayor's Office issues laws and decisions that guide the whole city, the nucleus contains the DNA "rulebook" that tells every organelle what to do.
Border control decides who and what enters or leaves the city. The cell membrane does the same — carefully regulating what passes in and out of the cell.
Ancient city walls kept the city standing tall and protected. The cell wall gives plant cells rigid structure and protection (only in plant cities!).
No city runs without electricity. The mitochondria generate ATP energy to power all of the cell's activities, just like a power station keeps the lights on.
Factories follow blueprints from headquarters to manufacture products. Ribosomes read instructions from the nucleus (DNA) to build proteins the cell needs.
A city's subway and road system moves people and goods around. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is the cell's highway, transporting proteins where they need to go.
The post office sorts, packages, and ships mail. Golgi bodies receive proteins from the ER, package them up, and ship them to the right destination inside or outside the cell.
Solar panels collect sunlight and convert it to usable energy. Chloroplasts do the exact same thing for plant cells through photosynthesis.
A city reservoir stores water for when citizens need it. Vacuoles store water, nutrients, and waste — plant cells have one giant central reservoir; animal cells have many smaller ones.
Every city needs garbage trucks and waste processing. Lysosomes are the cell's clean-up crew — breaking down waste, worn-out parts, and invaders to keep the cell healthy.
Streets connect every part of a city. The cytoplasm is the gel-like fluid that all organelles are suspended in — it lets nutrients and materials move freely from place to place.
Test your knowledge on all things life! Click an answer to see instant feedback.
Put your organelle knowledge to the test! Can you identify the right part for each job?