This is a protective barrier around the cell that separates the inside of the cell from its environment. Similar to the shell of an egg, this protective barrier makes sure that the cell is safe. It allows materials that are needed to enter the cell, and it allows waste products to leave the cell. The cell membrane keeps out materials that are not needed or that may harm the cell. It also helps cells communicate with each other and recognize each other and other molecules.

The cytoplasm is not technically an organelle but rather the substance all the organelles and nutrients are suspended in. All the “empty” spaces in a cell are actually the cytoplasm, and it is held in a general shape by the cell membrane. Cytoplasm has a jelly-like texture that the other organelles can move around in (similar to water in a fish tank).

The nucleus is the organelle that contains DNA and tells the rest of the cell and its organelles what to do. It is like the manager of a store or the brain of an animal. It is surrounded by a barrier called the nuclear envelope that acts in a similar way to the cell membrane. It allows needed particles into the nucleus but keeps out unwanted particles.

Lysosomes are sacs that are surrounded by a membrane. This is where the food the cell eats gets broken down into nutrients, similar to our digestive system’s function. They can also help with the defence of the cell, as they can digest molecules that are not supposed to be in the cell, such as invading bacteria. Lysosomes will also break down organelles that are broken or are not needed anymore.

Vacuoles are also called vesicles, depending on the function they are performing. These are sacs or pockets of cytoplasm surrounded by their own membrane within the cell. Vacuoles are used for storage of things like nutrients, water, fats, or needed materials; while vesicles are used to transport these around the cell. Plant cells use vacuoles to control the amount of water within the cell.

Mitochondria are organelles that look a lot like sticks or rods. They are long and thin. This is where nutrients are converted into energy for the cell to use through a process called cellular respiration. Mitochondria have an inner and outer membrane to assist in cellular respiration

The endoplasmic reticulum is a series of small tubes that extend from the nuclear envelope that are used to move materials from the nucleus around the cell. There are two kinds of endoplasmic reticulum: the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum.

The rough endoplasmic reticulum has ribosomes attached to it. This version of the endoplasmic reticulum is used for protein synthesis. The nucleus makes copies of sections of DNA called messenger RNA that then pass through the nuclear envelope into the rough endoplasmic reticulum where they are read like a recipe to make proteins.

The smooth endoplasmic reticulum does not contain ribosomes and helps the cell create lipids (fats and oils).

Within both the rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, the products made are then packaged into vesicles and transported to the rest of the cell, usually to the cell membrane or the Golgi apparatus.

Ribosomes are tiny particles that can be attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum or that are floating freely in the cytoplasm. This is the place where the messenger RNA is read to produce proteins.

The Golgi apparatus receives the materials made in the endoplasmic reticulum and processes them. This means the Golgi finishes the materials off so they are fully functional. It then sorts and repackages the materials into vesicles to be sent to the rest of the cell or the cell membrane. It is made up of flat, disc-shaped sacs.