Chapter 8: Cell : The Unit of Life
50 sample Cell : The Unit of Life flashcard questions and answers for NEET-UG Biology - Class 11, laid out as a readable study sheet. Read them straight on this page, print them, or save them as a PDF using your browser's print dialog.
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| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is Biology? | Biology is the study of living organisms. |
| Which theory emphasised the unity underlying the diversity of life forms? | Cell theory. |
| What does cell theory state about all life forms? | All life forms have cellular organisation. |
| What does the study of cell structure and cell growth by division help explain? | The unity and organisation of living organisms. |
| What created a sense of mystery around physiological and behavioural processes? | The requirement of integrity of cellular organisation for living phenomena to be demonstrated or observed. |
| Which approach uses cell-free systems to investigate physiological and behavioural processes? | The physico-chemical approach. |
| What does analysis of living tissues reveal? | The types of organic compounds present in living organisms. |
| What is meant by the molecular basis of physiological processes? | Understanding how biomolecules carry out processes like digestion, excretion, memory, defence and recognition. |
| What can the physico-chemical approach also explain? | Abnormal processes occurring during diseased conditions. |
| What is Reductionist Biology? | The physico-chemical approach used to study and understand living organisms. |
| Who was G.N. Ramachandran? | An outstanding figure in the field of protein structure. |
| What major discovery of G.N. Ramachandran was published in *Nature* in 1954? | The triple helical structure of collagen. |
| What is the Ramachandran plot used for? | Analysis of the allowed conformations of proteins. |
| What is the basic unit of life present in all living organisms? | The cell. |
| What are unicellular organisms? | Organisms composed of a single cell. |
| What are multicellular organisms? | Organisms composed of many cells. |
| Why is the cell called the fundamental structural and functional unit of life? | Because anything less than a complete cell cannot ensure independent living. |
| Who first saw and described a live cell? | Antonie Von Leeuwenhoek. |
| Who discovered the nucleus? | Robert Brown. |
| What advancement revealed the structural details of the cell? | The invention and improvement of the microscope leading to the electron microscope. |
| Who examined many plants and observed that all plants are composed of different kinds of cells? | Matthias Schleiden. |
| Who studied different types of animal cells and reported the presence of a thin outer layer? | Theodore Schwann. |
| What is the thin outer layer of animal cells called today? | Plasma membrane. |
| What unique characteristic of plant cells did Schwann identify? | Presence of a cell wall. |
| What hypothesis did Schwann propose regarding plants and animals? | That the bodies of plants and animals are composed of cells and products of cells. |
| Who together formulated the cell theory? | Schleiden and Schwann. |
| What important aspect was not explained by the original cell theory? | How new cells were formed. |
| Who explained that new cells arise from pre-existing cells? | Rudolf Virchow. |
| State the first principle of modern cell theory. | All living organisms are composed of cells and products of cells. |
| State the second principle of modern cell theory. | All cells arise from pre-existing cells. |
| What is the outer boundary of a typical plant cell like the onion cell? | Cell wall. |
| What lies just inside the cell wall in a plant cell? | Cell membrane. |
| What is the delimiting outer structure of human cheek cells? | Outer membrane. |
| What dense membrane-bound structure is found inside cells? | Nucleus. |
| What do chromosomes contain? | Genetic material (DNA). |
| What are eukaryotic cells? | Cells with membrane-bound nuclei. |
| What are prokaryotic cells? | Cells lacking a membrane-bound nucleus. |
| What is cytoplasm? | A semi-fluid matrix occupying the volume of the cell. |
| Why is cytoplasm called the main arena of cellular activities? | Because various chemical reactions occur in it to keep the cell alive. |
| Name the membrane-bound organelles found in eukaryotic cells besides the nucleus. | Endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, lysosomes, mitochondria, microbodies and vacuoles. |
| Which membrane-bound organelles are absent in prokaryotic cells? | ER, Golgi complex, lysosomes, mitochondria, microbodies and vacuoles. |
| Which organelles are non-membrane bound and found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells? | Ribosomes. |
| Where are ribosomes found inside cells? | In the cytoplasm, chloroplasts, mitochondria and on rough ER. |
| Which non-membrane-bound organelle in animal cells helps in cell division? | Centrosome. |
| What is the largest isolated single cell mentioned? | Egg of an ostrich. |
| Which cells are among the longest cells in the body? | Nerve cells. |
| Mention some shapes of cells described in the text. | Disc-like, polygonal, columnar, cuboid, thread-like and irregular. |
| What determines the shape of a cell? | The function it performs. |
| Which structures are represented by prokaryotic cells? | Bacteria, blue-green algae, mycoplasma and PPLO (Pleuro Pneumonia Like Organisms). |
| How are prokaryotic cells different from eukaryotic cells in size and multiplication? | They are generally smaller and multiply more rapidly. |
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