Self-

In
Study
Biolog
y

q Anmolpreet Singh
1 S
Chapter- The Fundamental Unit of
1 Life
CONTENTS
 Quick Revision of chapter  NCERT Exemplar Question
 Key Terms  Some Typical Questions
 NCERT Textbook Questions  HOTS Questions
 NCERT Exercise  Paragraph-Based Questions
 Objective Type Questions  Application-based Questions
 MCQs  Analyzing, Evaluating &
 Fill in the blanks Creating Type Questions
 Assertion & Reason Type  Some Additional MCQ’s
Questions  Competition File
 True & False  Chapter Practice Test
 Matching Type Questions  Revision Exercises
 Very Short Questions  Mock Tests
 Short Questions  Solution File
 Long Questions

2 Self-Study in Biology
 Quick Revision
1. Cell is structural and functional unit of life.
2. Cell biology is the study of all aspects of cell structure and function.
3. The term ‘cell’ was derived from a Latin word cellulae which means a little
room. This term was first used by Robert Hooke.
4. In 1674, Anton Von Leeuwenhoek  a Dutch scientist studied first living cells.
5. In 1831, Robert Brown discovered and named the nucleus in the cell.
6. J.E. Purkinje, in 1839, used the term protoplasm.
7. Cell Theory. M.J. Schleiden in 1838, a botanist and T. Schwann, a zoologist
gave the cell theory; which was further proposed by Rudolf Virchow (in 1855),
a German pathologist. The cell theory states that
i. The cell is the structural and functional unit of life. Viruses are exception to
cell theory.
ii. Activities of an organism are the sum total of activities of its cell.
iii. Omnis cellula e cullula which means that new cells are formed from pre-
existing cells.
8. Smallest organisms are of pluero pneumonia like organism (PPLO)  Mycoplasma
galliseptium which are about 0.1 to 0.5 m (micrometer); and the largest cell is
of an ostrich egg which is about 18 cm.
Note: A micrometer (m) or micron is one thousandth of a millimeter.
9. In prokaryotes, a well organised nucleus is absent and membrane-bound
organelles are lacking e.g., bacteria and blue-green algae.
10. In eukaryotes, a well organised nucleus is present and membrane-bound
organelles are present e.g., plants, animals, fungi and protists.
11. Cell membrane encloses and holds cell contents. It is made up of bilayer of
lipids, proteins and some carbohydrates are attached to it. It is selectively
permeable.
12. The membrane through which substance do not pass is called impermeable;
through which both solute and solvent can pass is called permeable; through
which only solvent can pass is called semi-permeable and through which
solvent and some solutes can pass is called selectively permeable
membrane.
13. When the movement of molecules takes place from higher concentration to
the lower concentration without the expenditure of energy, is called passive
transport.
14. When the movement of molecules takes place from higher concentration to
the lower concentration with the expenditure of energy, is called active
transport.
15. The process of movement of molecules takes place from higher concentration
to the lower concentration as to spread equally, is called diffusion.

Self-Study in Biology 3
16. The diffusion of water (solvent) through a semi-permeable membrane from a
reign of higher concentration to the reign of lower concentration is called
osmosis.
17. The outflow of water from the cell towards the external solution is called
exosmosis, whereas the inflow of water into the cell is called endosmosis.
18. Cell wall is made up of cellulose (commonly found in the plants). It provides
shape, rigidity, and protection to cell.
19. Mitochondria are ‘power house of the cell’ whereas chloroplasts are ‘kitchen
of the cell’.
20. Endoplasmic reticulum provides internal support to cytoplasm; RER helps in
protein synthesis; SER helps in lipid synthesis.
21. Golgi apparatus (or Golgi body) helps in formation of cell plate and synthesis
of lysosomes.
22. Lysosomes are suicide bags. They also help in intercellular digestion.
23. Ribosomes help in protein synthesis.
24. Centrosomes contain centrioles which help in spindle formation. It is absent
in plants.
25. Vacuoles are involved in the maintenance of water balance. They also
separate variety of substances (in cell sap) from the cytoplasm.
26. Nucleus is the largest cell structure. It controls all the vital activities of the
cell. It also contains all the information necessary for structure, metabolism,
growth and reproduction.
27. Plant cells contain cell wall, plastid and lack centrioles, whereas animal cells
lack cell wall and plastids but possess centrioles.
28. Cells undergo division to provide for growth for the body, replacing dead
cells, repair of injury, forming asexual reproductive propagules and gametes for
sexual reproduction.

Key Terms
Cell inclusions : Non-living structures of cytoplasm

Cell organelles : Living structures of a cytoplasm

Centromere : Point of attachment of two chromatids of a chromosome

Chloroplasts : Chlorophyll-containing plastids

Chromosome : A rod-like condensed chromatin-fibre, formed of DNA

and proteins

Cristae : Infolds of inner mitochondrial membrane

Diffusion : Passive movement of materials from a reign of higher

concentration to a reign of lower concentration

Eukaryotic cell : Cell with true nucleus

4 Self-Study in Biology
Genes : Segments of DNA with genetic information

Granum : A stack of thylakoids in a plastid

Leucoplasts : Colourless plastids

Multicellular : Formed of many cells e.g. mammals, animals, man etc.

Nucleoid : A primitive nucleus of prokaryotes

N.C.E.R.T TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS
Osmosis : A passive movement of water from a reign of higher
concentration to a region with lower water concentration

NCERT Textbook
Plasmolysis
Questions
: Shrinking of protoplasm away from the cell wall when a plant
cell is placed in hypertonic solution

Prokaryotic cell : Cell with nucleoid (no nuclear membrane) e.g. bacteria, RBCs

Tonoplast : Vacuolar membrane

Unicellular : Formed of only one cell e.g. Amoeba, Paramoecium and

Euglena
N.C.E.R.T Textbook Questions
 Questions : Page 59

Q.1. Who discovered cells and cell and so on. A cell is able to live and
how? perform all its functions because of
Ans. Robert Hooke discovered cells these organelles. These cell organelles
with the help of his self-designed are together constitute the basic unit is
microscope. In 1665, Robert Hooke was called the cell.
examining a thin slice of cork (from
Quercus tree) and he saw that the cork  Questions : Page 61
resembled the structure of a honey
consisting of many compartment. Q.3. How do substances like CO 2
and water move in and out of the
Q.2. Why is the cell called the cell? Discuss.
structural and functional unit of Ans. Substances like CO2 (which is
life? cellular waste and requires to be
Ans. Each living cell has the capacity excreted out of the cell) accumulates in
to perform certain basic functions that high concentration inside the cell. In the
are characteristics of all living forms. cell’s external environment, the
Each living cell has got certain specific concentration of CO2 is low compared to
component within it known as cell that inside the cell. As soon as there is
organelles. Each kind of cell organelle a difference of concentration of CO 2
performs a specific function, such as inside and outside the cell, CO 2 moves
making new material in the cell, out of the cell, from a reign of high
clearing up the waste material from the concentration, to a reign of low

Self-Study in Biology 5
concentration outside the cell by the
process of diffusion.

 Questions : Page 63
Q.4. Fill in the gaps in the
following table illustrating
differences between prokaryotic
and eukaryotic cells.

Prokaryotic Cells Eukaryotic Cells

1. Size. Generally 1. Size. Generally
small (1-10 m) large (5-100 m)
2. Nuclear 2. Nuclear
Region. ……… Region. Well
defined and
and known as
surrounded by
………… nuclear membrane
3. 3.
Chromosomes. Chromosomes.
More than one
Single chromosomes
4. Membrane 4.
bound cell …………………….
organelles. ……………………….
Absent .

6 Self-Study in Biology
Ans. Left Side: 2. (i) Poorly defined the cell will not able to perform certain
due to absence of nuclear envelope. (ii) basic functions and ultimately it will die
Nucleoid soon.
Right Side: 4. Membrane bound cell
organelles are present. Q.7. Why are lysosomes known as
suicide bags?
 Questions : Page 65 Ans. Lysosomes contain powerful
digestive enzymes capable of breaking
Q.5. Can you name the two down all the organic material whenever
organelles we have studied that there is a disturbance in the cellular
contain their own genetic material? metabolism i.e., when the cell gets
N.C.E.R.T CHAPTER END EXERCISE
Ans. Yes. Mitochondria and Plastid. damaged, then these lysosomes may
burst and the enzymes digest their own
Q.6. If the organisation of a cell is cell. Therefore, lysosomes are known as
destroyed due to some physical or the ‘suicide bags’.
chemical influence, what will
happen? Q.8. Where are proteins
Ans. Each living cell has the capacity synthesised inside the cell?
to perform certain basic functions due Ans. Ribosomes (which are attached
to its cell organelles which are to the surface of Rough Endoplasmic
responsible for its organisation. If this Reticulum) are the sites of protein
organisation of cell is destroyed, then synthesis.

N.C.E.R.T Chapter End Exercise

Q.1. Make a comparison to write down ways in which plant cells are
different from animal cells.
Ans.
Cell Organelles Plant Cell Animal Cell
1. Cell wall Present Absent
2. Plastids Present Absent
Present. Usually a large Either absent or very
cell vacuole lies in the
3. Vacuoles small.
center.
Absent (except in few Present with chromosome
4. Centriole
plants)
5. Shape Regular in shape Irregular in shape
Absent or very few in Prominent and more in
6. Lysosomes number number
7. Golgi Apparatus (or
Present Present near nucleus
body)
8. Form of reserve food Occurs in the form of Occurs in the form of

Self-Study in Biology 7
 starch glucose
Q.2. How is prokaryotic cell phagosome. Phagosome combines with
different from eukaryotic cell? lysosomes to produce digestive or food
Ans. See N.C.E.R.T textbook question vacuole. Digestion occurs in food
no. 4. vacuole. The digested food passes into
surrounding cytoplasm. The undigested
Q.3. What would happen if the matter is thrown out of the cell in
plasma membrane ruptures or exocytosis.
breaks down?
Ans. There will be spilling up of Q.8. What is osmosis?
cytoplasm and cell organelles, bursting Ans. Osmosis is the diffusion of water
of lysosomes and digestion of cellular from the region of its higher
contents. concentration (pure water or dilute
solution) to the reign of its lower
Q.4. What would happen to the concentration (strong solution) through
life of a cell if there was no Golgi a semi-permeable membrane.
Apparatus?
Ans. There would not be any Q.9. Carry out the following
lysosomes for intracellular digestion osmosis experiment.
and cleansing, no complexing of Take four peeled potato
molecules, no excretion and no halves and hollow each one to
formation of new plasma membrane. make potato cups. One of these
potato cups should be made from
Q.5. Which organelle is known as the boiled potato. Put each potato
power house of the cell? Why? cup in the trough containing water.
Ans. Mitochondria is known as power Now (a) Keep cup A empty. (b) Put
house of the cell because it produces one tea spoon sugar in cup B. (c)
most of the molecules of ATP Put one tea spoon of salt in cup C.
(Adenosine triphosphate) which are (d) Put one tea spoon sugar in
required for providing energy for boiled cup D. Keep this set up for
synthesis of new chemicals, mechanical two hours. Then observe the four
and other cellular functions. potato cups and answer the
Q.6. Where do lipids and proteins following:
constituting the cell membrane i. Explain why water gathers in
synthesised? the hollowed out portion of B
Ans. Proteins are synthesised over and C.
ribosomes of RER while lipids are ii. Why is potato A necessary for
synthesised over SER. this experiment?
iii. Explain why water does not
Q.7. How does Amoeba obtain gather in the hollowed out of
food? A and D.
Ans. Plasma membrane of Amoeba is Ans. i. Sugar and salt increases
flexible. With its help, Amoeba engulfs osmotic concentration which result in
its food particle. The engulfed food the passage of water osmotically from
particle passes into body of Amoeba as

8 Self-Study in Biology
the trough through the cells of potato B passes from trough through dead
and C into its cavity. potato cells into cavity of the tuber.

ii. Potato A functions as Q.10. Which type of cell division is

control experiment which indicates that required for the growth and repair
the cavity of potato does not induce of the body and which type is
movement of water. Water does not involved in the formation of the
gather in the hollowed out portion of A gametes?
because it does not have a higher Ans. 1. Mitosis is the type of cell
osmotic concentration that the cells of division that provides cell for growth
potato tuber. and repair of the body.
2. Meiosis is type of cell division
iii. Potato tuber D does not have that occurs in diploid mother cell and
living cells. Osmosis does not occur in produced four haploid gametes for
dead cells. Therefore, despite presence sexual reproduction.
of sugar in the cavity of D, no water

Objective Type
Questions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Which of these can be made into crystals?

(a) A Bacterium
(b) An Amoeba
(c) A Virus
(d) A sperm

2. A cell/raisin will swell up if

(2011)
(a) the concentration of water molecules in the cell is higher than the
concentration of water molecules in surrounding medium
(b) the concentration of water molecules in the surrounding medium is higher
than the concentration of water molecules in cell
(c) the concentration of water molecules is same in the cell and in the
surrounding medium
(d) concentration of water molecules does not matter
3. Chromosomes are made up of

(a) DNA
(b) Protein
(c) DNA and protein
(d) RNA

4. Which of these options are not function of Ribosomes?

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 (A) It helps in the manufacture of protein molecules.
(B) It helps in manufacture of enzymes.

(C) It helps in manufacture of hormones

(D)It helps in manufacture of starch molecules

(a) (A) and (B)

(b) (B) and (C)
(c) (C) and (D)
(d) (A) and (D)

5. Which of these is not related to endoplasmic reticulum?

(a) It behaves as transport channel for proteins between nucleus and cytoplasm.
(b) It transports materials between different reigns in cytoplasm.
(c) It can be the site for energy generation.
(d) It can be the site for some biochemical activities of the cell.

6. Following are some

10 Self-Study in Biology
Self-Study in Biology 11