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Summaries · Grade 7 Natural Sciences › Cells, tissues and organs
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Cells, tissues and organs

The cell as the building block of life, plant and animal cells, and how cells form tissues, organs and systems. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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Plant and animal cells

Plant cellAnimal cellcell wall, chloroplasts, big vacuolemembrane, nucleus, cytoplasmnucleusvacuolenucleus
What do both have, and what does only the plant cell have?
PartJobWhere
NucleusControls the cell; holds DNABoth
Cell membraneControls what moves in and outBoth
Cell wallGives a rigid shapePlant only
ChloroplastsPhotosynthesisPlant only
VacuoleStores water and substancesBig in plants
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From cell to organism

CellTissueOrganOrgan systemOrganism
Cells build up the whole body.
  • A tissue is a group of cells doing the same job, like muscle tissue that contracts.
  • An organ is different tissues working together on one task, like the heart.
  • The nervous system carries messages; the excretory system removes waste from the blood.
  • A unicellular organism is made of a single cell. Cells multiply by cell division.
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Why a microscope?

Cells are microscopically small: you cannot see them with the naked eye. A microscope magnifies the cells so that we can study tissue.

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Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • The cell is the smallest unit of life; we see it with a microscope.
  • Cell → tissue → organ → organ system.
  • The nucleus controls the cell and holds the DNA; the cell membrane controls what goes in and out.
  • Only plant cells have a cell wall, chloroplasts and a big vacuole.
  • The heart pumps blood in the circulatory system; red blood cells carry oxygen.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Cell → tissue → organ → system: like brick → wall → room → house. And the plant cell has extras: a wall, green factories, a water tank.

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Important words

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Test yourself · Part 2

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