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1. Organelles
2. Nucleus (The Blueprint Control Room)
3. Mitochondria (The Power Plant)
4. Chloroplasts (The Glucose Production Factory)
5. Endoplasmic Reticulum (The Road Network Within the Cell)
6. Ribosomes (The Protein Production Factory)
7. Golgi Apparatus (The Post Office Distribution Center)
8. Vacuole (The Warehouse)
9. Lysosome (The Garbage Incinerator)
10. Peroxisome (The Hazardous Waste Treatment Facility)
11. Summary

1.Organelles

Just like in our society where people have different roles and objects serve various functions,
there are also various substances within a cell that have specific roles.
These are called organelles.

Let’s take a closer look at the different types of organelles found in cells!

2.Nucleus (The Blueprint Control Room)

Let’s start with the nucleus.

Inside the nucleus, there are extremely thin, thread-like structures packed together.

These are called chromosomes.

Chromosomes contain DNA, which is a type of nucleic acid.

DNA acts like a blueprint.

So, the nucleus is like a room that manages those blueprints.

Everything in the cell excluding the nucleus is called the cytoplasm.

3.Mitochondria (The Power Plant)

Mitochondria are like power plants that produce the energy necessary for living organisms.

All energy used by organisms is first converted into a substance called ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

This is a universal feature among all living things, and it suggests that all life on Earth evolved from a common ancestor.

Just like in human society where there are various methods of generating power,
cells also have different ways of producing energy.

This process is called respiration.
When oxygen is used, it’s called aerobic respiration, and when oxygen is not used, it’s called anaerobic respiration.

The mitochondria carry out aerobic respiration, which uses oxygen.

4.Chloroplasts (The Glucose Production Factory)

Chloroplasts are the organelles that perform photosynthesis, using light energy to synthesize glucose.

Animals and fungi (such as molds and mushrooms) do not have chloroplasts.

Chloroplasts are found only in the plant cells that carry out photosynthesis.

Chloroplasts contain a substance called chlorophyll, which includes a green pigment.
Because of this, plants that contain chloroplasts appear green to us.

The glucose produced through photosynthesis is used—either directly or indirectly—by most living organisms on Earth.

5.Endoplasmic Reticulum (The Road Network Within the Cell)

The endoplasmic reticulum has a thin, sac-like structure and functions like a network of roads spread throughout the cell.

Substances are transported along these pathways.

In the liver, the endoplasmic reticulum plays a role in detoxifying substances.

In muscle cells, it also serves to store calcium ions, which are necessary for muscle contraction.

6.Ribosomes (The Protein Production Factory)

The most abundant substance in a cell is water, but the second most abundant is protein, which forms the main components of structures and enzymes.

Ribosomes are like factories that synthesize those proteins.

Some ribosomes float freely within the cell, while many are also attached to the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum.

It’s similar to factories lined up along the roadside.

7.Golgi Apparatus (The Post Office Distribution Center)

When you bring a package to the post office, a label is attached, right?

The Golgi apparatus serves a similar role—it attaches labels to substances.

Proteins synthesized by ribosomes are transported to the Golgi apparatus via the endoplasmic reticulum.

Here, various sugars are attached, which function like those labels.

These labels determine whether the proteins will stay inside the cell or be secreted outside.

In cells that secrete digestive enzymes or in lymphocytes that release antibodies to attack pathogens,
the Golgi apparatus is especially well developed.

8.Vacuole (The Warehouse)

The vacuole functions like a warehouse that stores various substances.

For this reason, newer cells tend to have smaller vacuoles, while older cells have larger, more developed vacuoles.

In reality, vacuoles store a variety of substances such as sugars, ions, and pigments like anthocyanins.

Anthocyanins are blue or red pigments, found in flower petals and the colors of autumn leaves.

In the fall, anthocyanins accumulate in the vacuoles, leading to the changing colors of the leaves.

9.Lysosome (The Garbage Incinerator)

The lysosome is responsible for breaking down unnecessary substances and foreign materials within the cell.

It has a simple sac-like structure, but inside, it is filled with enzymes that break down substances.

In white blood cells, which consume bacteria, lysosomes are especially well developed.

10.Peroxisome (The Hazardous Waste Treatment Facility)

The peroxisome has a sac-like structure very similar to that of the lysosome.

Inside the peroxisome, there is an enzyme called catalase, which breaks down hydrogen peroxide, a hazardous substance.

While its function is similar to that of the lysosome, the roles of lysosomes and peroxisomes are different, just like how burnable waste and non-burnable waste are handled separately in a waste treatment facility.

11.Summary

In this session, we have looked at various organelles within the cell and their individual functions.

In addition to these, there are structures like the centrosome that plays a role in cell division and the cell wall that protects the cell.

Within a single cell, there are various structures and roles, and many activities are taking place!