How This Topic Appears in Exams

Typical Question Types

• "Name the organelle that..." (1 mark) — e.g., "Name the organelle that is the site of aerobic respiration." Answer: mitochondria (must be spelt correctly or close enough).
• "Describe the function of..." (1-2 marks) — e.g., "Describe the function of the nucleus." Expect to give 2 mark points: (1) contains DNA/chromosomes, (2) controls cell activities.
• "Explain why [cell type] has many [organelles]" (2-3 marks) — link the organelle function to the cell's job. E.g., "Muscle cells have many mitochondria because they require large amounts of ATP for contraction during aerobic respiration."
• "Compare plant and animal cells" (2-4 marks) — always give BOTH similarities AND differences. Use "whereas" or "however" to signal contrast.
• Diagram labelling (1 mark per label) — practise identifying organelles from electron micrograph images, not just diagrams.

Key Marks Traps

• Saying "the cell wall controls what enters the cell" — this is the cell MEMBRANE's job. The cell wall provides structural support only.
• Confusing mitochondria (respiration) with chloroplasts (photosynthesis) — know which does which.
• Forgetting that plant cells ALSO have mitochondria — they respire AND photosynthesise.
• Saying ribosomes "make energy" — ribosomes make PROTEINS. Mitochondria release energy.