CurriculumGrade 6Science

Cells: Structure and Function

Aligned to MS-LS1 — Next Generation Science Standards.

What this lesson teaches

All living things are made of cells — the basic unit of life. Cells have parts (organelles) that each do a job, and they work together as a system, just like organs in a body.

Worked example

A plant cell's chloroplasts capture sunlight to make food, while the nucleus directs activities and the membrane controls what enters — parts cooperating as one system.

Practice questions

  1. Name two organelles and what each does.
  2. How is a cell like a tiny factory?
  3. Why do scientists call the cell the basic unit of life?

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

Células: estructura y función

Todos los seres vivos están formados por células, que son la unidad básica de la vida. Las células tienen partes (organelos) que cumplen funciones específicas y trabajan juntas como un sistema, igual que los órganos en el cuerpo.

Ejemplo: Los cloroplastos de una célula vegetal capturan la luz solar para producir alimento, mientras que el núcleo dirige las actividades y la membrana controla lo que entra y sale: partes que cooperan como un solo sistema.

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