Unit 3 Reflection

In Unit 3, we learned about the building blocks of living organisms, cells. Prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus and are mostly bacteria. Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus along with many other organelles and are animals, plants, and humans. Plant cells have a few different parts like the cell wall and a large central vacuole. The nucleus stores the instructions in forms of DNA and is surrounded by the rough endoplasmic reticulum that holds ribosomes. The membrane is semi-permeable which means it selects what goes in and comes out, causing diffusion and osmosis. Molecules like to move from high concentrations to low until concentration gradient is achieved and the solution is isotonic. Cells are small because it is easier for materials to diffuse in and out in a object that has more surface area than volume. Through photosynthesis, autotrophic cells make their own food in the chloroplasts by converting carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into glucose and oxygen. Cellular respiration is the inverse of photosynthesis because it converts glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide, water, and ATP in the mitochondria. Animals and humans only use cellular respiration while plants use both.
From the unit I learned about what are the most basic life functions that occur constantly and unnoticed. As an organism grows, the cells work hard in making energy and and carrying out everyday jobs. My strengths were more in the topics about what the organelles did and their main job in the cell. My weaknesses were the specifics of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. I want to learn more about how the organelles and different cells work together inside an organism, like what other processes are carried out and how they all overlap.