Electron Micrographs: Animal Cells
- Exam questions will not always contain neat diagrams of cellular structures, but may instead present images taken using microscopes
- Such images are known as micrographs
- It is possible to identify organelles in micrographs of animal cells on the basis of their shape, location, and size relative to other organelles, e.g.
- The nucleus will always be the largest organelle
- Mitochondria are the next largest, and are often cylindrical with a folded inner membrane
- Note that mitochondria are not always cylindrical, but can also be circular; their shape will depend on their age, and on the angle at which they were sliced during specimen preparation
- RER will be near the nucleus, and ribosomes can sometime be seen
- Lysosomes and vesicles will be smaller than mitochondria
Exam questions may present micrograph images of cells
Examiner Tip
You should be able to describe and interpret photomicrographs, electron micrographs and drawings of typical animal cells.