Cells

Pre-K-2
Students describe parts and wholes of living things, their basic needs, and the structures and processes that help them stay alive.

a. List living things and their parts. Explain that parts of living are so small we can only see them using magnifiers. b. List the basic things that most organisms need to survive. c. Identify structures that help organisms do things to stay alive

3-5
Students describe how living things are made up of one or more cells and the ways cells help organisms meet their basic needs.

a. Give examples of organisms that consist of a single cell and organisms that are made of a collection of cells. b. Compare how needs of living things are met in single-celled and multi-celled organisms.

6-8
Students describe the hierarchy of organization and function in organisms, and the similarities and differences in structure, function, and needs among and within organisms.

a. Describe the basic functions of organisms carried out within cells including the extracting of energy from food and the elimination of wastes. b. Explain the relationship among cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems, including how tissues and organs serve the needs of cells and organisms. c. Compare the structures, systems, and interactions that allow single-celled organisms and multi-celled plants and animals, including humans, to defend themselves, acquire and use energy, self-regulate, reproduce, and coordinate movement. d. Explain that all living things are composed of cells numbering from just one to millions.

9-Diploma
Students describe structure and function of cells at the intracellular and molecular level including differentiation to form systems, interactions between cells and their environment, and the impact of cellular processes and changes on individuals.

a. Describe the similarities and differences in the basic functions of cell membranes and of the specialized parts within cells that allow them to transport materials, capture and release energy, build proteins, dispose of waste, communicate, and move. b. Describe the relationship among DNA, protein molecules, and amino acids in carrying out the work of cells and how this is similar among all organisms. c. Describe the interactions that lead to cell growth and division (mitosis) and allow new cells to carry the same information as the original cell (meiosis). d. Describe ways in which cells can malfunction and put an organism at risk. e. Describe the role of regulation and the processes that maintain an internal environment amidst changes in the external environment. f. Describe the process of metabolism that allows a few key biomolecules to provide cells with