Question

Answer the following.

(a) Who discovered ‘cell’? How?

(b) Where are genes located?

(c) Name two organelles having their own genetic material. What is their significance?

Answer 1

(a) Anton Van Leeuwenhoek discovered cells while he was observing a thin piece of cork (a strip of bark from a tree) using his own handmade microscope. He observed tiny empty structures that were arranged regularly. He named these structures as 'cells' (rooms in Latin).

(b) Genes are the hereditary units that are located on the chromosomes.

(c) Two organelles that have their own genetic material are mitochondria and chloroplasts. These genetic material codes for specialized enzymes are used by these organelles for the purpose of energy generation in the form of ATP production.