Cells Worksheet - KS3 - Intermediate

Cells worksheet for KS3 (Key Stage 3 / Year 7-9 (Ages 11-14)). Intermediate level science practice, aligned to the UK National Curriculum. Print-ready with answer key included.

Science•Key Stage 3 / Year 7-9 (Ages 11-14)•Cellsintermediate

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Cells: The Building Blocks of Life

Key Stage 3 • Years 7–9 • Intermediate

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Instructions: Complete the activities in order, using the information provided and your knowledge of cell biology. Show working where calculations are needed, and use accurate scientific vocabulary in your explanations.

Cell Organelles: Structure and Function

Use the word bank to complete each sentence. Each word is used once. Check that each organelle’s function matches its role in the cell.

Word bank: nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, mitochondria, ribosomes

1. The __________ contains genetic material and controls the cell’s activities.

2. Many chemical reactions take place in the __________.

3. The __________ controls what enters and leaves the cell.

4. __________ are the main site of aerobic respiration, releasing energy for cell activities.

5. __________ are where proteins are made.

Plant or Animal Cell?

For each feature, decide whether it is found in plant cells, animal cells, or both. Write your answer in the box. Use “both” only when the feature is found in both types of cell.

1. Cell wall

2. Nucleus

3. Chloroplasts

4. Cell membrane

5. Large permanent vacuole

Specialised Cells at Work

Choose the best answer for each question. Consider how each cell’s structures help it carry out its function.

1. Which feature helps a red blood cell carry oxygen?

2. Which adaptation helps a sperm cell reach an egg?

3. Which feature allows a neurone to carry signals over long distances?

4. Which feature of a root hair cell helps it absorb water and mineral ions from soil?

Using a Light Microscope

Write your answer in the box below.

Cell Structure in Context

Answer each question in a clear sentence, using evidence from the cell structures named. Give a reason rather than only naming an organelle.

1. A leaf cell contains chloroplasts. Explain how chloroplasts help the plant make food.

2. A muscle cell needs a large supply of energy to contract repeatedly. Which organelle is especially important, and why?

3. A plant cell is placed in a solution and loses water by osmosis. State the direction water moves and explain why.

From Cells to Tissues

Apply your understanding of organisation in living things. Answer each question using the correct biological terms.

1. Put these levels of organisation in order, from smallest to largest: organ system, cell, organ, tissue.

2. A group of similar cells working together is called a __________.

3. Name the organelle that contains most of a cell’s genetic material.

Answer Key

Activity 1: nucleus ; cytoplasm ; cell membrane ; mitochondria ; ribosomes

Activity 2: Plant cells ; Both ; Plant cells ; Both ; Plant cells

Activity 3: Haemoglobin ; Flagellum ; Long axon ; Large surface area

Activity 4: 50× ; 50× ; Onion cell ; Diaphragm

Activity 5: Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy for photosynthesis ; Mitochondria, because aerobic respiration releases energy for cell activities ; Water moves out of the cell, from the more dilute cell contents to the more concentrated solution through the partially permeable cell membrane

Activity 6: Cell, tissue, organ, organ system ; tissue ; nucleus