Chapter Vocabulary
Chapter 3 Part I
A. Vocabulary List
1. Nucleus: an organelle found in all eukaryotic cells. the nucleus contains chromosomes
(nuclear DNA)
2. Cytoplasm: the semifluid substance of a cell that is external to the nuclear membrane and
internal to the cellular membrane, sometimes described as the nonnuclear content of protoplasm
3. Mitochondrion: A structure in the cytoplasm of all cells except bacteria in which food
molecules (sugars, fatty acids, and amino acids) are broken down in the presence of oxygen and
converted to energy in the form of ATP
4.Gametes: a mature sexual reproductive cell, as a sperm or egg, that unites with another cell to
form a new organism.
5. Diploid: a cell or organism that has paired chromosomes, one from each parent. In humans,
cells other than human sex cells, are diploid and have 23 pairs of chromosomes.
6. Nucleotide: the basic building block of nucleic acids. RNA and DNA are polymers made of
long chains of nucleotides. A nucleotide consists of a sugar molecule (either ribose in RNA or
