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Reporting Category 1: Cell Structure and Function

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How does the structure of each organelle suit the function it carries out for the cell?

Investigate and explain the functions of cellular organelles in eukaryotic cells, and relate the structure of each organelle to the function it performs (TEKS Biology, Reporting Category 1; structure and function).
A TEKS-level answer on cell organelles for the Texas STAAR Biology EOC: the major organelles of plant and animal cells, the job each performs, and how the structure of each one supports its function.
11 min answer →

How does a cell keep its internal conditions stable when the outside world changes?

Explain how cells maintain homeostasis, including how the cell membrane and feedback responses keep internal conditions within a stable range (TEKS Biology, Reporting Category 1; stability and change; cause and effect).
A TEKS-level answer on cellular homeostasis for the Texas STAAR Biology EOC: what homeostasis means, how the cell membrane and cellular responses keep conditions stable, and what happens when homeostasis is disrupted.
10 min answer →

How are living things organized from a single cell up to a whole organism?

Describe the levels of organization in multicellular organisms, from cells to tissues to organs to organ systems to organisms, and relate specialized cells to the functions they perform (TEKS Biology, Reporting Category 1; systems and system models; structure and function).
A TEKS-level answer on biological organization for the Texas STAAR Biology EOC: the cell-tissue-organ-organ system-organism hierarchy, cell specialization and differentiation, and why multicellular bodies are organized this way.
10 min answer →

What makes a eukaryotic cell different from a prokaryotic cell, and why does that difference matter?

Compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, including size, complexity, and the presence of a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (TEKS Biology, Reporting Category 1; patterns; structure and function).
A TEKS-level answer on cell types for the Texas STAAR Biology EOC: how prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells differ in size, complexity, and organelles, what they share, and why compartmentalization is an advantage.
10 min answer →

How does the cell membrane control what enters and leaves the cell, and how does that keep the cell in balance?

Describe the role of the cell membrane in maintaining homeostasis, including selective permeability and the movement of materials by diffusion, osmosis, and active transport (TEKS Biology, Reporting Category 1; structure and function; stability and change).
A TEKS-level answer on membrane transport for the Texas STAAR Biology EOC: the selectively permeable membrane, passive transport (diffusion and osmosis), active transport, and how transport keeps the cell in homeostasis.
11 min answer →

Why are viruses not considered living cells, and what does cell theory tell us about life?

Recognize that viruses are not cells, comparing their structure and reproduction to that of cells, and state the components of cell theory (TEKS Biology, Reporting Category 1; structure and function; patterns).
A TEKS-level answer on viruses and cell theory for the Texas STAAR Biology EOC: why viruses are not living cells, how they reproduce by infecting host cells, and the three statements of cell theory.
9 min answer →