Activities of Cell Organelles to Promote Food Production

Nucleus

• The nucleus is the brain of every plant and animal cell. It directs activities within the cell and instructs the organelles on what to do and when to do it. The nucleus is arguably the most important component of food production because, without it, none of the other organelles would function properly.

Ribosomes

• In a process called translation, the cell's DNA gene sequence is replicated in messenger RNA. The information in the RNA is read by the ribosomes and used to manufacture proteins. Proteins perform a wide range of tasks within the cell, including digesting food molecules.

Lysosomes

• Lysosomes are sac-like organelles that contain strong digestive enzymes. Some enzymes break down worn-out organelles. Others, like lipase, amylase and protease, digest large food particles, breaking the food into smaller pieces. Lysosomes are found in animals cells, though in plant cells the same functions are performed by vacuoles.

Vacuoles

• Vacuoles are fluid-filled sacs that are used as storage facilities in cells. Some vacuoles store water, metabolic waste and toxic waste while others store food. Animal cells contain many small vacuoles used for various purposes. Plant cells have one large vacuole each.

Mitochondria

• Thousands of mitochondria exist in each individual plant and animal cell. These organelles break down sugar products into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the body's source of energy. Mitochondria are vital to the body's food production because they convert raw energy into the type of energy that can be used by the body.

Chloroplasts

• Chloroplasts are exclusive to plant cells. Chloroplasts absorb energy from the sun's light. This energy is used to combine water and carbon dioxide in the cell, producing glucose and oxygen. Oxygen is released from the cell, as a waste product, while glucose is used as the main energy source for plants. This process is called photosynthesis.