Question

matching game: picture card challenge
identify which organelle “card” matches each description by writing its name on the line.
i convert nutrients into energy so the cell can work.
i hold the genetic blueprint and control the cell.
i am a tiny factory that produces proteins.
student work: show what you know
explain why the nucleus is sometimes called the “control center of the cell.”

Explanation:

1. For the description "I convert nutrients into energy so the cell can work": This is the core function of mitochondria, which perform cellular respiration to make ATP (cell energy).
2. For the description "I hold the genetic blueprint and control the cell": The nucleus stores DNA (the genetic blueprint) and regulates all cellular activities by directing gene expression.
3. For the description "I am a tiny factory that produces proteins": Ribosomes read genetic instructions from mRNA to assemble amino acids into proteins, acting as protein synthesis factories.
4. For the explanation question: The nucleus contains the cell's genetic material (DNA), which holds all the instructions for the cell's structure, function, growth, and reproduction. It controls all cellular processes by regulating which genes are activated, so it acts as the "control center".

Answer:

1. I convert nutrients into energy so the cell can work: Mitochondria
2. I hold the genetic blueprint and control the cell: Nucleus
3. I am a tiny factory that produces proteins: Ribosome
4. Explain why the nucleus is sometimes called the "control center of the cell": The nucleus contains the cell's DNA, which carries all the genetic instructions for the cell's functions, growth, and reproduction. It regulates all cellular activities by controlling gene expression, so it acts as the cell's control center.