Photo Quiz: Puzzles in Purple

Many cells (in purple), each containing a blue sphere.

Image Credit: Ankur Singh and Andrés García, Georgia Institute of Technology.

#1. In this image, the blue spheres house most of the cells’ DNA. What are these spheres called?

A. Ribosomes B. Nuclei (plural of nucleus) C. Golgi bodies D. Proteins

The correct answer is B. Learn more about nuclei and other organelles by taking a tour of one of your cells.

Purple and green spots appearing and merging in two cells.

Image Credit: Julia F. Riley, Heidi Hehnly, Sandra Hewett, and Carlos A. Castañeda, Syracuse University .

#2. This video shows a stress response in two cells where two proteins are labeled purple and green. The proteins appear between each cell’s membrane and nuclear envelope. What is that part of a cell called?

A. Cytoskeleton B. Endoplasmic reticulum C. Cytoplasm D. Proteasome

The correct answer is C. The cytoplasm includes the cytosol and all organelles except the nucleus. If you got that one right, and you’re feeling confident in your knowledge of cells, challenge yourself with this quiz.

Many purple oblong cells. Some have blue lines in their middles.

Image Credit: Maya Igarashi, Kathy Gould’s lab, Vanderbilt University.

#3. The yeast cells in this image with blue lines in their middles are preparing to duplicate their DNA and split in two. What is this process called?

A. Mitosis B. Telomerase A. Necrosis B. Apoptosis

The correct answer is A. Mitosis is a type of cell division where the two newly formed cells are genetically identical to the parent. Check out more fascinating images and video of mitosis, or learn how the process works.

Image Credit: Melina Gyparaki, Melike Lakadamyali’s lab, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania..

#4. The purple threads in this image are strong, hollow fibers that provide structural support to cells. What are these fibers called?

A. Chromosomes B. Vesicles C. Antibodies D. Microtubules

The correct answer is D. Learn more about microtubules and the other parts of your cells’ cytoskeletons in this Science Snippet.

Purple worms with several glowing neon spots.

Image Credit: Eugene L. Q. Lee, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

#5. The microscopic roundworms (Caenorhabditis elegans) shown in this image are used by scientists to study basic life processes. What does that make the roundworms?

A. Research organisms B. Biosensors C. Clinical trial participants D. Zygotes

The correct answer is A. Test your knowledge of research organisms with our quiz, or check out this collection of eye-catching C. elegans images.

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Biomedical Beat Blog

#1. In this image, the blue spheres house most of the cells’ DNA. What are these spheres called?

#2. This video shows a stress response in two cells where two proteins are labeled purple and green. The proteins appear between each cell’s membrane and nuclear envelope. What is that part of a cell called?

#3. The yeast cells in this image with blue lines in their middles are preparing to duplicate their DNA and split in two. What is this process called?

#4. The purple threads in this image are strong, hollow fibers that provide structural support to cells. What are these fibers called?

#5. The microscopic roundworms (Caenorhabditis elegans) shown in this image are used by scientists to study basic life processes. What does that make the roundworms?

About the Author

Abbey Bigler