Looking Inside Cells What role do the cell membrane and nucleus play in the cell? What functions do other organelles in the cell perform? Let's find out! Tools A B organelles tiny structures that carry out functions in a cell cell wall rigid layer of nonliving material that surrounds plant cells cell membrane controls what comes in & out of cell nucleus cell's control center nuclear membrane controls what gets in & out of the nucleus chromatin contains genetic material that "tells" cell what to do nucleolus makes ribosomes cytoplasm clear, thick gel-like fluid mitochondria powerhouse of the cell endoplasmic reticulum transport proteins & other substances throughout cell ribosomes produce proteins Golgi bodies package & distribute proteins chloroplasts capture sunlight & produces food for the cell vacuoles sacs which store food, water, waste, & other materials for cells lysosomes break down old or damaged cell parts for recycling bacterial cell has cell wall, cell membrane & ribosomes specialized cells structure demonstrates functions prokaryotes organisms whose cells lack a nucleus eukaryotes organism whose cells contain a nucleus