Mississippi Science BIO.1C.3

ScienceGrades 9–12Biology

The Standard

BIO.1C: Students will relate the diversity of organelles to a variety of specialized cellular functions.

Contrast the structure of viruses with that of cells and explain why viruses must use living cells to reproduce.

2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Cells as a System

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students compare a virus's genetic material and protein coat with a cell's membrane, cytoplasm, and ribosomes. They explain how a virus uses a living cell to make viral parts and assemble new viruses.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given a diagram, students can label the main parts of a virus and a cell. They can explain that a virus has no ribosomes, so it must use a host cell to make viral proteins.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think viruses are tiny cells or that they divide in two. Others think viruses have ribosomes and can make proteins without a host.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Sketch a virus and a cell. Label the protein coat, genetic material, cytoplasm, and ribosomes where they belong, then explain why the virus needs the cell.

Lesson moves

Give students paper cutouts of a protein coat, genetic material, a cell membrane, cytoplasm, and ribosomes to build a virus and a cell.
Ask students to write two sentences answering: Why can a virus carry genes but not make more viruses on its own?
Give pairs part-name cards and have them race to sort each into virus, cell, or both.
Show an amoxicillin label and ask why a drug targeting bacterial cell parts cannot stop flu viruses reproducing in human cells.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to BIO.1C.3, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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