All cells contain which of the following?

• A. A plasma membrane, genetic information, cytoplasm, and ribosomes
• B. A viral envelope and capsid
• C. A chloroplast and mitochondria
• D. A cell wall made of cellulose

Answer: (A)

All cells share a few basic features: a plasma membrane that encloses the cell, genetic information, cytoplasm where the cell’s contents and metabolic reactions occur, and ribosomes for making proteins. The plasma membrane provides a boundary and controls what enters and leaves. Genetic information, stored in the form of DNA (in organisms that are cells), holds the instructions for building and maintaining the cell. Cytoplasm is the internal environment where many reactions happen, and ribosomes are the machines that translate genetic information into proteins. These components are found in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic cells, making them universal to cellular life.

Other options describe structures not present in every cell. A viral envelope and capsid belong to viruses, not to cells. Chloroplasts and mitochondria are organelles only in many eukaryotes, not in prokaryotes. A cellulose cell wall is characteristic of plant cells (and some algae), but not all cells have a cell wall.