CELL DEFINATION

“A cell is demarcated as the smallest, basic unit of life that is responsible for all of the life’s
processes.”
Cells are the structural, biological and functional unit of all life forms. They can replicate
themselves self-reliantly, therefore they are called the building blocks of life.

WHAT IS A CELL?
A cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life. The study of cells is called Cell Biology.
Robert Hooke was the first biologist who discovered cells. All organisms are made up of cells.
They may be made of a single cell (unicellular), or many cells (multicellular). The smallest
known cells are Mycoplasmas. Cells are the building blocks of living beings. They provide
structure to body and convert the nutrients taken from food into energy. Cells are complex and
their components perform different functions in an organism. Our body is made up of cells of

different shapes and sizes.

Cells are the lowest level of organization in all life forms. The number of cells may vary from
organism to organism e.g., humans have a greater number of cells as compared to bacteria. Cells
include several cell organelles that perform particular functions to carry out life processes. Every
organelle has a particular function. The hereditary material of the organisms is present in the
cells too.

DICOVERY OF CELLS
In the field of science, discovery of cells is one of the extraordinary developments. It helps us
know that all organisms are made up of cells, and these cells help in carrying out various life
processes. The structure and functions of cells helped us to understand life in a better way.
 WHO DISCOVERED CELLS?
In 1665, Robert Hooke discovered the cell. He observed a piece of bottle cork
under a compound microscope and noticed tiny structures that prompted him of
small rooms.
Consequently, he named these “rooms” as cells. However, his compound
microscope had limited magnification and hence, he couldn’t see any details in
the structure. Due to this limitation, Hooke concluded that these were non-living
units.
Robert Hooke

Later Anton Van Leeuwenhoek observed cells under another compound

microscope with higher magnification. This time, he had noted that the cells
displayed some form of movement(motility). As a result, Leeuwenhoek
concluded that these microscope entities were “alive”. Eventually, after a host of
other remarks, these entities were named as animalcules.

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek

In 1883, Robert Brown, a Scottish botanist, provided the very first intuitions
into the cell structure. He was able to define the nucleus present in the cells of
orchids.

Robert Brown

CHARACTERISTICS OF CELLS
Following are the various essential characteristics of cells:
 Cells offer structure and support to the body of an organism.
 The cell internal is ordered into different individual organelles enclosed by a separate
membrane.
 The nucleus (major organelle) grips genetic information required for reproduction and
cell growth.
  Every cell has one nucleus and membrane-bound organelles in the cytoplasm.
 Mitochondria, a double membrane-bound organelle is mainly accountable for the energy
connections vital for the existence of the cell.
 Lysosomes digest undesirable materials in the cell.
 Endoplasmic reticulum plays a significant role in the internal association of the cell by
producing selective molecules and processing, directing and cataloging them to their
proper locations.

TYPES OF CELLS
Cells are alike to factories with different employees and sectors that work towards a common
neutral. Various types of cells perform different functions. Based on cellular structure, there are
two types of cells:
 Prokaryotes
 Eukaryotes

PROKARYOTIC CELLS
1. Prokaryotic cells have no nucleus. Instead, some prokaryotes such as bacteria have a
section within the cell where the genetic material is freely postponed. This section is
called the nucleoid.
2. They all are single-celled microorganisms. Examples include archaea, bacteria and
cyanobacteria.
3. The cell size ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 µm in diameter.
4. The hereditary material can either be DNA or RNA.
5. Prokaryotes generally reproduce by binary fission, a form of asexual reproduction. They
are also known to use conjugation which is often seen as the prokaryotic corresponding to
sexual reproduction
(however, it is
NOT sexual
reproduction).
EUKARYOTIC CELLS
1. Eukaryotic cells are categorized by a true nucleus.
2. The size of cells ranges between 10 to 100 µm in diameter.
3. This broad class involves plants, fungi, protozoans, and animals.
4. The plasma membrane is accountable for monitoring the transport of nutrients and
electrolytes in and out of the cells. It is also responsible for communication between
two cells.
5. They reproduce sexually as well as asexually.
6. There are some conflicting features between plants and animal cells e.g., the plant cell
contains chloroplast, central vacuoles, and other plastids, whereas the animal cells do
not.

CELL STRUCTURE
The cell structure contains individual components with explicit functions essential to carry out
life’s processes. These components include cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, and
cell organelles.

CELL THEORY
Cell theory was purposed by the German scientists, Theodor Schwann, Matthias Schleiden, and
Rudolf Virchow. The cell theory states that:
  All living species on Earth are composed of cells.
 A cell is the basic unit of life.

 All cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Theodor Schwann Matthias Schleiden Rudolf Virchow

A modern version of the cell theory was eventually articulated, and it contains the following
postulates:
 Energy flows within the cells.
 Genetic information is passed on from one cell to the other.
 The chemical composition of all the cells is the same.
FUNCTIONS OF CELL
A cell performs major functions vital for the growth and development of an organism. Important
functions of cell are as follows:

PROVIDES SUPPORT AND STRUCTURE

All the organisms are made up of cells. They form the structural basis of all the organisms. The
cell wall and the cell membrane are the main components that function to provide support and
structure to the organism e.g., the skin is made up of a large number of cells. Xylem present in
the vascular plants is made up of cells that provide structural support to the plants.

FACILITATE GROWTH MITOSIS

In the process of mitosis, the parent cell divides into the daughter cells. Thus, the cells multiply
and smooth the growth in an organism.

ALLOWS TRANSPORT OF SUBSTANCES

Various nutrients are imported by the cells to carry out various chemical processes going on
inside the cells. The waste produced by the chemical processes is removed from the cells by
active and passive transport. Small molecules such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ethanol
diffuse across the cell membrane along the concentration gradient. This is known as passive
transport. The larger molecules diffuse across the cell membrane through active transport where
the cells require a lot of energy to transport the substances.

ENERGY PRODUCTION
Cells require energy to carry out various chemical processes. This energy is produced by the
cells through a process called photosynthesis in plants and respiration in animals.

AIDS IN REPRODUCTION
A cell aids in reproduction through the processes called mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis is termed as
the asexual reproduction where the parent cell divides to form daughter cells. Meiosis causes the
daughter cells to be genetically different from the parent cells.