All About Cells
What is a Cell?
Cells are the basic building blocks of all living organisms. There are trillions of cells in the human body, with no definite way of knowing exactly how many there are exactly. Cells reproduce and die hundreds of times each day. They are responsible for who you are. They make up everything in your body. Without them, you wouldn't exist.
How do you know a Cell is a Cell?
Three German scientits came up with something called the Cell Theory to prove that a cell is actually a cell. At the time though, scientists didn't know all that we know about cells now.
The Cell Theory is made up of three principles.
It states the following:
1) All cells come from previously existing cells
2) All living organisms are made up of one or more cells
3) Cells are the basic unit of structure and organization in all living organisms
The first one means that cells create other cells through forms of reproduction.
The second one means that all organisms, no matter how large are small, are made up of at least one cell.
The third one means that for something to be a complex, living organism, its base must be of cells.
What is the difference between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells?
Cells are divided into two major groups: Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic. What are those? The two lists below show the main differences of Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Cells.
Eukaryotic
*Can either be unicellular or multicellular
*Contain a membrane-bound Nucleus
*Contain organelles
*Large
*Perform specialized functions
*Mutiply on their own
Example: Animal and Plant Cells
Prokaryotic
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*Unicellular only
*Do not contain a membrane-bound Nucleus
*Do not have organelles
*Tiny
*Perform all functions necessary for life
*Depend on a host
Example: Bacteria
What is the difference between Animal and Plant Cells?
Yes, both Plant and Animal Cells are Eukaryotic. But they have their differences also. There are three major ones. Plants contain Chloroplast, a Cell Wall, and a larger Vacuole than Animal Cells.