The Cell: Really Boring Topic Or Something More?


Author's Note: Click on a blue term to see a quick definition!

Yes, the cell. The cell is not an easy topic to explain: it's functions, intricacies, and abilities are beyond the description of one mere webpage. Although for this project, I will try to do something a little less...impossible. This page is only meant to offer a glimpse into the strange and wondrous ways of the common cell.


If you want to learn about anything, it's best to start from the beginning. With that in mind, I will tell you one simple fact: everything alive is made out of cells. If it isn't, it's not alive. Your mom, your pet hamster, that plant you forgot to water, and the funny-smelling kid next door are all made of cells. Also, it's good to know that there are two kinds of cells: animal cells and plant cells. Animal cells make up living organisms that are animals, whereas plant cells make up plants. Simple, huh?



Make a note!

The Cell Theory is, I am told, one of the most important things to know in biology. If you get nothing else out of your stay here, get this. The Cell Theory was made by two german scientists, named Schlieden (Shlee-din) and Schwann (shwann). They studied plants and animals, repectively. They both concluded that both plants and animals are made out of cells, and they put their heads together to create the wonderful theory you see before you: The Cell Theory! It states that:
-All organisms are composed of one or more cells
An organism may be a single cell, like a germ, or multi-celled, like a human. As I stated earlier: if it's alive, if has at least one cell.
-The cell is the basic unit of organization of organisms
Just like how that castle you built when you were two was made out of a bunch of blocks, you are made out of a bunch of cells. Except much more organized, of course.
-All cells come from preexisting cells
Yeah, you read right. The obvious question is: where did the first cell come from? This one is really quite controversial, and is essentially just something you have to live with, like the chicken and the egg.

All cells, whether animal or plant-like in nature, are divided into two groups: the prokaryote (PRO-kair-ee-ote) and eukaryotic (yu-kair-ee-ote) cells. Keep in mind, the words prokaryote and eukaryote are nouns, and if you want to describe a cell that it is a prokaryote or eukaryote, they are called "prokaryotic" (PRO-kair-ee-oht-ic) and "eukaryotic"(yu-kair-ee-oht-ick), respectively.


The prokaryote has no membrane-bound structures, which means that it isn't very neat or organized. This lack of boundaries makes the prokaryote a little more primative than the eukaryote, and therefore can't accomplish all the cool things a eukaryote can do.


A eukaryote, as you probably have guessed, is a cell with seperate compatments, so to speak. Of course, this means that each little compartment has it's own job, and it's own organelle. An organelle is the general term for the compartment, for those of you who don't know.


Ah, now I bet you're just begging to know what the different organelles of your run-of-the-mill eukaryotic cell are, huh? You're in luck! Here they are:


That's a lot, huh? Well, here's your whirlwind tour; if you want more information, why not look up individual sites to expand your intellect? Keep up, because here we go!
Centriole: Only animal cells have this. It is used to assist in cellular mitosis.
Ribosomes: These are the sites where the cell assembles enzymes and other stuff (usually proteins) according to the DNA.
Mitochondrion: Breaks down food molecules to release energy, then stores it in other cells like a vacuole.
Vacuole: A little sac of fluid (most of the time, it's water or other enzymes) that contain food, energy, enzymes, and other things the cell needs.
Nucleus: This is the big boss of the cell. It contains the DNA, which essentially tells everyone how to do their jobs, because somebody has to. It also contains the nucleolus.
Nucleolus: Located inside the nucleus, the nucleolus makes ribosomes that power the cell.
Lysosome: This is pretty much the stomach of the cell. It takes old, worn out cell parts, and turns them into energy with special enzymes.
Plasma Membrane: What's a cell without a plasma membrane? Everybody's got one! It is the boundary of the cell, and allows food and such things to enter and exit relatively easily. It also is very loose, and changes shape to fit the needs of the cell. Plants also have a cell wall, which is like that, except more rigid.
Endoplasmic Reticulum: What a fun name. Rolls right off your tongue, huh? Anyways, the endoplasmic reticulum (or ER as it is sometimes called) makes lipids, a vital substance for the cell.
Golgi Apparatus: This one is pretty much a delivery system that packages and ships out the nessecary enzymes, proteins, etc., to the parts of the cell that want 'em.
Cytoplasm: Something's got to be filling up this cell, right? It's not just jam packed with organelles, in fact a lot of the cell just contains cytoplasm, which is a clear fluid that chemical reactions often take place in.
Cytoskeleton: Maintains the shape of a cell, also helps move stuff as it is made of microfilaments and microtubules.