Introduction
to the Cell
The purpose of this guide
is to provide an overview of the basic structural components of living cells.
In reviewing these structures, we will also discuss their functions.
All living organisms are
composed of cells. A cell is a small, membrane-bound compartment that contains
all the chemicals and molecules that help support an organism's life. An
understanding of the structure of cells is one of the first steps in
comprehending the complex cellular interactions that direct and produce life.
Cells can be thought of as
building blocks of organisms. Some organisms are composed of a single cell.
Others, like ourselves, are composed of millions of cells that work together to
perform the more complex functions that make us different from bacteria.
It is difficult to imagine that humans are descendants of a single cell, but
this is a common belief in the scientific world. Before we can understand how
multiple cells can work together to create complex biological functions, it is
necessary to understand what biological functions single cells are capable of
performing on their own to sustain life.
There are different types
of cells with individuated structures. Single-celled organisms have different
cell structure than multi-celled organisms and plant cells have different
structures from animal cells. These differences reflect differences in the
functions that each of these classes of cells is required to perform. While the
focus of this guide will be on the structures that compose complex
multi-cellular organisms, we will begin our discussion of cell structure with a
structure that is universal to all cells, membranes.
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