A cell is a mass of cytoplasm that is bound externally by a cell membrane. Usually microscopic in size, cells are the smallest structural units of living matter and compose all living things. Most cells have one or more nuclei and other organelles that carry out a variety of tasks.
Human cells contain the following major parts, listed in alphabetical order: Within cells, the cytoplasm is made up of a jelly-like fluid (called the cytosol) and other structures that surround the nucleus. The cytoskeleton is a network of long fibers that make up the cell’s structural framework.
All cells can be sorted into one of two groups: eukaryotes and prokaryotes. A eukaryote has a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, while a prokaryote does not. Plants and animals are made of numerous eukaryotic cells, while many microbes, such as bacteria, consist of single cells.
Cells are the basic units of life. The body contains trillions of cells, which vary widely in size, number, structure, and function. Cells also communicate with each other. Whether in plants,...
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Cell - Structure, Organelles, Metabolism: Like the cell membrane, membranes of some organelles contain transport proteins, or permeases, that allow chemical communication between organelles.
cell, In biology, the basic unit of which all living things are composed; the smallest structural unit of living matter that is able to function independently. A single cell can be a complete organism in itself, as in bacteria and protozoans.