What Is Cell Biology?
Even if you’re just getting started in biology, you probably have some general knowledge about cells and what they are, but you can’t necessarily answer the question “What is cell biology?” For example, you may know cells are very small, and you can imagine that we have billions of them.
Past that, you may have questions about what exactly a cell is. Are they the tiny things that Robert Hooke discovered under a microscope? Are cells the smallest unit of life? Are they the functional and structural unit of all living organisms? Well, all those statements are correct, and all of that knowledge falls under a category of science known as cell biology.
The Cell: The Basic Unit of Life
Cells are responsible for every molecular activity that is happening in our body.
They deal with lots of things at the same time such as respiration, transport and metabolic functions. Imagine our cells as a city! Each part of a cell has its own purpose and a thing to deal with. Just like the different spots and parts in a city.
So, basically a cell is the smallest portion of a living thing and responsible with lots of things to make the life continue within an organism.
So, What is Cell Biology?
Cell biology (or cellular biology) is the field of biology that includes the study of cells!
The cells’ physiological properties, structure, interactions with their environment and the stages they go through throughout their life and basically anything that contains about cell is related with the branch cellular biology. And one of the most important things about cellular biology is the cell theory!
But, what is the cell theory? While you might have learned its principles in your biology lessons, this theory was first formulated in mid 1800’s.
The Principles of Cell Theory
Luckily, there are only three principles of cell theory for you to study, and they’re all very easy to understand! These three basic principles are:
• Every organism is made up of one or more cells.
• The cell is the smallest (basic) unit of life.
• New cells can only arise from previously existing cells.
What are the Different Types of Cells?
We know that cells are commonly found in the nature, but how do we identify them? How can cells be grouped or categorized? The answer is simple: there are only two types of cells. Let’s have a look at them:
Prokaryotic Cells
Eukaryotic Cells
The primary difference between these two types of cells is that one has a membrane-bound nucleus (eukaryotic cells), and the other does not.
Final Thoughts on Cell Biology
Now that we’ve covered the basics of cell biology, are you ready to take a deeper dive? Do you think you could benefit from some one-on-one science homework help? Reach out to our coaches and start a session now!