Cells and Life

​Microscope is used by scientists to see the basic unit of life which we call cell.

​The word cell was coined by Robert Hooke, when he improved a microscope as he is studying a cork oak tree's bark.

​The word cell comes from the Latin word "cellula" which means "small rooms". To him, the cells of cork looked like the openings in a honeycomb.

​After Hooke's discovery, other scientists began making better microscopes and make discoveries:

1. ​Matthias Schleiden (German scientist) studying plant cell- all plants are composed of cells (1838)

2. ​Theodor Schwann (German scientist) studying animal cell- all animal tissue are consist of individual cells

3. ​Rudolf Virchow-cells self-reproduce

1. ​All organisms are composed of one or more cells.

2. Cell is the basic unit of structure and function of all organisms.

3. All cells come from pre-existing cells.

Protoplasm (water makes up 70 %, proteins, carbohydrate, fats) refers to the living substance which makes up a cell.

​

​Cells 3 Main Job:

1. ​make energy

2. make proteins

3. make more cells

What makes them different?

​Prokaryotes are organisms made up of cells that lack a cell nucleus or any membrane-encased organelles, while these are present in eukaryotes.

​All cells can be grouped into two major types, eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells.

​

​Prokaryotic cells is NOT surrounded by membrane. It also do NOT have many of the other cell parts. Most of them are unicellular (archaea, bacteria) and are called Prokaryotes.

​Plants, animals, fungi, protists are all made of eukaryotic cells and are called eukaryotes. With few exceptions, each eukaryotic cell has genetic material that is surrounded by a membrane. Every eukaryotic cells also has other structures, called ORGANELLES, which have specialized functions.