Britannica Guide to Cell Biology

A cell is the smallest unit of living matter that can exist by itself. Some organisms, such as bacteria, are made up of only one single cell. As for other organisms, such as humans and redwood trees, billions of cells are required. That means that those multitudinous cells have to work together to enable people to do things such as walk, talk, and eat, and for trees to send down roots, sprout branches, and grow leaves. Readers of this authoritative book will discover how such cells function, get energy, grow, reproduce, specialize, and communicate.

It's usually pretty easy to tell if an organism is an animal or a plant at a single glance. Interestingly enough, plant and animal cells are also easy to tell apart. Readers will learn the organelles-cell parts-that are particular to animal or plant cells. They will be exposed to the wide variety of plant and animal cells, as well as the characteristics that makes specialized cells so perfectly suited to their functions. Special attention is paid to photosynthesis and cellular respiration, including the complementary nature of the two processes.

Cells are the building blocks of life and diversify in amazing ways to create every form of living thing. This authoritative guide covers the basics of what a cell is and how cells reproduce and change in order to form different life forms and perform specialized functions. It also covers how scientists have learned to manipulate and regenerate cells, leading to advances in medicine. The controversy surrounding cloning technology is discussed, as is the exciting future of cytology and cell biology. The most likely future frontiers of innovation and discovery are outlined in enthralling detail.

Bacteria, archaea, algae, fungi, protozoans, animals, and plants consist of one or more cells. DNA controls how the cell reproduces and functions, and determines which traits are inherited from previous generations. In eukaryotes, the DNA is contained within a nucleus. Plants, animals, fungi, and many microorganisms are eukaryotes. Readers discover that in eukaryotic cells, a variety of organelles, including the nucleus, ribosomes, Golgi apparatus, and endoplasmic reticulum, work together to manufacture proteins, and with other organelles enable the cell to send, receive, and process information so that it can maintain a stable equilibrium.

Readers learn that a living organism is a system, or structure, that reproduces, changes with its environment over a period of time, and maintains its individuality by continuous metabolism. To maintain life, an organism repairs or replaces (or both) its structures by a constant supply of the materials of which it is formed. It keeps its life processes in operation by a steady supply of energy. A major contributing part of an organism's survival is the functioning of its cells. This volume provides essential information on cell functions, including amino acids, fibrous and globular proteins, DNA, protein synthesis, and metabolism.

Despite the vast diversity of living organisms on Earth, all life falls into only one of two categories: prokaryotes or eukaryotes. Examining the basic parts of a cell, cell types, cell function, and cell reproduction, this concise volume explains what makes certain cells eukaryotic and others prokaryotic and how the two cell types are related. Detailed diagrams complement the text to help readers easily identify various cell features and integrate textual and visual information, in line with Common Core requirements.