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What are cells? |
by Brian Griffin (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
People often say that cells are the basic unit of life. This means they are the tiniest part of a living thing (or in some cases, a cell is an entire living thing on its own!) that can carry out the functions of life. A cell can turn food into energy and it can reproduce, just like a whole person can. In fact, a person is made up of over 75 trillion cells! Have you ever counted that high? Don’t try it. You won’t be able to finish. That is a huge number!
Usually cells are too small to see without a microscope, but everything that is alive is built from one or more cells. Bacteria, plants, animals and fungi all have special types of cells that make them up. People have special cells that make up skin, muscles, hair and all the other parts of our body.
So Many Cells…
The word “cell” doesn’t just apply to part of a living thing. We use it all the time in a lot of different ways:
Cell phones
Jail cells
Storm cells (parts of the atmosphere that behave as a single weather unit)
Cells in a convent (rooms where nuns live are sometimes called cells)
Honeycomb cells (those small hexagonal spaces in beehives)
Think about what you learned about the cells of living things. How do the cells in non-living things work as cells too? A grown-up might be able to help you if you get stumped!
Usually cells are too small to see without a microscope, but everything that is alive is built from one or more cells. Bacteria, plants, animals and fungi all have special types of cells that make them up. People have special cells that make up skin, muscles, hair and all the other parts of our body.
So Many Cells…
The word “cell” doesn’t just apply to part of a living thing. We use it all the time in a lot of different ways:
Cell phones
Jail cells
Storm cells (parts of the atmosphere that behave as a single weather unit)
Cells in a convent (rooms where nuns live are sometimes called cells)
Honeycomb cells (those small hexagonal spaces in beehives)
Think about what you learned about the cells of living things. How do the cells in non-living things work as cells too? A grown-up might be able to help you if you get stumped!
