The Smallest Form of Life
All living things consist of cells, they shape the structure and provide function for any living organism; whether it’s a human being or a microorganism. Cells are considered the smallest form of life. They are biological machinery which make chemicals, proteins and are responsible for everything that happen in a body. There are many types of cells and each one has different shape and size, some cells are even shapeless and see-through. Their sizes are also various, there are some like bacteria, which are so tiny, they cannot be seen by the naked eye and to see them, one must use a microscope. While other types are big, which are often found in plants.
The human body has trillions of cells, they are categorised into about 200 types. A human cell contains sets of genes, but each cell type switches on a different pattern of genes, which ultimately determines the proteins that the cells produce. Each set of proteins is unique, thus allowing them to perform specialized tasks. For example: red blood cells are responsible for carrying the oxygen through the body, while white blood cells are responsible for killing germs. Meanwhile, intestinal cells are in charge of releasing molecules which allows the body to digest food. Nerve cells send electrical messages and chemicals which produce movement and thoughts.
Biologists study cells relying on specific tools as to be able to examine and study them. They use imaging techniques which magnifies the cells and also tracks them as cells grow, divide and interact with each other. Biochemical and genetic tests let researchers study cells and see how they respond to the environment around them: like rising temperatures or toxins. The tests are also used to label some specific proteins, in which scientists use fluorescent tags. Other chemicals are used to allows scientists to visualize how protein work inside cells. There are also sophisticated computational machinery and tools which analyze the data. Learning about cells and knowing how they work is integral, as this teaches us about the biological processes, therefore how to be healthy. This also reveals ways to treat diseases. Cancer treatments, antibiotics, cholesterol medicine and many others were all discovered through cellular research, however there is so much more waiting to be discovered.