How To Explore Cell Biology

Cell biology is one of the most interesting subtopics under the grand umbrella of biology. This is the study of cells — the basic unit of life — in terms of various aspects:

• anatomy (the parts that comprise them);
• physiology (the processes that happens inside the cell to maintain balance and preserve life);
• and even pathology (the process by which cells get disease).

One of the first things that you learn from school regarding cell biology is the difference between the plant cells and animal cells. Plant cells are more modular and slightly more structural than animal cells. They literally look like rigid shapes with a cell wall, a similarly robust and rigid structure that protects the contents of the cell while giving the cell shape. Animal cells, on the other hand, have a cell membrane, which is a more pliable outer covering that is not as rigid.

Despite some differences, plant and animal cells have a specialized organelle (a small component of a cell with a main purpose of function) called the nucleus that contains the genetic material of the cell, which is the DNA. Cell division usually begins in the nucleus. The cytoplasm is the liquid material that is outside the nucleus and within the cell membrane or cell wall. Other organelles are also suspended in this liquid substrate.

The stark difference is that plant cells have special organelles called chloroplasts. These are responsible for the basic process that plants use to live and survive, called photosynthesis. With the chlorophyll (the same substance that makes leaves green) in the chloroplasts, plants can create much needed food for themselves with the help of sunlight. This makes the plants autotrophs and not dependent on other biological entities for their sustenance.

The mitochondrion is known as the powerhouse of the cell. It's literally a generator that's responsible for the basic units of energy that is used by the mitochondria. The organelle itself has inner infoldings called cristae that allows for great reactions that make it possible for the mitochondrion to just produce inordinate amounts of ATP (energy units for the cell). The mitochondrion also has a lot of genetic material and this has been used in the field of developmental biology. For instance, thanks to the studies of the National Geographic Society, it has been established that the entire human race descended from a few thousand families in Northern Africa.

Human biology and medical biology has a lot of overlaps with the study of cell biology. Hematologists or blood experts, for instance, check the components of the blood if the right amounts of cells are in the serum. If there are irregularities, diseases such as leukemia or anemia may be considered. If cells look malformed or mutated, cancers and other forms of malignancies may be the most likely diagnosis.