Cell Physiological Phenomena
Cell physiological phenomena are processes and activities carried out by cells, including growth, movement, differentiation, and responses to stimuli.
Cell: The smallest structural and functional unit of living organisms. Cellular physiology describes what this fundamental unit does.
Homeostasis: The regulation of internal conditions within limits compatible with function. Cells use regulatory processes to stabilize conditions such as ion levels and pH.
Cell differentiation: The process by which a cell acquires specialized structure and function. It shows how cellular activity produces distinct cell types.
Single-cell analysis: Methods that measure molecular or functional properties of individual cells rather than pooled populations. It exposes variation hidden by population averages of cellular activity.
Cell membrane: A selectively permeable boundary that separates a cell from its surroundings. It regulates exchange and helps cells detect external signals.
Active transport: The energy-dependent movement of substances across a membrane against their concentration or electrochemical gradients. It lets cells build gradients needed for uptake, signaling, and electrical activity.
Cell migration: The directed movement of cells from one location to another. It underlies tissue formation, immune defense, and wound repair.
Cellular heterogeneity: Differences in properties or behavior among cells within a population. It complicates general claims about how cells respond to the same conditions.
Cytoskeleton: A network of protein filaments that supports cell shape, organization, and movement. Its filaments enable intracellular transport, shape changes, and locomotion.
Cell cycle: The ordered sequence of growth, DNA replication, and division in a cell. Its control links cellular growth to the production of daughter cells.