Cell

A cell is the smallest structural and functional unit of living organisms. It is enclosed by a membrane and carries out the processes needed for life.

Cell membrane: A selectively permeable boundary that separates a cell from its surroundings and regulates exchange. It defines the cell’s boundary while controlling which substances enter and leave.
Prokaryotic cell: A cell without a membrane-bound nucleus or other membrane-bound organelles. Prokaryotic cells show how cells function without the compartmentalization found in eukaryotes.
Cell division: The process by which a cell produces daughter cells. Division allows cells to reproduce and enables multicellular organisms to grow and repair tissue.
Cell theory: The foundational biological framework that organisms consist of cells and cells arise from existing cells. Cell theory formalizes the cell’s role as life’s basic structural unit.
Stem cell: An unspecialized cell capable of self-renewal and differentiation into specialized cell types. Stem cells show how cells can generate specialized tissues during development and repair.
Cytoplasm: The contents of a cell between its membrane and nucleus, including cytosol and suspended structures. Many cellular reactions occur in the fluid and structures enclosed by the cell membrane.
Eukaryotic cell: A cell with a membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. Eukaryotic cells contrast with prokaryotes through their nucleus and internal compartments.
Mitosis: The division of a eukaryotic cell’s nucleus into two genetically similar nuclei. Mitosis is the nuclear stage of division in many growing and renewing tissues.
Robert Hooke: An English scientist who described cork’s tiny compartments as “cells” in 1665. Hooke introduced the name after observing dead plant tissue through a microscope.
Cancer: A group of diseases in which abnormal cells grow and spread without normal control. Cancer arises when cellular growth and division escape normal regulation.

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