CELL STRUCTURE

Let’s zoom out for a moment. The biological cell is the fundamental unit of life. From the smallest of single celled bacteria, to the incredible biological machinery of your own body, cells function to support life. This is called cell theory.

Eukaryotic cells are highly organized and made up of specialized components with specialized functions. Important organelles include the nucleus, the endoplasmic reticulum, the golgi apparatus, mitochondria, lysosomes, and peroxisomes, which are all housed in cytoplasm of the cell. Surrounding the cytoplasm is the plasma membrane, which forms a border against the rest of the world, and regulates intake of molecules and ions. Just like the organs in your body are connected by a skeleton, the organelles in a cell are connected by a cytoskeleton, which provides structure and facilitates transport of materials around the cell.

Cells communicate with one another through biosignalling - the world of receptors and ion channels and secondary cascades. They work together to form the tissues that make up our organs. Now that we have some context, let’s look at the roles that biomolecules play in the function of cells.