Although cells are smaller than a grain of sand, they are very important. All living things are made up of cells. They can live, grow, reproduce, and die. They are able to change shape, move to another place, divide into two cells through mitosis, and can even link with other cells. Cells are made up of water, proteins, chromosomes (store DNA), sugars, and fats. Some species consist of only one cell (single-celled organisms), such as bacteria. Organisms that are multi-cellular (many cells), like humans, are made up of billions of cells. There are two types of cells: eukaryotes (complex cells) and prokaryotes (less complex cells). Human cells, animal cells, plant cells, and some bacteria are eukaryotic. The prokaryotes are found only in some types of bacteria. A cell is a lot like a big factory. It has many jobs and functions, but it can only survive if all it’s parts work together. If you look closely inside a cell with a microscope, you will see many different features and organelles.  The following picture of a cell contains organelles which are found in both plant and animal cells. To take a closer look at one of the cell parts, just click on the word.

Other cell parts:

flagellum | chloroplasts | cell wall

CELLS  |  CHROMOSOMES   |  DNA  |  QUIZ