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Chapter One: An Introduction to Cells
Unicellular biology is a constantly growing field, with many questions still unanswered and waiting to be explained. However, an understanding of these questions requires a good handle on the principles of biology. The purpose of Chapter One is to introduce these important concepts. By the end of this chapter you'll have a general understanding of what cells are, the history of their study, how they work, and how biologists classify them into different groups.
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Chapter Two: The Chemistry of Biology
Much of biology is based on the principles of chemistry; as was mentioned in Chapter One, cells are composed of organic molecules, so a discussion of cells would not be complete without talking about these substances. Chemistry is also important in that organisms perform chemical reactions to store and release the energy that they use to carry out their various processes, and the way cell organelles work has a simple basis in chemistry. Chapter Two focuses on the fundamental structure of matter, the manner in which chemical reactions occur, the different types of molecules as well as their classification, and the ways in which different molecules can interact with one another. If you have a background in chemistry, feel free to either skip this chapter or skim through the section titles to make sure that you're familiar with the material.
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Chapter Three: Cell Structures
Inside of every cell are tiny structures which scientists refer to as organelles. Just like large animals have organs to perform specific functions, unicellular organisms have specialized organelles. Chapter Three is all about these organelles, which carry out all sorts of processes, including respiration, digestion of food, elimination of wastes, and many others. We'll focus on the different types of organelles, what the function of each one is, and how the principles of chemistry allow it to perform this function. Don't forget, if you're confused about something relating to chemistry that is mentioned in this chapter, you can always go back to Chapter Two to review the material.
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Chapter Four: Cell Nutrition and Respiration
Although cells are remarkable for the complexity of the structures which they contain, even more incredible are the great many processes which occur in cells. Like multicellular organisms, cells also have a way of eating, breathing, and reproducing. This chapter focuses on how cells obtain nutrients and break it down into energy, beginning with how cells engulf food followed by a discussion of how they chemically break it down. Since energy is produced through chemical reactions, don't hesitate to review the material from Chapter Two if you feel the need to.
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Chapter Five: Cell Reproduction
One of the requirements which something must satisfy to be considered alive is that it must reproduce. Unlike animals and plants, which generally have very complex methods and patterns of reproduction, unicellular organisms, especially prokaryotes, utilize a relatively simple method. Instead of utilizing sexual reproduction like animals (which involves two parents of different sexes), most unicellular organisms undergo a process of asexual reproduction, whereby only one parent cell is needed in the reproductive process. Chapter Five is devoted to explaining this important process.
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Chapter Six: DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis
DNA is arguably the most intriguing aspect of biology: a single molecule acting as a genetic code for the production of proteins in a cell. How DNA accomplishes this function is truly remarkable. This chapter begins with a brief introduction to DNA and the history of the discovery of its significance and then moves on to discuss the structure of DNA and the mechanisms by which it indirectly controls protein synthesis.
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Chapter Seven: The Classification of Unicellular Organisms
Unicellular organisms are a very varied bunch. Some are smaller than others or are more complex, have more interesting names, or can live in very hostile environments. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the many different types of unicellular organisms. We will cover the general method of classifying all organisms, then examine the major classes of prokaryotic organisms, followed by a discussion of eukaryotes. This chapter has a special focus on the information which may be useful for the Simulation. Although not all of the classes of unicellular organisms discussed here are used in the Simulation, all of them are significant.
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