Cells :: essays research papers

Cells   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cells are the basic unit of all life. Even though they are the smallest unit of life they are highly complex. Each cell has enough parts to it to practically survive on its own. There are two types of cells; the plant cell and the animal cell. These two cells do not vary intensely, but there are some major factors that separate them completely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Animal cells are highly organized. The many parts that make up the cell work in synch with each other. These parts are called organelles. The most important organelle in the cell is the nucleus. The nucleus holds all of the blueprint information for the cell. The DNA of a cell is found in the nucleus along with RNA. The nucleus is surrounded by two membranes due to the need to be highly selective with materials that enter the cell's nucleus. The cell itself is surrounded by a membrane. In between the membrane of the nucleus and the cell membrane is cytoplasm. It is in the cytoplasm where all of the other organelles are stored. There are six main organelles in the cytoplasm. First, the mitochondria, which provides energy to the cell through ATP and respiration. Then there is the endoplasmic reticulum which separates parts of the cell. Then there is the Golgi apparatus which is used for sorting, storing, and secretion for the cell. Next are lysosomes, which hydrolyze macromolecules. Then there are centrioles that play a major role in cell division. And lastly there are vacuoles which have a variety of storage functions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The plant cell is similar in most ways. The only really big differences between the plant cell and the animal cell are as follows. The first is the