cell

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions
The nature and function of cells
- The molecules of cells
  - The structure of biological molecules
  - Coupled chemical reactions
    - Photosynthesis: the beginning of the food chain
    - ATP: fueling chemical reactions
- The genetic information of cells
  - DNA: the genetic material
  - RNA: replicated from DNA
- The organization of cells
  - Intracellular communication
  - Intercellular communication
The cell membrane
- Chemical composition and membrane structure
  - Membrane lipids
  - Membrane proteins
  - Membrane fluidity
- Transport across the membrane
  - Permeation
  - Membrane channels
  - Facilitated diffusion
    - The glucose transporter
    - The anion transporter
  - Secondary active transport
    - Counter-transport
    - Co-transport
  - Primary active transport
    - The sodium-potassium pump
    - Calcium pumps
    - Hydrogen ion pumps
  - Transport of particles
    - Endocytosis
    - Exocytosis
Internal membranes
- General functions and characteristics
- Cellular organelles and their membranes
  - The vacuole
  - The lysosome
  - Microbodies
  - The endoplasmic reticulum
    - The smooth endoplasmic reticulum
    - The rough endoplasmic reticulum
  - The Golgi apparatus
  - Secretory vesicles
- Sorting of products by chemical receptors
The nucleus
- Structural organization of the nucleus
  - DNA packaging
    - Nucleosomes: the subunits of chromatin
    - Organization of chromatin fibre
  - The nuclear envelope
- Genetic organization of the nucleus
  - The structure of DNA
  - Rearrangement and modification of DNA
- Genetic expression through RNA
  - RNA synthesis
  - Processing of mRNA
- Regulation of genetic expression
  - Regulation of RNA synthesis
  - Regulation of RNA after synthesis
The mitochondrion and the chloroplast
- Mitochondrial and chloroplastic structure
- Metabolic functions
  - The mitochondrion
    - Formation of the electron donors NADH and FADH₂
    - The electron-transport chain
    - The chemiosmotic theory
  - The chloroplast
    - Trapping of light
    - Fixation of carbon dioxide
- Evolutionary origins
  - The mitochondrion and chloroplast as independent entities
  - The endosymbiont hypothesis
The cytoskeleton
- Actin filaments
- Microtubules
- Intermediate filaments
The cell matrix and cell-to-cell communication
- The extracellular matrix
  - Matrix polysaccharides
  - Matrix proteins
  - Cell-matrix interactions
- Intercellular recognition and cell adhesion
  - Tissue and species recognition
  - Cell junctions
    - Adhering junctions
    - Tight junctions
    - Gap junctions
- Cell-to-cell communication via chemical signaling
  - Types of chemical signaling
  - Signal receptors
  - Cellular response
- The plant cell wall
  - Mechanical properties of wall layers
  - Components of the cell wall
    - Cellulose
    - Matrix polysaccharides
    - Proteins
    - Plastics
  - Intercellular communication
    - Plasmodesmata
    - Oligosaccharides with regulatory functions
Cell division and growth
- Duplication of the genetic material
- Cell division
  - Mitosis and cytokinesis
  - Meiosis
- The cell division cycle
  - Controlled proliferation
  - Failure of proliferation control
Cell differentiation
- The differentiated state
- The process of differentiation
- Errors in differentiation
The evolution of cells
- The development of genetic information
- The development of metabolism
The history of cell theory
- Formulation of the theory
  - Early observations
  - The problem of the origin of cells
  - The protoplasm concept
- Contribution of other sciences

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

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cell: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	cell system

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Topics

stem cell tissue adipose cell DNA repair membrane cell cycle base excision repair neuroglia cilium flagellum biosphere ecosystem DNA community organ multicellular organism evolution heredity death biology

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Key People

Torbjörn Oskar Caspersson

Swedish cytologist and geneticist

Daniel Mazia

American biologist

Fred H. Gage

American geneticist

Lynn Margulis

American biologist

Ralph M. Steinman.

Ralph M. Steinman

Canadian immunologist and cell biologist

Günter Blobel

German-American scientist

Ohsumi, Yoshinori

Yoshinori Ohsumi

Japanese biologist

Rothman, James E.

James E. Rothman

American biochemist and cell biologist

Schekman, Randy W.

Randy W. Schekman

American biochemist and cell biologist

Elizabeth Stern

Canadian pathologist

Purkinje, Jan Evangelista

Jan Evangelista Purkinje

Czech physiologist

John Sulston

British biologist

Beneden, Edouard van

Edouard van Beneden

Belgian embryologist and cytologist

Paul Alfred Weiss

American biologist

Albert Claude

Belgian cytologist

George E. Palade

Romanian-born American cell biologist

Keith Roberts Porter

American biologist

Edmund Beecher Wilson

Edmund Beecher Wilson

American biologist

Walther Flemming

German biologist

Martin Rodbell.

Martin Rodbell

American biochemist

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