If you couldn’t tell by the title… cells make me excited! And that’s why my micropipette is my best friend.
But in all seriousness, there is a reason I decided to go into microbiology, and it’s the fact that cells are awe-strikingly memorizing… but it is no act of magic.
So if you would like to be enlightened as to why the smallest unit of life is so amazing, here are five reasons:
1) Diversity
There are thousands of different cell types, 200 of them being human cells. This huge vast of cell diversity leads to the healthy development of thousands of different living organisms. Having a range of diversity allows for a buffer in preventing cell and genetic mutations. Secondly, it allows for new species to continuously evolve from common ancestors, improving adaptations and advantages for survival.
2) Similarity
Regardless of many cells seemingly having nothing in common… they still abide by the same code. So how did all the cells in the world receive the same memo? Well, thanks to genes’ universal nature, they all abide by the same code. Thanks to their genetic similarity, genes from human cells can be inserted into bacteria cells to be amplified, of course if PCR will degrade the integrity of the cell. These amplified genes can be then re-inserted into the human cell. Based on the objective of the transmission, possibly a cure could be found.
3) Compactness
The cell is the smallest unit of life, but it is its own microscopic entity. Each eukaryotic cell has over 20 organelles, each having a different function, which mesh together to form a harmonious intracellular society. In truth, the cell looks like its own city. Which is a matter of fact, how professors teach the function of each organelle; they relate it to an occupation. If I wasn’t a scientist, I would claim intelligent design on intracellular communication.
4) Reproduction
There are two main ways in which cells can be replicated, mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis creates two diploid (full chromosome) identical cells; and meiosis creates four haploid (half chromosome) sister cells. This process of meiosis is what allows for the genetic diversity in our offspring. By cutting your chromosome count in half, when your gamete meets your partner’s gamete, one full set of chromosomes is yielded.
5) Intercellular Communication
Just like all great organizations, it relies on the clear communication between the members. In this case, the cells are the members and the organization is an organism. From hormonal adjustments to the production of glucose in plants, it all occurs because cells in their surrounding community join to complete a common task. This allows for the organism’s response to be cascaded at the cellular level. In all honesty, because of their synchrony, most people forget that each cell is working individually.
These are some of the reasons why I love cells and biology, but there are so many more reasons that it is innumerable. They clearly don't "cell" themselves short.
That is the beauty of science, even after so much has been explored and discovered, there is still more to uncover.
