Cell biology or cytology is a branch of biology that deals with the study of cell structure and function based on the concept that the cell is the basic unit of life.
A detailed study of cellular structure and function provides the basis for studies of tissues, organs, and the body.
The number of cells in an organism can vary as some organisms have a single cell while others are made up of billions of cells.
In the case of unicellular organisms, the single cell is studied, whereas for multicellular organisms, individual cells of different tissues are studied.
Initially, only the outer structure of the cell was studied due to the lack of complex microscopic processes.
However, over the years, advances in other fields have made it possible to study the intracellular components of the cell.
In addition to cell structure and function, cell biology is also concerned with cell communication and signaling.
Cell biology also includes the study of the cell cycle and cell division, which provides insight into the cellular structure of an organism.
Cell biology is also linked to other studies such as genetics, molecular biology, cytochemistry and biochemistry.
Cells are classified as prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells based on the complexity of the cell.
Cell biology enables the study of biochemical mechanisms involved in cell metabolism and various forms of cellular energy.
Focusing on the structural and functional aspects of a single cell allows for a detailed understanding of the body as a whole.
A single cell is also easier to research because it can be manipulated and observed efficiently.
Cell biology techniques for observing small cellular organelles have evolved over the years with new and improved imaging techniques.
Cell biology, along with systems biology, helps answer complex questions such as the relationships between cellular networks, the evolutionary relationship between genomes, and the complexity of the biological structure of different organisms.
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