BIOL-2220 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Cell Adhesion Molecule, Resting Potential, Electrochemical Gradient
21 Sep 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
3. 1 cells are the smallest unit of life. Since the late 1800s, cell research has provided us with the cell theory: A cell is the basic structural and functional unit of living organisms. When you define cell properties, you define the properties of life. The activity of an organism depends on both the individual and the combined activities of its cells. According to the principle of complementarity of structure and function, the biochemical activities of cells are dictated by their shapes or forms, and by the relative number of the subcellular structures they contain. Whatever its form, however it behaves, the cell is the microscope package that contains all the parts necessary to survive in an ever-changing world. The trillions of cells in the human body include over 250 different cell types that vary greatly in shape, size, and function.
