What is cell biology?

Cellsform the basis of all living things. They are the smallest single unit of life, from the simplestbacteriato blue whales and giant redwood trees. Differences in the structure of cells and they way that they carry out their internal mechanisms form the basis of the first major divisions of life, into the three kingdoms of Archaea (ancient bacteria), Eubacteria (modern bacteria) andEukaryota(everything else, including us). An understanding of cells is therefore vital in any understanding of life itself.

Cell biologyis the study of cells and how they function, from the subcellular processes which keep them functioning, to the way that cells interact with other cells. Whilstmolecular biologyconcentrates largely on the molecules of life (largely thenucleic acidsandproteins), cell biology concerns itself with how these molecules are used by the cell to survive, reproduce and carry out normal cell functions.

In biomedical research,cell biologyis used to find out more about howcellsnormally work, and how disturbances in this normal function can result in disease. An understanding of these processes can lead totherapieswhich work by targeting the abnormal function.

The following list covers some of the more commonly used cell biology techniques it is by no means exhaustive.

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Introduction to cell biology - Diamantina Institute ...