The cell is the basic unit of structure and function in all organisms. Cells are the microscopic building blocks of life.
Everything in the human body is made up of cells. Our cells group together to make tissues, and these group to make things like our skin and individual organs.
Organelles are structures within human cells that carry out specific tasks to help the cell. If you opened up an object with many components inside of it, like a mobile phone, you would see that the different things inside it support the overall function of the phone. For example, there is a battery to power it, a screen, and speakers: together, they make up the phone and its different functions, and that is how the organelles operate within a cell. They each provide an additional process that allows the cells to work. Look at this diagram showing the placement of organelles within an animal cell; you can see ribosomes, lysosomes, the nucleus, and mitochondria.
What are the types of cells in the human body?
All cells are identical at the start of their lives called stem cells. Then, they become differentiated depending on what organism they are in – plant or animal – and what specific job they need to do. This means that they change to perform a particular function better. These are called specialized cells, and there are many different types of these cells in the human body.
In number, there are trillions of cells in the human body, and they are all different types, depending on where they are in the body and the job they must do. There are hundreds of different types of cells working in the human body, some of the most common include:
The nerve cell
Nerve cells make up the human nervous system – they are also known as neurons. They allow the brain to communicate with organs like the brain using nerve impulses. There are three types of nerve cells: sensory neurons, relay neurons, and motor neurons.
The red blood cell
Red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide around our bodies in our bloodstream. The cell membrane of a red blood cell allows oxygen and carbon dioxide to attach to the hemoglobin molecule inside.
The white blood cell
White blood cells protect our bodies against pathogens (these cause disease) by building up our immune system and attacking things that might make us sick.
The Muscle cell
Muscle cells are what make up the muscle tissue in our bodies. Different types of muscle cells protect and support our muscle fibers, allowing us to move our bones using our muscles; and allowing parts of our bodies to move all by themselves as our organs carry out their functions.
Ciliated Cells
These line up together to make the walls or linings of our organs. They protect the human body from disease and infection.
Skin cells
Our skin is made up of different types of cells. Some of these are called epithelial cells. They protect what’s inside the human body from the outside world, keeping it clean, sterile, and free from foreign objects that could damage organs. Our skin also stops this inside of the human body from becoming dehydrated and produces vital vitamins.
