INSIDE A CELL


 

 Guide to the Cell

You will  really love to take a tour  inside a cell. Cells  are like small factories that are adapted to  perform different jobs.You will take a  fascinating  journey inside a cell  by reading  this  excellent article .

By Alisa Zapp Machalek

A typical animal cell, sliced open to reveal cross-sections of organelles.

A typical animal cell, sliced open to reveal cross-sections of organelles.
Click for larger image

Welcome! I hope the transformation wasn’t too alarming. You have shrunk down to about 3 millionths of your normal size. You are now about 0.5 micrometers tall (a micrometer is 1/1000 of a millimeter). But don’t worry, you’ll return to your normal size before you finish this chapter.

At this scale, a medium-sized human cell looks as long, high, and wide as a football field. But from where we are, you can’t see nearly that far. Clogging your view is a rich stew of molecules, fibers, and various cell structures called organelles. Like the internal organs in your body, organelles in the cell each have a unique biological role to play.

Now that your eyes have adjusted to the darkness, let’s explore, first-hand and up close, the amazing world inside a cell.

Related articles