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Cell Diversity

Cell Diversity

The concept of a cell started with microscopic observations of dead cork tissue by Robert Hooke in 1665. Hooke coined the term "cell" based on the resemblance of the small subdivisions in the cork to the rooms that monks inhabited, called cells. About ten years later, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek became the first person to observe the living and moving cells under a microscope. In the century that followed, the theory that cells represented the basic unit of life developed.
Multicellular...

Prokaryotic Cells

Prokaryotic Cells

Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains—Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common organisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize proteins....

What are Cells?

What are Cells?

Cells are the smallest and basic units of life, whether it is a single cell that forms the entire organism, e.g., in a bacterium, or trillions of them, e.g., in humans. No matter what organism a cell is a part of, they share specific characteristics.
Basic Characteristics of Cells
A living cell has a plasma membrane, a bilayer of lipids that separates the aqueous solution inside the cell called the cytoplasm from the outside environment.
Furthermore, a living cell possesses genetic information...

What are Cells?

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Cells are the smallest and basic units of life, whether it is a single cell that forms the entire organism, e.g., in a bacterium or trillions of them, e.g., in humans. No matter what organism a cell is a part of, they share specific characteristics.
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pH Regulation in Cells

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pH plays a critical role in maintaining normal cellular activities. It helps maintain the structure and function of various proteins, dictates the charge on cellular membranes, and is crucial for metabolic reactions inside the cell. Moreover, cells use the energy from the proton motive force to generate ATP.
Cytosolic pH
Under physiological conditions, the cytosolic pH is slightly more acidic than the extracellular pH. However, cells must prevent further acidification of their cytosol to...

Cellular Differentiation

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How does a complex organism such as a human develop from a single cell? It all starts from a single fertilized egg which gives rise to a vast array of cell types, such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and epithelial cells that characterize the adult? Throughout development and adulthood, cellular differentiation leads cells to assume their final morphology and physiology. Differentiation is the process by which unspecialized cells become specialized to carry out distinct functions.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Author Spotlight: Integrating Single-Cell Transcriptomics with Organoid Cultures for Advanced Research and Therapeutic Insights

Author Spotlight: Integrating Single-Cell Transcriptomics with Organoid Cultures for Advanced Research and Therapeutic Insights

Published on: June 28, 2024

Single-Cell Physiology.

Sattar Taheri-Araghi¹, Steven D Brown, John T Sauls

¹Department of Physics.

Annual Review of Biophysics

|March 10, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Single-cell techniques are revolutionizing microbial physiology research, offering new insights into cell growth and division. These advanced methods promise to uncover further microbial processes, advancing biological science.

Keywords:

cell cycle growth microbiology microfluidics quantitative biology systems biology

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Whole Cell Electrophysiology of Primary Cultured Murine Enterochromaffin Cells

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Published on: September 26, 2018

Area of Science:

Microbial Physiology
Cell Biology
Biotechnology

Background:

Single-cell analysis has a long history of biological discovery.
Recent advancements in microfluidics, computation, and fluorescence have spurred a renaissance in microbial physiology.
Model organisms like Escherichia coli are central to these studies.

Purpose of the Study:

To review key open questions in single-cell physiology.
To introduce single-cell techniques to a diverse scientific audience.
To highlight common challenges and their resolutions in the field.

Main Methods:

Microfluidics for high-throughput analysis.
Genetically encoded fluorescence for real-time monitoring.
Computational power for data analysis.
Single-cell experimental approaches.

Main Results:

New perspectives on microbial growth, cell cycle, and cell size.
Demonstration of the power of single-cell techniques in understanding microorganisms.
Identification of pervasive issues and practical solutions in single-cell studies.

Conclusions:

Single-cell techniques are crucial for understanding microbial life.
Continued innovation in these methods will reveal unforeseen biological patterns.
This field is fundamental to advancing biological science.