1 of 2How are plant cells different from animal cells?All living things are composed of cells.(more)See all videos for this article2 of 2similarities and differences between cellsBasic similarities between cells and ways cells may vary depending on their function.(more)See all videos for this articleThis article discusses the cell both as an individual unit and as a contributing part of a larger organism. As an individual unit, the cell is capable of metabolizing its own , synthesizing many types of molecules, providing its own energy, and replicating itself in order to produce succeeding generations. It can be viewed as an enclosed vessel, within which innumerable chemical reactions take place simultaneously. These reactions are under very precise control so that they contribute to the life and procreation of the cell. In a , cells become specialized to perform different functions through the process of . In order to do this, each cell keeps in constant communication with its neighbors. As it receives nutrients from and expels wastes into its surroundings, it adheres to and cooperates with other cells. Cooperative assemblies of similar cells form tissues, and a cooperation between tissues in turn forms , which carry out the functions necessary to sustain the life of an organism.The major parts of an animal cell explainedFrom teeny-tiny ants to 200-ton whales, all members of the animal kingdom are composed of cells.(more)See all videos for this articleSpecial emphasis is given in this article to cells, with some discussion of the energy-synthesizing processes and extracellular components peculiar to . (For detailed discussion of the biochemistry of cells, see . For a full treatment of the genetic events in the cell nucleus, see .) The nature and function of cells cellsAnimal cells and plant cells contain membrane-bound organelles, including a distinct nucleus. In contrast, bacterial cells do not contain organelles.(more)A cell is enclosed by a plasma , which forms a selective barrier that allows nutrients to enter and waste products to leave. The interior of the cell is organized into many specialized compartments, or , each surrounded by a separate membrane. One major , the , contains the genetic information necessary for cell and . Each cell contains only one nucleus, whereas other types of organelles are present in multiple copies in the cellular contents, or . Organelles include , which are responsible for the energy transactions necessary for cell survival; , which digest unwanted materials within the cell; and the and the , which play important roles in the internal organization of the cell by synthesizing selected molecules and then processing, sorting, and directing them to their proper locations. In addition, plant cells contain , which are responsible for photosynthesis, whereby the energy of sunlight is used to convert molecules of (CO2) and (H2O) into . Between all these organelles is the space in the cytoplasm called the . The cytosol contains an organized framework of fibrous molecules that constitute the , which gives a cell its shape, enables organelles to move within the cell, and provides a mechanism by which the cell itself can move. The cytosol also contains more than 10,000 different kinds of molecules that are involved in cellular , the process of making large biological molecules from small ones. eukaryotic cellCutaway drawing of a eukaryotic cell.(more)Specialized organelles are a characteristic of cells of organisms known as . In contrast, cells of organisms known as do not contain organelles and are generally smaller than eukaryotic cells. However, all cells share strong similarities in biochemical function., What is the Structure of Cells? All eukaryotic cells consist of three basic parts. These are the cell membrane, the nucleus, and the cytoplasm. The cell membrane surrounds the outside of the cell, the nucleus is found in the middle of the cell, and the cytoplasm fills the gap between the two., cell, in biology, the basic membrane-bound unit that contains the fundamental molecules of life and of which all living things are composed. A single cell is often a complete organism in itself, such as a bacterium or yeast..