What is a cell?
Answer
A cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life, the smallest unit capable of independent existence.
The working
Definition
A cell is the smallest living unit that can carry out all the processes of life. Every organism is made of one or more cells.
Discovery
The term cell was coined by Robert Hooke in 1665 while observing thin slices of cork under a microscope.
Types
Cells are of two broad types, prokaryotic (no true nucleus) and eukaryotic (with a well-defined nucleus bound by a membrane).
Why it matters
All structures and functions of the body, from digestion to reproduction, are carried out at the cellular level, making the cell the basic unit of life.
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