Cells & Cellular Biology

Vocabulary

apoptosis, ATP, autophagy, biology, cell biology, cells, metabolism, mitochondria, molecular biology, nucleus, organelles, stem cells

1. APOPTOSIS — Programmed cell death, a part of healthy cellular functioning
2. ATP — The primary energy source of animals and plants, produced by cells
3. AUTOPHAGY — Meaning “self-eating,” refers to the body’s process of recycling non-beneficial cells or parts of cells
4. BIOLOGY — The study of life
5. CELL BIOLOGY — The study of how cells behave
6. CELLS — The smallest “part” in our body that has all the characteristics of life, according to scientists; more than 30 trillion in the human body
7. METABOLISM — The process of converting one form of energy into another
8. MITOCHONDRIA — The site of energy production in cells; called the “powerhouse or battery” of the cell
9. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY — The study of molecules within cells, specifically how DNA, RNA and proteins behave
10. NUCLEUS — Known as the control center of the cell, holds DNA, determines which genes will be expressed and which will be suppressed (source)
11. ORGANELLES — Membrane-bound structures with complex functions that live outside the nucleus within the cytoplasm
12. STEM CELLS — Cells that do not yet have a specific role and can become almost any cell that is required; have been found in the embryo, placenta, bone marrow, lungs, liver, muscle, cartilage, spleen and fat tissue (source)

Cells: Small Packets of Life