Cells is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on cell biology, molecular biology, and biophysics, published semimonthly online by MDPI.
Usually microscopic in size, cells are the smallest structural units of living matter and compose all living things. Most cells have one or more nuclei and other organelles that carry out a variety of tasks. Some single cells are complete organisms, such as a bacterium or yeast.
Cell theory, developed in 1839 by Matthias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, states that all organisms are composed of one or more cells, that cells are the fundamental unit of structure and function in all organisms, and that all cells come from pre-existing cells.
All cells evolved from a common ancestor and use the same kinds of carbon-based molecules. Learn how cell function depends on a diverse group of nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and sugars.
Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things. The human body is made of trillions of cells that carry out specialized functions.
Learn how cells work together in tissues, organs, and organ systems. In 1665, Robert Hooke coined the term cell to describe the structures he could see in cork with some of the first microscopes. Since then, technology has given us an increasingly complex view of the basic unit of life.
All cells can be sorted into one of two groups: eukaryotes and prokaryotes. A eukaryote has a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, while a prokaryote does not. Plants and animals are made of numerous eukaryotic cells, while many microbes, such as bacteria, consist of single cells.
A cell is the smallest unit that is typically considered alive and is a fundamental unit of life. All living organisms are composed of cells, from just one (unicellular) to many trillions (multicellular). Cell biology is the study of cells, their physiology, structure, and life cycle.