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Every living thing on this planet is composed of one or more cells. Consequently, learning how even a simple cell works gives us information that can help us understand all cells. The links here will help you explore the basic structure of cells and some of the research currently being done in this field

1) What Are the Basic Features of Cells?

The Tree of Life: Explore the relationships among life-forms on Earth at this site.

Prokaryotes versus Eukaryotes: Which came first, the prokaryote or the eukaryote? Find out at this page from an on-line cell biology course provided by MIT. Here, the basic features of cells are reviewed.

Metabolism: This site, provided by Roche Applied Science, diagrams all of the known metabolic pathways in cells. Click on the map to get an overview of the biochemical reactions that occur in cells. Pretty amazing, isn't it?

Cell Biology Topics: Basic information about cells can be found on this site, developed by Dr. Gwen Childs.

Cell Atlas: This web site displays micrographs illustrating a variety of organelles such as the Golgi apparatus, the endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus, mitochondria, and several cytoskeletal elements.

Cells Alive: There are stunning pictures and movies of cells and bigger creatures at this fun site.

Cell Biology On-Line: Study information about cell size and shape, and structure and function of organelles from this on-line biology book.

2) What Are the Major Features of Prokaryotic Cells?
Bugs in the News!: With humor and easy-to-read essays, Jack Brown at the University of Kansas explains "What the Heck is an E. Coli?" and many other bug-related topics.

Handwashing: How often do YOU wash your hands? The American Society for Microbiology has put together a site that will make you run for the soap and water.

Bacteria: It takes a while to download, but this page has a good description of bacterial cell structure, with an electron micrograph of a real cell.

Bacterial Viruses: Even bacteria can catch "colds"—but a viral infection usually means certain death for them. Check out the movie of what happens when a virus named T4 attacks E. coli cells.

3) What Are the Major Features of Eukaryotic Cells?
Eukaryota: This site presents an overview of eukaryotic cell structure.

Endosymbiosis: You will find an explanation of endosymbiosis and the origin of eukaryotes as proposed by Lynn Margulis, one of the major researchers in the area of eukaryotic cell evolution.

Nucleus: This site has a comprehensive description of the structure and function of the nucleus. From this site you can also learn about chromosome structure, the nuclear envelope, and the nucleolus.

Cell Structure: This site has pictures and information about the structure and function of major organelles found in eukaryotic cells.

Cilia and Flagella: View this short animation on cilia and flagella and how they move.

Prokaryotes, Eukaryotes, and Viruses Tutorial: Work through this tutorial from the University of Arizona and take the quiz at the end to test your understanding!

Chapter 5: Cell Structure and Function

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