Cells: Units of Life
Cells as the smallest units of self-sustaining life
- Cells are considered to be the smallest units of life
- All cells have the following features in common:
- They are enclosed by a plasma membrane, or cell surface membrane, which separate the cell contents from the outside
- They store genetic information in DNA molecules which is expressed during protein synthesis
Features of all cells diagram
All cells have certain features in common
- Life can be defined by the following features:
- The occurrence of metabolic reactions, e.g. respiration
- The need for nutrition
- The production of metabolic waste which must be excretedÂ
- The ability to reproduce and to pass genetic information on to offspring
- This allows for evolution by natural selection
- The ability to receive and respond to stimuli from the external and internal environments
- The ability to grow
- Viruses are considered to be non-living
- They lack a cell structure and organelles and are therefore unable to perform most of the characteristics of life, e.g.
- They do not carry out metabolic reactions
- They do not require nutrition
- They are also unable to replicate independently and must rely on the cellular components of the host cells that they infect
- They lack a cell structure and organelles and are therefore unable to perform most of the characteristics of life, e.g.