A cell is the smallest working unit of all living organisms, and is capable of performing all life functions. Hence it can also be defined as a fundamental unit of life. Robert Hook was the first to observe, identify and name the cell in the year 1665. Added to this in 1839 two German scientists – Schwann and Schleiden provided few basic principles of the cell.

The 3 different types of the cell include- prokaryotic cell, plant cell and animal cell. Size of cells range from millimetre to microns, based on the type of function it performs. Cells vary in shapes like spherical, rod shaped, flat, concave, curved, rectangular, oval, etc. These can clearly be observed under a microscope.

Cells are primarily studied under an optical microscope to get a basic view. While under a compound microscope, we can see the following organelles inside a cell: cell wall, cytoplasm, nucleus, chloroplast and the mitochondria. When we further observe the same cells under the electron microscope, a few deeper structures become visible.

NGSS

MS-LS1-1        MS-LS1-2         MS-LS1-3         MS-LS1-8

LS1.A

LS1.D

ELA/Literacy

RI.6.8

RST.6-8.1 

SL.8.5

WHST.6-8.1

WHST.6-8.7

WHST.6-8.8

Mathematics

6.EE.C.9 (MS-LS1-1), (MS-LS1-2), (MS-LS1-3)