Amidst the cosmos vast and wide,
Lies a world so small inside.
The cell, a unit, tiny and bright,
Brings to life the wondrous sight.
The Birth of a Cell
Once thought lifeless, just a shell,
Then came Schleiden and Schwann to tell—
"All living beings, big and small,
Are made of cells, one and all!"
Virchow declared with vision so keen,
"Omnis cellula e cellula"—what he had seen.
From pre-existing forms they arise,
A cycle of life beneath the skies.
Types of Cells: A Tale of Two
Two great realms, as we shall see,
Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes be.
One, simple and small in form,
The other, complex, a multicellular norm.
Bacteria, archaea, so tiny yet bold,
With no true nucleus, their secrets unfold.
Eukaryotes grand, with organelles fine,
A nucleus at heart, in a membrane confined.
The Cell Membrane: The Guardian’s Gate
A barrier strong, yet fluid and free,
The plasma membrane, as it must be.
Lipids and proteins, a mosaic they make,
Regulating all for the cell's sake.
Diffusion, osmosis, across they glide,
Transport of life, from side to side.
Active or passive, the choices be,
A cell’s lifeline, in fluidity.
Cytoplasm: The Liquid Land
Within the cell, a gel so grand,
Holds the organelles, at its command.
A stream of life, a medium vast,
Where molecules travel slow and fast.
The Nucleus: The King of the Cell
Encased within, a sphere of might,
Houses DNA, the code of light.
Chromatin threads, so fine, so long,
Blueprints of life, a genetic song.
Nucleolus, deep inside it dwells,
Ribosome birth, its story tells.
With pores so tiny, messages sent,
RNA travels, on purpose bent.
The Endomembrane System: A Network Divine
Endoplasmic reticulum, rough and smooth,
Where proteins fold and lipids soothe.
Rough with ribosomes, busy in play,
Smooth makes lipids, paving the way.
Golgi apparatus, stacked in grace,
Sorts and packs, at its own pace.
Vesicles bud, secretions flow,
A post-office cell, with parcels to go.
Mitochondria: The Powerhouse Bright
Tiny beans, with folds inside,
ATP’s birth, their greatest pride.
A symbiotic tale, their past reveals,
Once free beings, now bound by seals.
Lysosomes: The Cell’s Own Guard
Filled with enzymes, to break apart,
Destroying waste, a recycling art.
A double-edged sword, they stand tall,
Saving the cell, yet doomed to fall.
Ribosomes: The Protein Makers
Tiny dots, but mighty indeed,
Binding amino acids, fulfilling the need.
Floating or fixed, in cytosol free,
Synthesizing chains, for you and me.
Plastids: The Colors of Life
In plants they shine, in varied hue,
Chloroplasts green, giving life anew.
Leucoplasts store, chromoplasts glow,
Pigments and starch, in cells they flow.
Cytoskeleton: The Frame Inside
Microtubules strong, microfilaments fine,
Support and shape, in a cell’s design.
Movement, structure, all in grace,
A dynamic threadwork, holding space.
Centrosome: The Spindle’s Birth
Near the nucleus, centrioles pair,
Guiding division, in times of care.
A spindle they form, in mitosis’ might,
Pulling apart, the genes take flight.
Vacuoles: The Storehouses Deep
A bubble of life, holding inside,
Water and waste, nutrients wide.
In plants so large, in animals small,
Storage and pressure, it handles all.
Cell Division: The Cycle Turns
Mitosis flows, in four grand ways,
Prophase to telophase, splitting the days.
Meiosis works, with a different call,
Halving the genes, for future all.
Thus, in a cell, life's rhythm beats,
A world unseen, in structures neat.
From DNA’s script to ATP’s might,
Life’s tiny unit shines so bright.
MCQs for NEET (Cell: The Unit of Life)
1. Which organelle is known as the powerhouse of the cell?
A) Nucleus
B) Mitochondria
C) Lysosome
D) Golgi apparatus
Answer: B) Mitochondria
2. What is the main function of ribosomes?
A) Lipid synthesis
B) Protein synthesis
C) ATP production
D) DNA replication
Answer: B) Protein synthesis
3. Which structure regulates the entry and exit of substances in a cell?
A) Cell wall
B) Plasma membrane
C) Cytoplasm
D) Mitochondria
Answer: B) Plasma membrane
4. What is the genetic material in a prokaryotic cell?
A) DNA within a nucleus
B) Circular DNA in the cytoplasm
C) RNA only
D) Linear chromosomes
Answer: B) Circular DNA in the cytoplasm
5. Which organelle is absent in prokaryotic cells?
A) Ribosomes
B) Nucleus
C) Plasma membrane
D) Cytoplasm
Answer: B) Nucleus
FAQs on Cells
Q1: Why is the cell called the unit of life?
Cells are the smallest living structures capable of performing all life processes, making them the fundamental units of life.
Q2: What is the main function of the nucleus?
The nucleus controls cell activities by storing genetic information in DNA, which regulates protein synthesis.
Q3: What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
Prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, whereas eukaryotic cells have both.
Q4: Why are mitochondria called the powerhouse of the cell?
Mitochondria generate ATP through cellular respiration, supplying energy for cellular functions.
Q5: What is the role of the plasma membrane?
It controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell, maintaining homeostasis.
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