Structures & Function
Cells are very unique creations. They are
the basic unit of living organisms. They
perform many functions. Every animal,
bird, insect and plant is comprised of
millions of tiny cells. Cells are essentially
the “building blocks” of life. Some of the
first known cells were formed 1.5 billion
years ago. That is long before dinosaurs
walked the Earth!
The main portion of all cells is filled with a fluid material. Just like a human
body, the interior of the cell contains food, waste material or even extra water.
On the outside of all cells is a protective covering called a membrane. It is just
like the shell of an oyster. Sometimes cells divide in half, forming a new cell.
In other words, one cell splits in half and an exact duplicate forms. Now there
are two cells. When we are growing as a baby, cell division is responsible for
much of our growth.