Class 11 Biology — Chapter 8: Cell: The Unit of Life

What you'll learn

• ▸The Cell as the Fundamental Unit of Life
• ▸The Cell Theory
• ▸Overview of Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic Cells
• ▸Cellular Diversity in Size and Shape
• ▸General Structure of Prokaryotic Cells
• ▸Genetic Material in Prokaryotes

Chapter Summary

--- PAGE 1 --- Unit 3 CELL: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS Chapter 8 Cell: The Unit of Life Chapter 9 Biomolecules Chapter 10 Cell Cycle and Cell Division Biology is the study of living organisms. The detailed description of their form and appearance only brought out their diversity. It is the cell theory that emphasised the unity underlying this diversity of forms, i.e., the cellular organisation of all life forms. A description of cell structure and cell growth by division is given in the chapters comprising this unit. Cell theory also created a sense of mystery around living phenomena, i.e., physiological and behavioural processes. This mystery was the requirement of integrity of cellular organisation for living phenomena to be demonstrated or observed. In studying and understanding the physiological and behavioural processes, one can take a physico-chemical approach and use cell-free systems to investigate. This approach enables us to describe the various processes in molecular terms.…

Practice Questions from this Chapter

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1. Compare plant and animal cells? Get Solution →
2. Explain the cell theory's significance? Get Solution →
3. List famous cell discoverers? Get Solution →
4. Who first saw and described a live cell? Get Solution →
5. What is the name for the dense, membrane-bound structure inside a eukaryotic cell that contains the genetic material? Get Solution →
6. According to the text, what is the smallest known cell, measuring only 0.3 µm in length? Get Solution →
7. Which non-membrane bound organelle is found in all cells, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic? Get Solution →
8. What are the four basic shapes of bacteria mentioned in the chapter? Get Solution →

Did you know?

• 💡 Antonie van Leeuwenhoek used tiny glass bead lenses to first observe microscopic cells.
• 💡 Mycoplasmas, the tiniest cells, are so small you could fit 2,000 across a human hair.
• 💡 Every minute, your body sheds and replaces about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells.
• 💡 Some single-celled algae can grow over four inches long, resembling tiny green plants.
• 💡 Each human cell contains roughly two meters of coiled-up DNA inside its nucleus.

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