Essential Insights Into Cellular Functions

Levels of organizationCells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organismThe cell is defined as the fundamental, structural, functional, and genetic unit of all living organisms. As a functional unit, the cell performs the organism's functions. As a genetic unit, the cell, through the DNA contained in the genes located in chromosomes, stores and transmits genetic information from parents to offspring through reproduction. Frequently, cells are integrated into tissues; rarely do they exist alone (sex cells: ovum and sperm). The shape of cells, initially spherical, changes later according to the functions performed. Cell dimensions vary depending on the role played, environmental factors, and the physiological state of the organism. On average, they have dimensions ranging from 20-30 microns, but there are also large cells such as skeletal striated muscle fibers, whose length reaches 10-12 cm.Cells can be prokaryotic or eukaryotic depending on the internal structures or organelles they contain.Prokaryotic cells (pro (Gr.) – before, karyon (Gr.)- nucleus) are the simplest. They contain less genetic information, located in a nucleoid, representing a region of the cytoplasm not delimited by a membrane. In these cells, the only organelles present are ribosomes, and therefore they are capable of less complex actions than eukaryotic