what is a cell

A cell is the basic unit of life and the smallest living organism on Earth. All living things, including humans, are made up of trillions of cells that carry out specialized functions. Cells provide structure for the body, take in nutrients from food, convert those nutrients into energy, and carry out important functions. They also contain the bodys hereditary material and can make copies of themselves. Cells have many parts, each with a different function. Some of these parts, called organelles, are specialized structures that perform certain tasks within the cell. The major parts of a human cell include the cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, nucleus, and plasma membrane. The cytoplasm is a jelly-like fluid that surrounds the nucleus and contains many of the cells organelles. The cytoskeleton is a network of long fibers that make up the cells structural framework. The nucleus is the cells command center, housing DNA, the cells hereditary material. The plasma membrane is the outer lining of the cell. Cells can be found in many different shapes and sizes, and they have adapted over billions of years to a wide array of environments and functional roles.