what is cell

A cell is the basic building block of all living things. The human body is composed of trillions of cells, each of which carries out specialized functions. Cells provide structure for the body, take in nutrients from food, convert those nutrients into energy, and carry out specialized 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 serves as the cells command center, housing DNA, the cells hereditary material. The plasma membrane is the outer lining of the cell. Cells can be sorted into two groups: eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, while prokaryotic cells do not.