Cell Parts and Human Body Parts: Behold The Similarities!
One day, as I was daydreaming in biology, I began to think about cells and how we are made up of billions, even trillions, of them. Then, I thought about the functions of different parts of a cell, and I realized something. A cell works a lot like a human body does. In fact, if you think about it, it’s almost like a cell is the same as a body, just on a much smaller level. Let me explain this to you by discussing the similarities between the parts of a cell and the parts of a human body.
I’ll start with the cell wall. It is a strong layer made from fibers of carbohydrate and protein that supports and protects the cell. Humans wear clothing to protect their bodies, so clothing represents the cell wall. Next, we have the plasma membrane, a thin, flexible barrier around the cell. Our skin not only protects us, but also lets things in and out, just like the plasma membrane. Then, there is the nucleus. It controls most cell functions and contains DNA. A human’s brain, like the nucleus, controls everything the body does.
The nuclear envelope, a double-membrane layer, controls what enters and leaves the nucleus. The dura mater, a tough membrane that surrounds the brain, of a human is similar in that it is responsible for what enters and leaves the brain. The cytoskeleton of a cell helps it to maintain its shape, is involved in cell movement, and holds the parts of the cell in place. It is much like the skeleton of a human body, which allows the body to move and holds everything together. Ribosomes are small particles in a cell that assemble amino acids into proteins. They could be represented by the liver or the pancreas in a human. The liver and pancreas both produce certain substances, which is basically what ribosomes do.
Another part in a cell is the endoplasmic reticulum. It modifies and synthesizes (puts together) proteins. It takes proteins that the ribosomes produce and changes them. Our...