Biology › Section C · Cell structure and membranes › Topic C.1
Studying cells and prokaryotic cells
Every living thing is built from cells - but almost no cell can be seen without help. From Hooke's cork slices to electron beams, and from a cell small enough to fit 250-across on a pinhead to the surface-area math that keeps them small, here is how cells are studied and how the simplest ones are built.
In this topic
- Cells and the hierarchy of life
- Cell theory: three sentences, two centuries
- Light microscopes: cheap, gentle, blurry
- Electron microscopes: sharp but lethal
- Cell size and the surface-to-volume limit
- Prokaryotes: life without a nucleus
- Four parts every cell has
- The prokaryotic toolkit
- Worked example: the cube that got too big
- Worked example: choosing a microscope
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
This topic is part of Wuanberri Pro. Checking your access…