Cell biology

From ArticleWorld

Cell biology is a branch of biology that focuses on the study of cells. The study of cells ranges from the study of their structure or physiological properties to the study of their function or physiology. Physiological aspects of cells include the study of their organelles, environment and interactions as well as their life cycle and division. The study of the death of cells is also important. The study of cells is done on both microscopic and molecular levels as well as on single celled organisms and multicellular organisms. This information is valuable as it is fundamental to all biological sciences. This field of study is related to genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology and many others.

Processes

One of the major processes that take place in cells is protein synthesis. Proteins are synthesized by the ribosomes located in the cytoplasm of cells in a process called protein translation. There are some proteins that require additional processing dependent on their function. This is seen in membrane proteins where they are transported into the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) of the cell during synthesis and further processed in the Golgi apparatus. They are then moved to the plasma membrane, to other compartments of the cell or secreted outside the cell. The ER and the Golgi apparatus are therefore thought of as the processors of membrane proteins. Other proteins however are moved though these two cell organelles. The breakdown of proteins from the membranes is however done by their release into the lysosomes which break them down into individual amino acids.

Techniques

Some techniques used in the study of cells and their parts include purification techniques such as:

• Cell fractionation
• Cell disruption causing the release of organelles.
• Centrifugation to separate organelles.
• Flow cytometry
• Use of detergents and salts to extract proteins from membranes.