Cell biology specializes in the study of cells.
Cell biology is a discipline that specializes in the analysis of cells . It is a scientific specialty that is focused on the structure, functioning, components, interactions and properties of these microscopic units, and that draws on information linked to genetics, biochemistry and immunology, among other areas of the know.
To advance with the meaning of the concept, it is necessary to proceed to know the etymological origin of the two words that give it shape:
- Biology is a word of Greek origin that is the result of the sum of two elements of that language: the noun bios , which can be translated as "life" ; and the term lodge , which is synonymous with "science" .
- Cellular comes from the Latin cellullaris , which means "related to cells" and is the result of adding three elements: the noun cella , translatable as "cell" ; the diminutive suffix -ula ; and the suffix -ar , which is equivalent to "relative to" .
What is cell biology
To understand precisely what cell biology is, then, we must analyze the concepts that form the expression.
Biology is the science dedicated to the study of the composition, development, functioning, links and distribution of living beings. Cellular , for its part, is that related to cells (the fundamental unit of living organisms, which can reproduce independently).
The microscope is key in the development of cell biology.
Its development
The creation of the optical microscope was the first step in the development of cell biology. This device allowed the observation and study of cells. Then the discipline grew from the advancement of various techniques and the invention of the electron microscope .
Cell biology experts study cells at the molecular level, in a specialization known as molecular biology . The nucleus , mitochondria, ribosomes, the plasma membrane and the endoplasmic reticulum are some of the elements that constitute its object of study.
References of cell biology
It must be emphasized that, throughout history, there have been important biologists who, with their studies and theories, have managed to give this discipline the weight that it has today. Among the most significant we can mention the following:
- Peter Agre ( 1949 ), ganador del Nobel Prize in Chemistry en 2003 . Ha destacado, sobre todo, por trabajos tales como la correlación de la deficiencia en espectrina con las patologías que venían a establecer esferocitosis.
- Antonie van Leeuwenhoek ( 1632 – 1723 ). A este investigador holandés no solo se le atribuye el descubrimiento de los glóbulos rojos de la sangre, las bacterias, las levaduras y los protozoos sino también la creación de numerosos microscopios. Por eso ha pasado a ser conocido como el padre de la microbiology .
Applications of your knowledge
The applications of cell biology knowledge are multiple.
Cell biology allows us to understand how diseases work, develop treatments against viruses and bacteria, and helps repair and rebuild organs and tissues, for example.