Question: What is a cell?

Larissa Melo Chicoski answered on 15 Jan 2025:

A cell is the smallest structure capable of performing functions essential to life, such as growth, reproduction, response to stimuli and metabolism. Cells are present in all living beings. Bacteria themselves are a unit cell. Animals, and we humans, are made up of millions and millions of cells, which have different functions.
A unit of a cell is completely organized inside with several compartments with separate functions. Let’s imagine that a cell is like a group of friends working together to create a super cool club. Each friend has a special role and, together, they make everything work properly.
The cell membrane is the the club door, which decides who can enter or leave. It protects the group and only lets good things through, like cool friends (nutrients) and prevents bad things (enemies) from entering. The nucleus is the group leader, like the friend who has all the ideas of what the club is going to do. It has a list of all the rules (the DNA). The cytoplasm is where the are and It has all the tools and materials the group needs to carry out their activities and the organelles are the members the club and each member does something different to make the club work: the mitochondria is the friend who brings snacks and drinks (energy) to the group. Ribosomes are the friends who preparing the proteins, the most important ingredient needed in that club. Endoplasmic Reticulum is friend who organizes everything, separating tasks and preparing materials and the Golgi complex who packages everything beautifully and delivers it wherever needed. Finally lysosomes are the friends who clean and throw away the club’s rubbish, to keep everything in order. Everybody working together is the cell (or our club). So there is the club of liver, the club of brain, the club of kidneys…