Cells! - Beatrice the Biologist

Cells, cells, cells. I just love cells. Why? Because I, myself, only exist because the millions of cells in my body are busy taking care of the business that is me. I love those little guys. All of my friends are made of cells too–my human friends as well as my guinea pig and my house plants. (Yes, my house plants are my friends. No, I do not talk to them.)

I’m pretty sure everyone over the age of maybe 10 knows that living things are made of cells. I think it is taught as a mantra. “Living things are made of cells. Living things are made of cells. What are living things made of? Cells.” Everyone knows this. But do people really understand this? (There is a difference!)

I do think people understand what it means that living things are made of cells, but no one really thinks about it all that often.

It’s hard to believe, though, that not long ago, people didn’t know life was made of cells. Before there were microscopes capable of looking at life on a small scale, no one had seen them. Before we knew about cells, living things were viewed as a whole, not the sum of a million moving parts.

Existentialism at its tiniest.

Because no one knew about cells, it was particularly difficult to describe what was happening if the body wasn’t working quite right. If you were sick, it was diagnosed as a problem with your “vapors” or “humors” or “elements.” The human body was seen as a sum of the elements, Captain Planet style–Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Heart! (Heart?)

What I like best about cells is that they are tiny little beings. They can live on their own, in some cases, or they can live as a group and make something as small as an ant or as big as a blue whale. They are talented little building blocks that are incredibly versatile. They make very different forms of life, and within a single organism, they come in a wide variety of types.

I have brain cells, skin cells, muscle cells, liver cells–oh goodness, I’m already tired of listing. They all have specific jobs, and they do them without complaint. I should send them a million tiny thank you cards, really. I mean, I have their address.

For a moment, try to feel the millions of cells that are working tirelessly to keep you going through your day. The cells of your heart contracting to a beat; the cells in your intestines, working your peanut butter and jelly sandwich through your body; the blood cells rushing through your vessels; the brain cells sparking and talking to one another. You are a very complex pile of cells! Doesn’t it feel great?