What is a cell?

• Cells are the basic structures of all living organisms.
• Cells provide structure for the body, take in nutrients from food and carry out important functions.
• Cells group together to form tissues, which in turn group together to form organs, such as the heart and brain.
• Our cells contain a number of functional structures called organelles.
• These organelles carry out tasks such as making proteins, processing chemicals and generating energy for the cell.
• The nucleus is based at the centre of the cell and is the ‘control room’ for the cell.
• The genome is found within the nucleus.

Illustration showing the structures of an animal cell.
Image credit: Genome Research Limited