Organization of Cells

Organization of Cells
If we were to restrict our study of cells to fixed and sectioned tissues, we would be left with the erroneous impression that cells are static, quiescent, rigid structures. In fact, the cell interior is in a constant state of upheaval. Most cells are continually changing shape, pulsing, and heaving; their organelles twist and regroup in a cytoplasm teeming with starch granules, fat globules, and vesicles of various sorts. This description is derived from studies of living cell cultures with time-lapse photography and video. If we could see the swift shuttling of molecular traffic through gates in the cell membrane and the metabolic energy transformations within cell organelles, we would have an even stronger impression of internal turmoil. However, cells are anything but bundles of disorganized activity. There is order and harmony in cell functioning. Studying this dynamic phenomenon through the microscope, we realize that, as we gradually comprehend more and more about these units of life, we are gaining a greater understanding of the nature of life itself.