Question
Define the term ‘cell’, for plants/animals. Name the different organelles that make a cell. Explain why none of these is called the structural and functional unit of life.
Answer
The cell is the basic structural, functional, and biological unit of all known organisms. A cell is the smallest unit of life, and therefore, cells are often described as the “building blocks of life”.
The different organelles that make a cell are nucleus, Golgi complex, mitochondria, chloroplast, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosome, vacuole and ribosome.
All these cell organelles work together to perform different functions of the cell. None of these is capable of independent existence. So, they are not called the structural and functional unit of life.