science

definition of cell organelles

Cells are the minimal living structures of nature and therefore the basic unit of all living things. From them all the vital functions of organisms are formed, that is, reproduction, nutrition, metabolism and other functions. These processes are achieved by the intervention of cell organelles, which are present in the cell cytoplasm.

The current cell theory

Formerly it was believed that the cell was a cluster of protoplasm made up of a nucleus and a membrane. With advances in biology it was observed that the nucleus also had a specific membrane. From the point of view of biology this means that every living cell comes from another cell, so every living being is a cell or is made up of them.

The function of cell organelles

Thanks to the improvement of the microscope, it was possible to observe the cell structure in its entirety and thus the cell organelles were identified. It is now known that all cells, regardless of their size and structure, depend on cellullar organelles for their survival.

All cellular organelles have to function in a harmonious manner, regulated and controlled by the DNA of the cell nucleus, from where they receive indications through messages carried by the messenger RNA that go to the cellular organelles.

The most common cellular organelles are ribosomes, the endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, the Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts in plant cells. Each of these organelles performs specific functions, such as the production of insulin, bile, proteins or energy transmission functions.

Mitochondria

Among cell organelles are mitochondria, cellular structures that carry out essential metabolic reactions. Mitochondria are the energy source that provides the impulse to build other cells and another living thing.

However, the functioning of the mitochondria has a paradoxical component: the oxygen that the cell receives is vital but at the same time that same oxygen produces corrosion and cellular wear (the mitochondria transform energy from oxygen but a part of the oxygen is it degrades into particles, also known as free radicals, which implies that the higher the energy, the greater the deterioration).

Photo: iStock - luismmolina

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