A cell is the basic unit of life.
Some living organisms such as animals and plants are made of hundreds of trillions of these basic units of life called cells.
Animal Cells A typical animal cell will include the nucleus, a cell membrane and a cell cytoplasm.
The nucleus is the structure that contains the genetic information, otherwise known as DNA and it controls the actions and the reactions of the cell.
The cell membrane, which is the border of the cell, acts as the gatekeeper, and it controls what enters and exits the cell.
As well as enabling neighbouring cells to stick to one another.
The cell cytoplasm is the site of the cell's chemical reactions.
Lots of chemical reactions occur here such as respiration.
Respiration takes place in specialised structures called mitochondria.
Plant Cells Plant cells contain the structures that animal cells contain, that we've just discussed, the nucleus, the cytoplasm and the cell membrane, but they also include lots of extra structures.
