What is Cell Biology?
Cell biology is the subdiscipline of biology that studies the basic unit of life, the cell. It deals with all aspects of the cell including cell anatomy, cell division (mitosis and meiosis), and cell processes such as cell respiration, and cell death. Cell biology does not stand alone as a discipline but is closely related to other areas of biology such as genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry.Based on one of the basic principles of biology, the cell theory, the study of cells would not have been possible without the invention of the microscope. With the advance microscopes of today such as the Scanning Electron Microscope and Transmission Electron Microscope, cell biologists are able to obtain detailed images of the smallest of cell structures.
Significant Events in Cell Biology
There have been several significant events throughout history that have led to the development of the field of cell biology as it exists today. Below are a few of these major events:
- 1655 Robert Hooke gives first description of a cork tree cell
- 1674 Leewenhoek views protozoa
- 1683 Leewenhoek views bacteria
- 1831 Robert Brown was first to identify the nucleus as an important cell component
- 1838 Schleiden and Schwann introduce what would become the Cell Theory
- 1857 Kolliker describes mitochondria
- 1869 Miescher isolates DNA for the first time
- 1882 Kock identifies bacteria
- 1898 Golgi discovers the Golgi apparatus
- 1931 Ruska builds the first Transmission Electron Microscope
- 1953 Watson and Crick propose structure of DNA double-helix
- 1965 First commercial Scanning Electron Microscope
- 1997 First cloned sheep
- 1998 Mice cloned
- 2003 Human genome DNA sequence draft completed
Study in the field of cell biology can lead to various career paths. Many cell biologists are research scientists who work in industrial or academic laboratories. Other opportunities include:
- Cell Culture Specialist
- Clinical Quality Auditor
- Clinical Researcher
- Food & Drug Inspector
- Industrial Hygienist
- Medical Doctor
- Medical Illustrator
- Medical Writer
- Pathologist
- Pharmacologist
- Physiologist
- Professor
- Quality Control Specialist
- Technical Writer
- Veterinarian
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