It also houses DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the cell’s hereditary material. The nucleus serves as the cell’s command center, sending directions to the cell to grow, mature, divide, or die. They have their own genetic material, separate from the DNA in the nucleus, and can make copies of themselves.

Mitochondria are complex organelles that convert energy from food into a form that the cell can use. They digest foreign bacteria that invade the cell, rid the cell of toxic substances, and recycle worn-out cell components. These organelles are the recycling center of the cell. The Golgi apparatus packages molecules processed by the endoplasmic reticulum to be transported out of the cell.

The endoplasmic reticulum also transports these molecules to their specific destinations either inside or outside the cell. This organelle helps process molecules created by the cell. It also provides a track-like system that directs the movement of organelles and other substances within cells. The cytoskeleton has several critical functions, including determining cell shape, participating in cell division, and allowing cells to move. The cytoskeleton is a network of long fibers that make up the cell’s structural framework.

Within cells, the cytoplasm is made up of a jelly-like fluid (called the cytosol) and other structures that surround the nucleus. Human cells contain the following major parts, listed in alphabetical order: Cytoplasm Some of these parts, called organelles, are specialized structures that perform certain tasks within the cell. Cells also contain the body’s hereditary material and can make copies of themselves.Ĭells have many parts, each with a different function. They provide structure for the body, take in nutrients from food, convert those nutrients into energy, and carry out specialized functions. The human body is composed of trillions of cells. Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things.

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