Final answer:
Every cell in the body shares basic components like the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and DNA, due to a common evolutionary history. Differences in cell functions and structures are due to the expression of different genes. Cells are the fundamental unit of life, and this concept was first identified by Robert Hooke in 1665.
Step-by-step explanation:
Every cell in your body, as well as in other organisms, shares common features despite the diversity of functions and structures seen in different cell types. This is because all living organisms share a common evolutionary history.
Fundamental characteristics such as the cell membrane, which is a double layer of lipids, cytoplasm, and genetic material in the form of DNA, are present across all cells.
This shared cellular architecture supports the basic requirements of life, such as maintaining an internal environment and the capability to reproduce.
Cells diversify in function and appearance through the expression of different genes, and it's this gene expression that determines whether a cell becomes a part of your eye or your liver.
The fact that all cells originate from pre-existing cells through cell division is a central tenet of biology known as the Cell Theory.
When we look at a bacterial cell and a human cell, we can find these basic structures, demonstrating that the cell is indeed the fundamental unit of life across all species.
Discovery of Cells
The concept of cells was first introduced by Robert Hooke in 1665 when he observed a slice of cork under a microscope.
He noted the compartmentalized structures which resembled a honeycomb, and this observation led to the identification of cells as the building blocks of life, a notion that remains a cornerstone of biological sciences today.