How Cells Work Together

Some living things are made of trillions of cells working together support the organism. Other living things, like bacteria or yeast, may have as few as one cell. But, all living things are made of cells. Individual cells have most of the same needs for survival as you do! These wondrous things, cells, are sometimes called the building blocks of life. This is because cells are the tiniest unit that can eat, get rid of waste, grow and reproduce, just like the whole organism. How do cells do all this? Well, just like your body has different organs that work together to help your body carry on its different functions, each cell contains several types of microscopic structures called organelles. These tiny organelles help the cell do all of the work necessary to sustain the life of the cell.

Animal and plant cells, however, are slightly different. Most of the different types of organelles are found in both plant and animal cells. Plant cells, however, contain a special organelle called a chloroplast. Chloroplasts help the plant get the energy it needs for life through a process called photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, the plant cell will make its own food by using carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to produce sugar. This process also creates oxygen, which the plant will release into the air.

Animal cells get their energy through a process called cellular respiration. During this process, organelles in the cell called mitochondria convert glucose, a special type of sugar, and oxygen into water and carbon dioxide. As it performs this miraculous process it creates amazing little molecules called ATP the cell can store and use for energy. Cells use ATP molecules to power virtually every activity they undertake. This is why the mitochondria are often referred to as the “power house of the