5 Mind-Blowing Facts About Cells

Cell No.1, Acrylic on Canvas, by Angela Canada Hopkins

If you have trouble remembering 10th grade, much less specific lessons about cells during biology class, this post might be an eye opener.  Since my artwork is all based on the form, function, and sometimes freaky appearance of unhealthy cells, I've spent a lot of time researching the human body, and what happens to this essential building block of life. I'm always running across fascinating facts about cells, and thought I'd share some of them with you!

 1. There are two primary types of cells. 

Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells are the two main types of cells. Eukaryotic cells are called so because they have a true nucleus. Animals, plants, fungi and protists are examples of organisms that are composed of eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotes include bacteria and archaeans.

2. Your body has more bacterial cells than human cells. 

Scientists have estimated that about 95 percent of all the cells in the body are bacteria. The vast majority of these microbes can be found within the digetive tract. If you take probiotics, you're helping to replenish these cells every day. See, not all bacteria is bad!

 3. Cells can have sex. 

 Most prokaryotic cells reproduce by a process called binary fission. A cloning process where a single cell divides into two identical cells. Eukaryotic organisms have a similar type of reproductive method known as mitosis. But some eukaryotes also have the ability to reproduce sexually, which involves the fusion of sex cells or gametes.

4. Cells are super efficient packers. 

Even though they're microscopic, each cell in your body has an estimated 6 to 8 feet of DNA, the genetic information necessary for directing cellular activities.

 5. Cells don't worry about tomorrow. 

Except for your brain cells, 50,000,000 of the cells in your body will have died and been replaced with others, all while you have been reading this sentence.

 Got a mind-blowing cell fact I should know about?  Share it in a comment!