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{{Short description|Branch of biology that studies cells}}
{{About|the branch of biology|cells themselves|Cell (biology)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{TopicTOC-Biology}}
'''Cell biology''', '''cellular biology''', or '''cytology''', is the branch of [[biology]] that studies the [[Anatomy|structure]], [[Physiology|function]], and behavior of the [[cell (biology)|cell]]s.<ref name = "alberts2017a">{{cite book | last1 = Alberts | first1 = Bruce | last2 = Johnson | first2 = Alexander D. | last3 = Morgan | first3 =  David | last4 = Raff | first4 = Martin |  last5 = Roberts | first5 = Keith | last6 = Walter | first6 = Peter | chapter = Cells and genomes | title = Molecular Biology of the Cell | publisher = Garland Science | edition = 6th | date = 2015 | location = New York, NY | pages = 1–42 | isbn = 978-0815344322}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nature.com/scitable/topic/cell-biology-13906536|title=Cell Biology |website= Scitable|publisher =www.nature.com|first = Nick|last = Bisceglia}}</ref> All [[organism]]s are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and functioning of an organism.<ref name="Cell and Molecular Biology2" /> Cell biology encompasses both [[Prokaryote|prokaryotic]] and [[Eukaryote|eukaryotic cells]], with subtopics including the study of [[Metabolism|cell metabolism]], [[Signaling pathway|cell communication]], [[cell cycle]], [[biochemistry]], and [[Cell (biology)|cell composition]].

The study of cells is performed using [[microscopy]] techniques, [[cell culture]], and [[cell fractionation]]. These are used for research into how cells function, which ultimately gives insight into larger organisms. Knowing the components of cells and how cells work is fundamental to all biological sciences and is essential for research in [[Bio-medical|biomedical]] fields such as [[cancer]], and other diseases. Research in cell biology is interconnected to other fields such as [[genetics]], [[molecular genetics]], [[molecular biology]], [[medical microbiology]], [[immunology]], and [[cytochemistry]].

== History ==

Cells were first seen in 17th-century [[Europe]] with the invention of the [[Optical microscope#Compound microscope|compound microscope]]. In 1665, [[Robert Hooke]] referred to the building blocks of all living organisms as "cells" (published in ''[[Micrographia]]'') after looking at a piece of [[Cork (material)|cork]] and observing a structure reminiscent of [[monastic cell]]s;<ref>{{cite book|title=Micrographia|last1=Hooke|first1=Robert|date=September 1665}}</ref><ref  name=EB1911>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Cytology |volume=7 |page=710 |first=Gilbert Charles |last=Chubb}}</ref> however, the cells were dead. They gave no indication to the actual overall components of a cell. A few years later, in 1674, [[Anton Van Leeuwenhoek]] was the first to analyze live cells in his examination of [[algae]]. Many years later, in 1831, [[Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)|Robert Brown]] discovered the [[Cell nucleus|nucleus]]. All of this preceded the [[cell theory]] which states that all living things are made up of cells and that cells are organisms' functional and structural units. This was ultimately concluded by plant scientist [[Matthias Jakob Schleiden|Matthias Schleiden]]<ref name=EB1911/> and animal scientist [[Theodor Schwann]] in 1838, who viewed live cells in plant and animal tissue, respectively.<ref name="Cell and Molecular Biology2">{{cite book|title=Cell and Molecular Biology|last1=Gupta|first1=P.|date=Dec 1, 2005|publisher=Rastogi Publications|isbn=978-8171338177|page=11}}</ref> 19 years later, [[Rudolf Virchow]] further contributed to the cell theory, adding that all cells come from the division of pre-existing cells.<ref name="Cell and Molecular Biology2" /> [[Viruses]] are not considered in cell biology – they lack the characteristics of a living cell and instead are studied in the [[microbiology]] subclass of [[virology]].<ref name="Nature">{{cite journal |vauthors=Paez-Espino D, Eloe-Fadrosh EA, Pavlopoulos GA, Thomas AD, Huntemann M, Mikhailova N, Rubin E, Ivanova NN, Kyrpides NC |title=Uncovering Earth's virome |journal=Nature |volume=536 |issue=7617 |pages=425–30 |date=August 2016 |pmid=27533034 |doi=10.1038/nature19094 |bibcode=2016Natur.536..425P |s2cid=4466854 |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4zh090xt}}</ref>

== Techniques ==
Cell biology research looks at different ways to culture and manipulate cells outside of a living body to further research in [[human anatomy]] and [[physiology]], and to derive medications. The techniques by which cells are studied have evolved. Due to advancements in microscopy, techniques and technology have allowed scientists to hold a better understanding of the structure and function of cells. Many techniques commonly used to study cell biology are listed below:<ref>{{cite book|title=Cell and Molecular Biology|last1=Lavanya|first1=P.|date=Dec 1, 2005|publisher=Rastogi Publications|isbn=978-8171338177|page=11}}</ref>
* [[Cell culture]]: Utilizes rapidly growing cells on media which allows for a large amount of a specific cell type and an efficient way to study cells.<ref name="Cooper-2000">{{Cite journal|last=Cooper|first=Geoffrey M.|date=2000|title=Tools of Cell Biology|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9941/|journal=The Cell: A Molecular Approach. 2nd Edition}}</ref> Cell culture is one of the major tools used in cellular and molecular biology, providing excellent model systems for studying the normal physiology and biochemistry of cells (e.g., metabolic studies, aging), the effects of drugs and toxic compounds on the cells, and mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. It is also used in drug screening and development, and large scale manufacturing of biological compounds (e.g., vaccines, therapeutic proteins).
* [[Fluorescence microscope|Fluorescence microscopy]]: Fluorescent markers such as [[Green fluorescent protein|GFP]], are used to label a specific component of the cell. Afterwards, a certain light wavelength is used to excite the fluorescent marker which can then be visualized.<ref name="Cooper-2000" />
* [[Phase-contrast microscopy]]: Uses the optical aspect of light to represent the solid, liquid, and gas-phase changes as brightness differences.<ref name="Cooper-2000" />
* [[Confocal microscopy]]: Combines fluorescence microscopy with imaging by focusing light and snap shooting instances to form a 3-D image.<ref name="Cooper-2000" />
* [[Transmission electron microscopy]]: Involves metal staining and the passing of electrons through the cells, which will be deflected upon interaction with metal. This ultimately forms an image of the components being studied.<ref name="Cooper-2000" />
* [[Cytometry]]: The cells are placed in the machine which uses a beam to scatter the cells based on different aspects and can therefore separate them based on size and content. Cells may also be tagged with GFP-fluorescence and can be separated that way as well.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=McKinnon|first=Katherine M.|date=2018-02-21|title=Flow Cytometry: An Overview|journal=Current Protocols in Immunology|volume=120|issue=1 |pages=5.1.1–5.1.11|doi=10.1002/cpim.40|issn=1934-3671|pmc=5939936|pmid=29512141}}</ref>
* [[Cell fractionation]]: This process requires breaking up the cell using high temperature or sonification followed by [[centrifugation]] to separate the parts of the cell allowing for them to be studied separately.<ref name="Cooper-2000" />

==Pathology==
{{Main|Cytopathology}}{{See also|Ribosomopathy}}
The scientific branch that studies and diagnoses diseases on the cellular level is called [[cytopathology]]. Cytopathology is generally used on samples of free cells or tissue fragments, in contrast to the [[pathology]] branch of [[histopathology]], which studies whole tissues. Cytopathology is commonly used to investigate diseases involving a wide range of body sites, often to aid in the diagnosis of cancer but also in the diagnosis of some infectious diseases and other inflammatory conditions. For example, a common application of cytopathology is the [[Pap smear]], a [[Screening (medicine)|screening test]] used to detect [[cervical cancer]], and [[cervical intraepithelial neoplasia|precancerous cervical lesions]] that may lead to cervical cancer.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-05-13|title=What is Pathology?|url=https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Pathology.aspx|access-date=2021-09-21|website=News-Medical.net|language=en}}</ref>

==Cell biologists==

=== 17th century ===

[[File:Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723). Natuurkundige te Delft Rijksmuseum SK-A-957.jpeg|thumb|upright|[[Antonie van Leeuwenhoek|Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek]], pioneer of cell microscopy]]

* [[Robert Hooke]]
* [[Anton van Leeuwenhoek]]

=== 19th century ===

<!--[[File:Theodor Schwann Litho.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Theodor Schwann]], discoverer of the [[Schwann cell]] ]]-->

* [[Jean Baptiste Carnoy]]
* [[Robert Brown (Scottish botanist from Montrose)|Robert Brown]]
* [[Henri Dutrochet]]
* [[Jan Evangelista Purkyně]]
* [[Matthias Jakob Schleiden]]
* [[Theodor Schwann]]
* [[Rudolf Virchow]]

=== Modern ===

[[File: Nobel Laureates 1042 (30647248184).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Yoshinori Ohsumi]], Nobel Prize winner for work on [[autophagy]] ]]

<!-- ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
* [[Peter Agre]]
* [[Günter Blobel]]
* [[Geoffrey M. Cooper]]
* [[Christian de Duve]]
* [[H. Robert Horvitz]]
* [[Marc Kirschner]]
* [[Ira Mellman]]
* [[Marta Miączyńska]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iimcb.gov.pl/en/research/4-laboratory-of-cell-biology|title=Research - IIMCB|website=www.iimcb.gov.pl}}</ref>
* [[Kenneth R. Miller]]
* [[Peter D. Mitchell]]
* [[Paul Nurse]]
* [[Yoshinori Ohsumi]]
* [[George Emil Palade]]
* [[Keith R. Porter]]
* [[Ray Rappaport]]
* [[Michael Swann]]
* [[Roger Tsien]]
* [[Edmund Beecher Wilson]]

==See also==

* [[The American Society for Cell Biology]]
* [[Cell ablation]]
* [[Cell biophysics]]
* [[Cell physiology]]
* [[Cellular microbiology]]
* [[Clonogenic assay]]

* [[Outline of cell biology]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Notes==

* Cell and Molecular Biology by Karp 5th Ed., {{ISBN|0-471-46580-1}}
* {{NCBI-scienceprimer}}

==External links==
{{Wikibooks}}
{{Library resources box
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*{{Commons category-inline|Cell biology}}
*''[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14749726 Aging Cell]''
*[https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/francis-harry-compton-crick-1916-2004 "Francis Harry Compton Crick (1916–2004)" by A. Andrei at the Embryo Project Encyclopedia]
*[https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oLBCXt6wVUb9-wh1WvAhpMJuqY4z4UxrMBpwGRPolHo/edit?usp=sharing "Biology Resource By Professor Lin."]

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[[Category:Cell biology| ]]