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Like ourselves, the individual cells that form our bodies can grow, reproduce, process information, respond to stimuli, and carry out an amazing array of chemical reactions. These abilities define life. We and other multicellular organisms contain billions or trillions of cells organized into complex structures, but many organisms consist of a single cell. Even simple unicellular organisms exhibit all the hallmark properties of life, indicating that the cell is the fundamental unit of life. As the twenty-first century opens, we face an explosion of new data about the components of cells, what structures they contain, how they touch and influence each other. Still, an immense amount remains to be learned, particularly about how information flows through cells and how they decide on the most appropriate ways to respond. Molecular cell biology is a rich, integrative science that brings together biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, microscopy, genetics, physiology, computer science, and developmental biology. Each of these fields has its own emphasis and style of experimentation. In the following chapters, we will describe insights and experimental approaches drawn from all of these fields, gradually weaving the multifaceted story of the birth, life, and death of cells. We
start in this prologue chapter by introducing the diversity of cells, their basic constituents and critical functions, and what we can learn from the various ways of studying cells.
