To begin to discover the Meaning of the term cell biology, it is necessary to proceed to know the etymological origin of the two words that give it its shape:
-Biology is a word of Greek origin, as it is the result of the sum of two elements of that language: the noun “bios”, which can be translated as “life”, and the term “lodge”, which is synonymous with “science”.
-Cellular has Latin origin. It comes from “cellullaris”, which means “related to cells” and which is the result of adding three elements: the noun “cella”, which can be translated as “cell”; the diminutive suffix “-ula” and the suffix “-ar”, which is equivalent to “relative to”.
To understand precisely what cell biology is, we must analyze the concepts that make up the expression. The biology is the science devoted to the study of the composition, development, operation, linkages and distribution of living beings. Cellular, on the other hand, is that related to cells (the fundamental unit of living organisms, which can reproduce independently).
Cell biology, therefore, is the discipline that specializes in the analysis of cells. It is a scientific specialty that is focused on the structure, function, components, interactions and properties of these microscopic units, and that draws on information related to genetics, biochemistry and immunology, among other areas of the to know.
The creation of the light microscope was the first step in the development of cell biology. This apparatus allowed the observation and study of cells. Later the discipline grew from the advancement of various techniques and the invention of the electron microscope.
According to DigoPaul, cell biology experts study cells at the molecular level, in a specialization known as molecular biology. The nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, the plasma membrane and the endoplasmic reticulum are some of the elements that constitute its object of study.
It should be emphasized that, throughout history, there have been important cell biologists who, with their studies and theories, have managed to give the weight that the aforementioned discipline has today. Specifically, among the most significant we can emphasize the following:
-Peter Agre (1949), winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003. He has stood out, above all, for works such as the correlation of the deficiency in spectrin with the pathologies that came to establish spherocytosis.
-Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632 – 1723). This Dutch researcher is not only credited with the discovery of red blood cells, bacteria, yeasts or protozoa but also the creation of numerous microscopes. He has become known as the father of microbiology.
The applications of the knowledge of cell biology are multiple. Cell biology allows us to know how diseases work, develop treatments against viruses and bacteria and help repair and rebuild organs and tissues, for example.
