|
Dear Shante:
You're right! Your body is made up of cells. In fact, there the buildings block of your body -- and
you've got billions and billions of them! All the cells in your body have some basic similarities.
In the center of the cell is a nucleus which controls the activity in the cell, and around the
outside is a thin outer skin called a cell membrane. Cells need food, oxygen and a watery
environment to live in. Food and oxygen are let in through that outer wall.
What does food and oxygen yield? Now I ask you why should a cell be any different than any
other living thing? After food and oxygen, there's waste, of course! In you humans, it's bowel
movements, poop, or whatever you want to call it. We worms are very classy. We call our waste
products "castings."
But beyond food, oxygen and water, cell membranes and nuclei, cells vary tremendously. There
are hundreds of different kinds of cells in the body of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Your nerve
cells, for example, are long and skinny; other cells are round and flat like a pancake. Some may
only live for 48 hours; others live for 15-20 years.
So, Shante, cells are cool and you couldn't live without them!
Signed,
Wendell
|
