1.1 Cell Structure

This module introduces one of the most fundamental ideas in biology: all living organisms are made of cells. You will begin by comparing eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, exploring the key structural differences between animal, plant and bacterial cells, and understanding how genetic materialDNA that carries the instructions for cell structure and function. is organised. You will also learn to work confidently with cell size, orders of magnitude and standard formA way of writing very large or very small numbers as a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of ten..

The module then explores how cells become specialised and differentiated, allowing multicellular organisms to form tissues, organs and organA structure made of different tissues working together to perform a specific function. systems. You will examine specialised animal and plant cells and link their structure directly to their function. Next, you will investigate how microscopes have developed over time, comparing light and electron microscopes in terms of magnificationThe number of times larger an image appears compared to the real object. and resolutionThe ability to distinguish two separate points as distinct., and practising essential microscopyThe use of microscopes to observe small structures. calculations. Finally, you will study how microorganisms are cultured safely in laboratories, including aseptic techniques and mathematical methods for estimating bacterial growth.