Big

Picture The Cell

bringing CUTTING-EDGE SCIENCE INto THE CLASSROOM

The world inside us: We all share something amazing in common – that we
developed from a single sperm and egg to become
gives a flavour of the complex make-up of a typical
animal cell. The stages of the cell cycle – how the cell
Uncovering the complicated, sophisticated organisms, made of trillions divides – are shown around the outside. At the bottom,
secrets of the cell of cells. But what are these cells like and how do they
vary from one tissue to another? The diagram below
explore some of our cells’ vital statistics: from size to
speed, number to lifespan.

cytoskeleton lysosomes – membrane-

bound organelles that are
microtubules – small, the cell’s rubbish disposal
tubular assemblies and recycling units; contain
of protein, made from hydrolytic enzymes
repeating tubulin subunits,
which help maintain the extracellular matrix –
cell’s internal structure the material in between cells
and move organelles that holds tissues together,
and cytoplasm using usually made of scaffolding
molecular motors proteins such as collagen

microfilaments – smaller nucleus – the information

than microtubules, these centre of the eukaryotic cell,
are made from repeating where the DNA is stored,
actin subunits. Responsible replicated and copied into
for cell movement and RNA (transcribed)
changes in shape, and
make muscle nuclear envelope –
contraction possible double membrane that
separates the contents
vacuoles – internal bags, of the nucleus from the
surrounded by a membrane, cytoplasm
which cells use for storage
of food or waste nuclear pores – gaps in
the nuclear envelope that
centrioles – a pair of allow substances to move
organelles that organises in and out of the nucleus
microtubules into spindles
on which chromosomes are nucleolus – part of the
separated when cells divide nucleus that produces
ribosomes
cytoplasm – everything in
the cell outside the nucleus; endoplasmic reticulum
a viscous fluid containing (ER) – an extensive network
proteins, other organic of membranes. Rough ER
and inorganic molecules, is studded with ribosomes
membranes and organelles and is a site where proteins
are made, modified and
Golgi apparatus – one of processed for shipping. The
the wondrously complex roles of smooth ER include
membrane systems in the lipid and steroid synthesis
cytoplasm, which modifies, and drug detoxification
packages and directs newly
made proteins to where ribosomes – molecular
they are needed machines, built from RNA
and protein, that make new
plasma membrane – proteins. They are found in
a phospholipid bilayer the cytoplasm and bound
that contains cholesterol to the rough endoplasmic
and proteins. It surrounds reticulum
the cell and enables it
to communicate with its
neighbours and detect
and respond to changes
in the environment

mitochondria (singular:
mitochondrion) – rod-
How small is small?
shaped bodies in the
cytoplasm that supply Along a 1 cm line, you could fit…
chemical energy to the
rest of the cell ...around 1800 sperm heads
...around 1300 red blood cells
...around 80 egg cells

Think you know your cells? Take a look at some of their vital statistics.
Lifespan bacteria are gone in less than a day.
The cells in the lining of the small
Size

large it cannot take in food molecules
or export waste fast enough to function
• How long does cell division take? intestine live for a few days. • What’s the biggest cell in the body? properly. The lower limit is the size needed
The cell cycle has several stages, but a The egg or ovum is usually said to be the to enclose the nucleus, the organelles and
simple distinction is between the periods • What’s the longest-living cell? largest, but the anterior horn cell of the enough cytoplasm for molecules to pass
when the components of the cell are being The neurons in your brain can last spine, a kind of specialist neuron on the front between them.
copied and the final stage (mitosis) when the a whole lifetime. part of the nerve channel inside the spinal
nucleus splits and the cell then divides into cord, is 135 micrometres across – a little • What’s the smallest cell in the body?
two new cells. In an actively dividing human • How often do different cells divide? larger than the ovum, which averages around Human sperm are often thought of as
cell, mitosis takes about an hour, and the The fastest-dividing human cells are in 120 micrometres. the smallest, but granule cells, a type of
rest of the cycle averages another 23 hours. the skin and the lining of the intestine – brain cell found in the cerebellum, are 4
they produce a new generation in less • What limits size? micrometres across – a bit smaller than the
• What’s the shortest-living cell? than a day (around 20 hours). Neurons The surface area of a cell increases more head of a typical sperm, which measures
The white blood cells that hunt down do not normally divide at all. slowly than its volume, so if a cell grows too 5–6 micrometres in length.

Number Speed
• How fast do organelles move? • How fast are proteins made? • How fast do blood cells travel around
• How many different types of cell? • How many cells in me?
When pulled along by the cytoskeleton, A single polypeptide can be made on the body?
Humans have at least 200 different types An average adult has trillions (millions of
they cover about 5 micrometres per second. a ribosome in 20 seconds. Larger proteins The speed of blood depends on the size
of cell. There are many more specialised millions) of cells. Estimates vary, but the
may take several minutes. of the artery or vein, heart rate and blood
cells in the immune system, where antibody- average is around 100 trillion.
• What is the fastest cell? pressure. In a large artery, it can move at
producing cells are the same type, but
A cell such as a white blood cell, which uses • How fast do nerve impulses travel? a peak rate of 100 centimetres per second
each one produces a single kind of one of • How many cells do we get through
its internal cytoskeleton to crawl along, can A typical fast nerve impulse, like the one you (around 2 mph). The speed in the narrow
the millions of possible antibody proteins, in a lifetime?
manage speeds of micrometres per minute. use when you pull your hand away from a capillaries is much lower.
with a specific shape. Other cell types have As cell lifetimes vary, we can make only
Cells with powerful flagella to move them fire, travels down a cell fibre at 100 metres
less elaborate subdivisions. rough estimates, but the average organ
along, such as sperm, go faster – up to per second (over 223 mph!).
replaces cells every seven to ten years,
as much as a few millimetres per minute.
• How many bacterial cells in/on me? so we might use up ten or so sets of cells
Humans are home to many bacteria, which in 70 years, for a total of 1000 trillion.
live in the digestive system and on the
surface of the body. The total bacterial • Which is the most common cell?
population has perhaps ten times as The most common cell type is the red
many cells as there are body cells – that blood cell, which accounts for roughly a
is, 1000 trillion – though they are much quarter of all the body’s cells. The largest
smaller. They weigh around 1 kg altogether. individual organ is the skin.

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The Wellcome Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales, no. 210183. Its sole trustee is The Wellcome Trust Limited, a company registered in England and Wales, no. 2711000 (whose registered office is at 215 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE, UK). E-4886.2/12K/11–2010/MC