essay on diversity in plants pdf

Chapter 14: Introduction to Diversity of Plants

Plants play an integral role in all aspects of life on the planet, shaping the physical terrain, influencing the climate, and maintaining life as we know it. For millennia, human societies have depended on plants for nutrition and medicinal compounds, and for many industrial by-products, such as timber, paper, dyes, and textiles. Palms provide materials including rattans, oils, and dates. Wheat is grown to feed both human and animal populations. The cotton boll flower is harvested and its fibers transformed into clothing or pulp for paper. The showy opium poppy is valued both as an ornamental flower and as a source of potent opiate compounds.

Current evolutionary thought holds that all plants are monophyletic: that is, descendants of a single common ancestor. The evolutionary transition from water to land imposed severe constraints on the ancestors of contemporary plants. Plants had to evolve strategies to avoid drying out, to disperse reproductive cells in air, for structural support, and to filter sunlight. While seed plants developed adaptations that allowed them to populate even the most arid habitats on Earth, full independence from water did not happen in all plants, and most seedless plants still require a moist environment.

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Diversity in Plant Life (With Diagram)

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Plants are multi-cellular and mostly photosynthetic organisms which found essentially everywhere, both in water and on land.

The aquatic plants include red, brown and green algae and the land plants include mosses, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms.

The angiosperms or flowering plants are dominated the earth the last 70 million years.

There are over 3, 00,000 angiosperm species growing on the earth which show enormous diversity in size and form. In India there are about 45,000 plant species are known that represent about 7% of the world’s flora. Nearly, 4900 species of angiosperms are endemic to India.

The diversity in plant life can be understood from the following headings:

I. Diversity on The Basis of Habitat :

Plants grow in a variety of habitats.

On the basis of habitat, plants may be classified into following groups:

1. Hydrophytes:

The plants growing near water or submerged under water are called hydrophytes. Such plants have poor root system, soft stem and poor vascular tissue. The bulk of the tissue is spongy provided with air spaces.

These plants may be:

(i) Submerged (e.g., Vallisneria, Hydrilla, Potamogeton etc.),

(ii) free-floating and fixed-floating (e.g., Wolffia, Utricularia, Salvinia, Ceratophyllum, Lemna, Pistia, Eichornia, Trapa, Azolla Nymphaea etc.), and

(iii) amphibious (only partly submerged, e.g., Ranunculus aquatilis, Alisma plantago, Sagittaria, Limnophylla etc.).

Two angiosperms are also marine, e.g., Zostera and Thalassia.

2. Hygrophytes:

These plants grow in moist and shady habitats. Their stem and roots are soft and spongy and show stunted growth. The leaves are well-developed, provided with stomata. Common examples are Ferns, Begonias, Aroid and certain grasses.

3. Halophytes:

These plants grow in saline soil or saline water. They can tolerate a relatively high concentration of salts (Nacl, MgCl 2 , and MgSO4). They have characteristic negatively geotropic breathing roots called pneumatophores. Common examples are mangrove vegetations like Rhizophora, Ceriops, Avicennia, Sonneratia etc.

4. Mesophytes:

The majorities of angiosperms grows in places of moderate water supply and are known as mesophytes. They are usually large and fast growing. They have well developed roots and leaves. There stem may be herbaceous or woody. There are certain mesophytes, such as deciduous trees (viz., shedding leaves at a certain season), which are mesophytic during the summer and xerophytic during the winters.

5. Xerophytes:

The plants which grow in xeric or dry conditions or where water availability is negligible, are known as xerophytes, e.g., Euphorbia, Acacia, Argemone, Amaranthus, calotropis, Nerium, Ziziphus etc. some xerophytes store water in their stem (opuntia), leaves (Aloe. Agava, Bryophyllum) or in roots (Asparagus) and are called as Succulents.

Xerophytes may be further divided into following types:

i. Lithophytes – Plants growing on rocks

ii. Psammophytes – Plants growing in sandy soils

iii. Oxylophytes – Plants growing on acidic soil.

6. Epiphytes:

Are the plants that grow on the trunk or branches of other plants, e.g., an orchid or lichen growing-as an epiphyte on a mango branch. The epiphytes are considered as space parasites. However, the interaction between the orchid (a commensal) growing on a tree (host) would be an example of commensalism where the host is unharmed, while the commensals benefits,

7. Parasitic plants:

These plants live on other plants as parasites, e.g. Cuscuta, Striga (grows on roots of jowar)

II. Diversity On The Basis Of Habit :

On the basis of habit (i.e., shape, size and form), angiosperms are classified into four groups:

1. Herbs (Herbaceous):

The stem of those plants is green, delicate and short. Usually their life is short e.g., wheat (Fig 1.2A), gram. In some herbaceous plants, the underground part of stem is greatly reduced but the aerial branch with flowers at the top arises from underground parts at the time of reproduction. Such a stem is called scape e.g. onion (fig. 1.2B)

2. Shrubs (= Shruby or Fruticose):

These plants are woody, branched and larger than herbs. Usually with several stems but no main axis e.g., China rose, rose, henna. (Fig 1.2C).

3. Trees (Arborescent):

The plants are longer or larger than shrubs, hard and woody, very well developed and thick. Possess a prominent trunk.

These are of the following types:

(a) Caudex:

The stem is un-branched and usually bears a crown of leaves at the apex e.g., Date-palm (Fig. 1.3A).

(b) Excurrent:

The lower part of the stem is thicker which gradually tapers above. The plant appears conical due to acropetal arrangement of branches on the main stem (Fig. 1.3B).

(c) Deliquescent:

The apical bud of the main stem dies after some time and branches and sub- branches spread in different directions e.g., Tamarindus, Ficus.(Fig. 1.3C).

In these plants, nodes and internodes are extremely prominent, lnternodes of such plants are usually hollow: These plants are grasses but cannot be considered as herbs or shrub or tree, e.g., Bamboo. (Fig. 1.4)

III. Diversity of Angiosperms on The Basis of the Nature of Stem:

On the basis of the nature of stem, the angiosperm plants may be classified as given below:

These plants grow upright. Most trees, shrubs and some herbs have strong stem (axis) and thus can stand erect on the soil.

2. Creepers:

These plants have trailing stem having roots throughout its length. Since these plants have weak, long and thin stem they creep on the surface of the soil. Leaves emerge from nodes, from the axil of which branches arise. Adventitious roots arise from nodes throughout the length of the stem, e.g., Oxalis; Cynodon (doob grass) etc.

3. Trailers:

Stem sprawling on the ground with the help of adventitious roots. These plants are like creepers with the difference that here adventitious roots do not arise from nodes. A trailer may be procumbant or decumbent. In procumbent trailer, the stem lies completely horizontal (e.g., Basella), while in decumbent, the apical part of the stem is raised above the ground (e.g., Lindenbergia).

4. Climbers:

These plants with weak stem climb on some support by means of tendrils, petioles, spines, adventitious roots etc., e.g., pea, betel etc.

IV. Diversity on The Basis of Life-Span :

On the basis of life-span, angiosperms are classified into following four groups:-

1. Ephemerals:

Such plants complete their life span within a very short period before the approach of actual dry conditions. These are not true xerophytes, and often called as drought evaders or drought escapers, e.g., Argemon mexicana, Solanum xanthocarpum, Cassia tora, Artemesia etc.

2. Annuals:

They complete their life-cycle within one year and die after producing seeds, e.g., wheat, rice, gram.

3. Biennials (or Biannuals);

These plants complete their life-cycle in two years. During first year they show only vegetative growth, and during second year they develop flowers, fruits and seeds. These plants are usually herbs, e.g., Radish, Turnip, and Carrot.

4. Perennials:

These plants have long life, and once established continue to live for many years. The great banyan tree (Ficus bengalensis) in the Botanical Garden, Kolkata is more than 200 years old. The Bodhi tree (ficus religiosa) at Gaya is about 2500 years old.

Most perennials, after attaining maturity, bear flowers and fruits in a particular season of each year. They are called polycarpic, e.g., coconut, mango, Acacia etc. Some perennials (e.g., Bamboos, Agave) are monocarpic i.e., they bear fruits only once in their life. All annuals and biennials are monocarpic.

V. Diversity on The Basis of Size :

The angiospermic plants show great variation in their size. The smallest angiosperm is a rootless aquatic Wolffia. It has a diameter of 0.1 mm. Aquatic Lemna has a diameter of 0.1 cm. The tallest angiosperm plant it is Eucalyptus regnans. It is over 100 meter tall. Some of the Eucalyptus trees attain a height of 130 meter. The largest-sized plant is Banyan tree (Ficus bengalensis). It can spread over an area of 2 – 5 acres with more than 200 prop roots.

VI. Diversity on The Basis of Nutrition :

On the basis of mode of nutrition, plants are classified as follows:-

1. Autotrophic plants or autotrophs. Most of the plants are autotrophs as they are green and manufacture their own organic food from inorganic raw materials (viz. CO 2 and H 2 O).

2. Heterotrophic plants or heterotrophs. These plants obtain a part or whole of their nourishments from outside sources. Heterotrophs may be parasites, saprophytes, symbionts and insectivorous.

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An Overview of Plant Diversity

Introduction to plants.

Plants are a highly significant kingdom of organisms. They are multicellular organisms with the incredible capability to produce their food from atmospheric carbon dioxide. If plants were absent, animal life would not survive because they serve as the base of many food webs.

Like the vast Californian sequoias , plants can be as large as 90 metres, or as small as a few millimetres. While Eucalyptus regnans is the tallest angiosperm, Wolffia is the smallest rootless aquatic plant. The most common types of plants on earth are angiosperms or blooming plants. This overview looks at plant diversity based on habitat, stem nature, life span, size and nutrition.

Table of Contents

Introduction to plant diversity, diversity based on habitat, diversity based on habit, angiosperm diversity based on stem nature, diversity based on size, diversity based on life span, diversity based on nutrition.

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Kingdom Plantae emerged about 410 million years ago as green algae transitioned from water to land. This land had a rich resource base and was comparatively uncolonised. Additionally, terrestrial habitats provide more light and carbon dioxide, essential for plant growth and survival.

Being multicellular and mostly photosynthetic organisms living both in water and on land, plants can be found almost everywhere. Red, brown, and green algae are among the aquatic plants, and mosses, ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms are among the terrestrial plants. Over the past 70 million years, flowering plants known as angiosperms have dominated the planet.

Depending on different characteristics, there are various types of plants. Plants are divided into the following groups according to their habitat (where they reside).

Hydrophytes

The term “hydrophytes” refers to plants that grow in or near water. Such plants have weak vascular tissue, fragile stems, and poor root systems. The majority of the tissue has air spaces and is spongy.

These plants might include the following characteristics:

(i) Submerged (e.g., Hydrilla , Vallisneria , Potamogeton etc.)

(ii) Fixed-floating and free-floating (e.g., Utricularia , Wolffia , Salvinia , Lemna , Ceratophyllum , Pistia , Trapa , Eichornia , etc.)

(iii) Amphibious (partly submerged, e.g., Alisma plantago , Ranunculus aquatilis , Sagittaria , etc.)

Thalassia and Zostera are two angiosperms that are also marine.

Hygrophytes

These plants need moist, dark environments to develop. Their roots and stems have limited growth and are fragile and spongy. The leaves have stomata and are fully developed. Ferns, Aroids, Begonias, and certain grasses are common examples.

These plants can survive in saline water or soil. They can tolerate high salt concentrations (NaCl, MgCl 2 , and MgSO 4 ). They have distinctive breathing roots, or pneumatophores, that are negatively geotropic. Mangrove vegetation like Rhizophora , Ceriops , Avicennia , etc. are common examples.

Mesophytes, which comprise the majority of angiosperms, are those that grow in areas with moderate water availability. They usually develop fast and are large. Their leaves and roots are well developed. The stem could be either woody or herbaceous. Some mesophytes, like deciduous trees, are mesophytic in the summer and xerophytic in the winter.

Xerophytes, such as Acacia , Euphorbia , Amaranthus , Argemone , Nerium , and Ziziphus , are plants that thrive in xeric or dry environments or areas with limited access to water. Some xerophytes are known as succulents because they store water in their stems ( Opuntia ), leaves ( Bryophyllum , Agave ), or roots ( Asparagus ).

Epiphytes are plants that grow on trunks or branches of other plants, such as an orchid or lichen growing as an epiphyte on a mango limb. The epiphytes are regarded as space parasites. An example of commensalism where the host is unaffected is the contact between an orchid (a commensal) and a tree (the host).

Parasitic Plants

These plants, such as Striga and Cuscuta , are parasites that grow on other plants (on roots of jowar).

Angiosperms are divided into four groups based on their form, size, and shape:

Herbs (Herbaceous)

These plants have a short, green, fragile stem. Typically, they have a brief life span, like wheat or gram. Some herbaceous plants have a much reduced underground stem portion, but the aerial branch with flowers at the apex develops from the underground part during reproduction. Such a stem is known as a scape, such as an onion.

Shrubs (Shruby or Fruticose)

These plants are more significantly woody and branching than herbs. They generally have multiple stems but no main axis. Eg., henna, roses, and China roses.

Trees (Arborescent)

The plants are thick, rigid, and woody and are more prolonged or taller than bushes. They have a noticeable trunk.

Nodes and internodes are very apparent in these plants. Most of these plants have hollow internodes. These plants, such as bamboo, are grasses but cannot be classified as herbs, shrubs, or trees.

The angiosperm plants can be categorised as follows based on the type of stem:

These plants develop upright. Due to their strong stems, most trees, shrubs, and some herbs can stand upright on the ground.

These plants have dangling stems that are entirely covered in roots. Leaves originate from nodes, from the culm of which branches emerge. For example, Cynodon , and Oxalis (doob grass). Nodes along the length of the stem produce adventitious roots.

These plants resemble creepers, but adventitious roots do not form at nodes in these plants. A trailer could be procumbent or decumbent. The stem is horizontal in a procumbent trailer (such as Basella ), but in a decumbent trailer, the apex of the stem is lifted above the ground (e.g., Lindenbergia ).

These weak-stemmed plants, such as peas and betels, cling to supports using their adventitious roots, petioles, spines, and tendrils.

The size of the angiospermic plants varies considerably. The rootless aquatic Wolffia is the smallest angiosperm. Its diameter is 0.1 mm. The diameter of aquatic Lemna is 0.1 cm. The Eucalyptus regnans tree is the tallest angiosperm plant. Its height exceeds 100 metres. Some eucalyptus trees grow as tall as 130 metres. The Banyan tree is the largest type of plant ( Ficus bengalensis ). It has more than 200 prop roots and can cover a space of 2 to 5 acres.

Angiosperms are divided into the following four groups based on life span:

Before the arrival of real dry conditions, these plants reach the end of their life span in a very short time. These plants, such as Solanum xanthocarpum , Argemon mexicana , Cassia tora , etc., are not true xerophytes and are often referred to as drought escapers or drought evaders.

After producing seeds, such as those for rice, wheat, and gram, they die within a year of completing their life cycle.

Biannuals (or Biennials)

These plants go through their entire life cycle in two years. They only exhibit vegetative development in the first year, and then, in the second year, they produce flowers, fruits, and seeds. Usually, these plants are herbs, such as carrot, turnip, and radish.

Once established, these plants continue to live for a very long time. More than 200 years old, the giant banyan tree ( Ficus bengalensis ) can be found in Kolkata’s Botanical Garden. At Gaya, there is a Bodhi tree ( Ficus religiosa ) that is roughly 2500 years old.

Most perennials produce flowers and fruits in a specific season of the year after reaching maturity. They are polycarpic, including Acacia , mango, and coconut. Some perennial plants, like bamboo and Agave , are monocarpic, meaning they only produce fruit once during their lifetime. Biennials and annuals are all monocarpic.

Plants are divided into the following categories based on their mode of nutrition:

Autotrophs/ Autophytes

They have the ability to produce their food. They are split into two groups: chemotrophs, which produce their food using chemical energy, and phototrophs (which produce their food through photosynthesis).

Heterotrophs

These plants cannot produce their food and therefore depend on external sources. Heterotrophs can be insectivorous, saprophytic, parasitic, or symbiotic.

Other plant varieties include:

• Polygamous plant (e.g., mango).
• Stolon plant (e.g., Ajuga , Stachys , and Mentha ).
• Seedless vascular plants
• Sucker plant (red raspberry, lilac, and Forsythia ).
• Air layering plants ( Forsythia , jasmine, Hamamelis , Philodendron , etc.).
• Cutting plants.

There are various types of plants, and each one needs a specific environment to develop. The essential elements are sunlight, nutrients, water, air, soil, and temperature, which plants rely on for their life, growth, and development.

Related Links:

• Biodiversity and its Types
• What is Species Diversity?
• Flora And Fauna
• Biodiversity in Plants and Animals
• Plant Kingdom – Members of Kingdom Plantae

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Frequently Asked Questions

What increases plant diversity.

Enhancing crop genetic variety, diverse plantings, rotating crops, agroforestry, and varying the environments around cropland are examples of diversification strategies.

Mention the function of a stem in a plant.

A stem provides the following functions in a plant:

• It supports the fruits, flowers, leaves, and branches.
• It moves minerals and water from the roots of plants to their leaves and other parts.
• It transports nourishment from the plant’s leaves to various plant sections.
• It keeps the plant upright.

Which kind of venation is most likely to be present in a plant with a fibrous root?

Parallel venation is a characteristic of plants with fibrous roots and leaves.

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Essay on Biodiversity for Students and Children

500+ words essay on biodiversity.

Essay on Biodiversity – Biodiversity is the presence of different species of plants and animals on the earth. Moreover, it is also called biological diversity as it is related to the variety of species of flora and fauna. Biodiversity plays a major role in maintaining the balance of the earth.

Furthermore, everything depends upon the biological diversity of different plants and animals. But due to some reasons, biodiversity is decreasing day by day. If it does not stop then our earth could no longer be a place to live in. Therefore different measures help in increasing the biodiversity of the earth.

Methods to Increase Biodiversity

Building wildlife corridors- This means to build connections between wildlife spaces. In other words, many animals are incapable to cross huge barriers. Therefore they are no able to migrate the barrier and breed. So different engineering techniques can make wildlife corridors. Also, help animals to move from one place to the other.

Set up gardens- Setting up gardens in the houses is the easiest way to increase biodiversity. You can grow different types of plants and animals in the yard or even in the balcony. Further, this would help in increasing the amount of fresh air in the house.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Protected areas- protected areas like wildlife sanctuaries and zoo conserve biodiversity. For instance, they maintain the natural habitat of plants and animals. Furthermore, these places are away from any human civilization. Therefore the ecosystem is well maintained which makes it a perfect breeding ground for flora and fauna. In our country, their various wildlife sanctuaries are build that is today spread over a vast area. Moreover, these areas are the only reason some of the animal species are not getting extinct. Therefore the protected areas should increase all over the globe.

Re-wilding – Re-wilding is necessary to avert the damage that has been taking place over centuries. Furthermore, the meaning of re-wilding is introducing the endangered species in the areas where it is extinct. Over the past years, by various human activities like hunting and cutting down of trees the biodiversity is in danger. So we must take the necessary steps to conserve our wildlife and different species of plants.

Importance of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is extremely important to maintain the ecological system. Most Noteworthy many species of plants and animals are dependent on each other.

Therefore if one of them gets extinct, the others will start getting endangered too. Moreover, it is important for humans too because our survival depends on plants and animals. For instance, the human needs food to survive which we get from plants. If the earth does not give us a favorable environment then we cannot grow any crops. As a result, it will no longer be possible for us to sustain on this planet.

Biodiversity in flora and fauna is the need of the hour. Therefore we should take various countermeasures to stop the reduction of endangering of species. Furthermore, pollution from vehicles should decrease. So that animals can get fresh air to breathe. Moreover, it will also decrease global warming which is the major cause of the extinction of the species.

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Experimental evidence links plant diversity to ecosystem multifunctionality through multitrophic diversity

by Chinese Academy of Sciences

A study led by Prof. Liu Xiaojuan from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS) has demonstrated that the association between multitrophic diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality is stronger than the relationship between the diversity of individual trophic groups and multifunctionality.

This research underscores the critical role of diverse biological interactions across different trophic levels in maintaining ecosystem health .

The study, published on August 29, 2024, in Nature Ecology & Evolution , reveals that plant diversity enhances ecosystem multifunctionality by promoting multitrophic diversity—diversity that spans multiple levels of the food web, from plants to herbivores, predators, and decomposers.

"Therefore, conservation efforts aimed at promoting ecosystem multifunctionality must consider not only plant diversity but also the diversity of higher trophic levels," said Prof. Xiaojuan, one of the corresponding authors of the study from IBCAS.

"This is because multitrophic interactions have a more profound impact on ecosystem functions than the diversity within any single trophic group, such as plants."

Using data from two large-scale biodiversity experiments—BEF-China, representing subtropical forests, and the Jena Experiment, representing temperate grasslands—the researchers were able to expand on previous findings regarding the relationship between plant diversity and ecosystem functions. Their results confirm that the influence of plant diversity on multifunctionality is mediated by its positive effect on multitrophic diversity.

This research provides the first experimental evidence linking plant diversity to ecosystem multifunctionality through multitrophic diversity across different ecosystems, according to Prof. Xiaojuan, also the management group leader of the BEF-China platform.

Moreover, the study demonstrates that the relationship between multitrophic diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality is stronger in forests than in grasslands. This can be attributed to the greater structural complexity and longer life cycles of trees, which support more intricate trophic interactions.

These findings showed the need to protect not only plant diversity but also higher trophic levels, such as arthropods and soil nematodes, which play crucial roles in ecosystem functioning, said Prof. MA Keping, Chair of the BEF-China platform.

According to Prof. Nico Eisenhauer, spokesperson for the Jena Experiment, the combination of results from such distinct ecosystem types in different biomes is extremely novel and valuable to describe the general relevance of biodiversity.

"Comprehensive long-term data on above- and belowground food webs are key to understanding the ecosystem consequences of biodiversity loss," he said.

Ecosystems can sustain many important functions, but only when diversity is high. Thus, it is important to preserve and manage all ecosystems to the benefit of species and mankind.

Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution

Provided by Chinese Academy of Sciences

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Atlas of plant and animal histology

• CONTENTS. THE CELL. 1. Introduction Cell diversity Discovery of cells Cell theory Origin of the cell Origen of eukaryotes Endosymbiosis 2. Extracellular matrix Structural proteins Carbohydrates Glycoproteins Types 3. Cell membrane Lipids Proteins Carbohydrates Permeability, fluidity Asymmetry, repairing Synthesis Transport Adhesion Cell junctions 4. Nucleus Nuclear envelope Nuclear pore Chromatin Nucleolus 5. Vesicular trafficking Endoplasmic reticulum From reticulum to Golgi Golgi apparatus Exocytosis Endocytosis Endosomes Lysosomes In plant cells Vacuoles 6. Non vesicular Peroxisomes Mitochondria Plastids Chloroplasts Lipid droplets 7. Cytosol Cytoskeleton Actin filaments Microtubules Intermediate filaments 8. Cell cycle G1 phase S phase G2 phase M phase. Mitosis. 9. Meiosis More information Quizzes Glossary Bibliography

The cell. 1. Introduction CELL DIVERSITY

C ells show a great diversity of forms and functions. Because of this, it was not easy to realize that all living organisms are made up of units that shares a common basic structure. Every unit is a cell. The other major issue for the discovering of the cell was the very small size they usually show.

1. Cell size

C ell size is measured in micrometers (µm). One micrometer, or micron, is one thousandth of a millimeter (10 -3 mm), and one millionth of a meter (10 -6 m). A typical eukaryote cell is between 10 and 30 µm in size. This is true for the cells of a worm and for those of an elephant, but there are many more cells in the elephant. To be aware of how small the cells are, imagine a 1.70 meters tall person which is stretched to equal the height of the Everest, which is about 8500 meters. The stretched giant cells of that person would measure only 1.3 centimeters, i.e., smaller than one euro cent coin (then, it would be a giant made up of a huge amount of euro cent coins).

H owever, there are eukaryote cells that show unusual dimensions (Figure 1). They can be very small, such as sperm cells, whose head may be less than 4 µm in diameter, while others, like the eggs of some birds and reptiles, may be larger than 10 centimeters (thousands of microns) in their larger axis, but we must measure only the yolk, since the egg white is not part of the cell. An extreme example is the egg of ostriches. Some cells may have cytoplasmic extensions as long as several meters, such as some neurons in the brain of giraffes that innervate the most caudal part of the spinal cord. Smaller than eukaryote cells are prokaryote cells, which are typically around 1 to 2 µm in diameter, and Mycoplasma being the smallest with about 0.5 µm in diameter.

M ost living organisms are unicellular , i.e., a single independent cell. Prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) are the most abundant unicellular organisms. Unicellular eukaryote species are abundant too. Organisms that can be observed without microscopes are mostly multicellular , i.e., they are made up of many cells. Multicellular organisms are animals, plants, fungi and some algae. In general, larger multicellular organisms contain higher number of cells since they have a similar average cell size. However, there are examples where the increase in size is got by increasing the cell size. Estimates of the total number of cells in an organism similar in size to a human being may range from 10 13 (1 followed by 13 zeros) to 10 14 (1 followed by 14 zeros). To be aware of these numbers, the total number of cells in the human brain is estimated to be about 86x10 9 neurons and that of a mouse brain is about 15x10 9 . The most abundant cells of the human body are red blood cells and glial/neuronal cells of the nervous system. Nonetheless, the total number of prokaryote cells largely exceeds the number of eukaryote cells. It is enough to point out that the number of prokaryote cells that live in our body is larger than our own cells.

3. Morphology

C ell morphology is typically depicted as rounded, but this is probably the most uncommon shape (except for a few types of cells). Cell morphology in animal tissues is diverse, enormously diverse! It can vary from rounded to star-like, from multi-lobed to filiform. Plant cells also show a wide diversity of forms, which is determined by the cell wall, with cuboidal and columnar being the most common shapes. See some examples in Figure 2. The cell morphology diversity made it difficult to realize that all leaving organisms are made up of cells, that is, the cell theory.

4. Function

U nicellular organisms are diverse in morphology and live in many different environments. They need to perform all the tasks or functions to survive and for reproduction. A pluricellular organism needs to carry out similar functions, but a function is performed by many cells. They are many specialized cells in the organism that work coordinately . These functions are extremely complex and diverse, and include food digestion, detoxification, movement, reproduction, support, defense against pathogens, and those related to thinking, emotions or consciousness. All these functions are carried out by specialized cells, such as those of the gastrointestinal epithelium, liver, muscle, germ cells, bone, lymphocytes and neurons, respectively. Cells need a particular molecular framework , mainly based on proteins, to carry out their functions. In a organism, some functions can be carried out by only one cell type, but it commonly requires the cooperation of several cell types acting in a coordinated manner. In some cases, the cell has to die to perform the function, as it is the case for the cells that form the nails, or the cells of xylem, which conduct the sap in plants.