Chapter 5: The Fundamental Unit of Life- Exercise- 59

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Chapter 5: The Fundamental Unit of Life

Class: IX

Exercise number 59

Question 1

Who discovered cells and how?

Answer 1

Robert Hooke, an English Botanist, discovered cells in 1665. He used a primitive microscope to observe cells in a cork slice.

Question 2

Why is the cell called the structural and functional unit of life?

Answer 2

All components of plants and animals are composed of cells and it is the smallest unit of life and is capable of all living functions. Cells are the building blocks of life. This is the reason why cells are referred to as the basic structural and functional units of life. All cells vary in their shape, size, and activity they perform. The shape and size of the cell is based on the specific functions they perform.