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How to Create a Diagram or Flow Chart Describing the Cell Theory

Cell theory is a set of ideas that govern life on Earth. These ideas link all life present on Earth with five simple ideas. While many of these ideas seem like common sense today, cell theory was not developed until the 19th Century. Modern cell theory adds two additional ideas to the original three following the discovery of DNA and functions of all the organelles present within all cells. A diagram of cell theory includes all five major ideas along with the history of the discoveries which helped build the theory along the way.

Instructions

- 1
  Place the first idea, "All living things are made out of cells," at the top of the diagram. This ideas connect the most primitive single cell organisms with the largest creatures on Earth, such as the blue whale or giant sequoia tree. Display pictures of different organisms with various sizes connecting the organisms with the ideas that cells are found in all of them.
- 2
  Describe how cells are the basic units of structure and function in living things. If a multicellular organism was to have any tissue, blood or other organic material taken from it, cells of some kind would be present. The cell structure is important to life whether it is bones, muscle, plant stems or leaves. Cells are the items central to these structures. The functions of cells are different too, including delivering oxygen to the body, such as red blood cells, or sending signals to the brain, such as nerve cells.
- 3
  Explain that all cells only come from other living cells. Cells divide to create daughter cells within multicellular organisms and are a way of asexual reproduction. Even sexual reproduction uses gametes which are cells, such as the egg and sperm to create new cells. Before cell theory, it was believed that life could spring from inanimate objects, such as flies from rotting meat.
- 4
  Add the modern aspects of cell theory to the diagram. The first of the modern additions includes, "The cell contains hereditary information which is passed on from cell to cell during cell division." This was added after the discovery of genes and most important, DNA. Cells are able to replicate using DNA whose sequence tells the cell what structure, function and attributes are displayed.
- 5
  Include the final idea that, "All cells are basically the same in chemical composition and metabolic activities." This is important in that, while all cells may vary in size, shape and function, the internal processes which are included within each cell are similar. For example, cells have membranes to define them from other cells and organelles inside the cells that play a particular role within the cell, such as processing proteins or removing waste out of the cell.

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