Part 1/9:
The Significance of Eukaryotes in Understanding Life’s Origins and Diversity
The Fundamental Role of Eukaryotic Cells
Eukaryotic cells are the building blocks of all complex life forms on Earth, including plants, fungi, amoeba, algae, and humans. Unlike prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea), which are simpler single-celled organisms, eukaryotic cells are characterized by a nucleus that houses DNA and a complex array of cellular machinery, such as membranes, mitochondria, and other organelles. Intriguingly, under an electron microscope, a plant cell and a human cell look remarkably similar, despite their vastly different lifestyles, suggesting they share an ancient cellular blueprint.