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Q.
The structural and functional unit of a living organism is
NTA AbhyasNTA Abhyas 2020
Solution:
The presence of a basic unit of life, i.e., the cell, makes a living organism different from non-living organisms. The structure, which is less than a cell, does not ensure independent existence.
All living organisms are made up of cells having cytosol, nucleus, organelles, and covering membranes. A cell can survive independently, but organelles cannot do so. A new cell arises from a pre-existing cell.
Functions of living organisms are the total of the activities of their cells. A cell is a unit of structure, function, and heredity. Thus, the cell is a basic unit of life, and it is considered a structural and functional unit of an organism.
Robert Hooke (1665) discovered the cell. He first observed the cell in a piece of dead cork cells. He described cell in his book “Micrographia.” Robert Hooke is known as the ‘Father of cytology.’
Leeuwenhoek (1674) first observed the animal (living) cell and used the term “Animalcule” for it. The study of cell structure is called cytology.
The study of cell structure, function, and reproduction is called Cell biology.