Cell Theory: A Re-Visit

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
History of Science
Nature of Science
Edward Hessler

You may recall the cell theory from high school biology. Three tenets comprise this big idea in biology (see Wiki).

--All living organisms are composed of cells.
--The cell is the basic unit of structure and organization in organisms.
--Cells arise from pre-existing cells.

The cell theory helps us understand life. Much has been learned about cells--structure, function, biochemistry, molecular biology and some of these understandings are part of a basic biology course. So it is interesting to read these words by Nobel prize honoree, Eric Betzig, I would be happy to have a rudimentary understanding of a single cell. Note the word "rudimentary." We thought or rather I thought we did.


Betzig is talking about what I'll call a "free-ranging" cell, i.e., being able to understand it in its normal, unperturbed state.  In this short 5-minute film, Betzig discusses his work and also considers a possibility that he finds "depressing." We may never understand the cell because it is too complicated.