Video Transcript
Which of the following is not a
principle that cell theory is based on? (A) Cells are the smallest
structures found within an organism. (B) All living organisms are made
up of one or more cells. (C) All cells are made from
preexisting cells. Or (D) the basic functional unit of
all living organisms is the cell.
This question is asking us about
cell theory and which of the provided choices is not a principle that it’s based
on. So what is cell theory exactly? Cell theory is the universally
accepted theory that all living things are made up of cells. There are actually three principles
or postulates of cell theory that were developed by numerous scientists from the
early 17th century through to the mid-19th century. A major technological contributor
to the development of cell theory was the invention and production of simple and
compound microscopes. This allowed scientists to view the
microscopic world clearly for the first time.
The three principles or postulates
of cell theory are as follows. All living things are made of at
least one cell, cells are the basic unit of life, and all cells come from
preexisting cells. While the cell is the basic unit of
life and the smallest object within an organism to be considered independently
alive, cells themselves are composed of smaller structures such as the endoplasmic
reticulum, the nucleus, and the mitochondrion. All of these smaller structures are
called organelles, so cells are not the smallest structures found within the
organisms. So therefore, the statement that is
not a principle of cell theory is that cells are the smallest structures found
within organisms.
