Seeing the word cell triggers so many memories.

You may recall your last dropped call, solar panels,

your current Fantasy Baseball spreadsheet, or your last school field trip to the local penitentiary. No?
Anyway, onto real biology.

All living things (we like to call them organisms because no one wants to be called a "thing") have
five characteristics in common. Cells are the basic units of life because they are the smallest entities
on Earth to have all five of the attributes of Life.

The Five Basic Attributes of Life, Round Two

Complexity and organization. Cells are complex and highly organized. If you don’t believe us, skip to
the In Depth section right now. Go ahead. We dare you.

The ability to acquire and use matter and energy. Cells eat and drink substances that provide them
with energy.

Homeostasis. Cells maintain a constant internal environment.

The ability to reproduce. Cells reproduce all on their own.

The abilities to adapt and evolve. Cells adapt to new environments and evolve through time.

(If you are totally confused right now, it probably means you need to go back to our handy dandy
little intro unit. You might want to do that now, before reading on. Otherwise, on with regularly
scheduled programming.)

Cells live and behave in a variety of ways. Some cells require the services of other cells to survive.
The cells in your liver, and every other part of your body for that matter, require red blood cells to
deliver oxygen. Without red blood cells, all the other cells in your body would die. Kaput. Lights out.