About this Zone

Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things, acting like mini-compartments for biological equipment.

Put an onion under the microscope and you'll see how it's cells fit together like bricks. Image by Kaibara87.

Put an onion under the microscope and you'll see how it's cells fit together like bricks. Image by Kaibara87.

    A nerve cell (green) grown from cells in the lab. Image by Gerry Shaw.

    A nerve cell (green) grown from cells in the lab. Image by Gerry Shaw.

Our bodies are made up of roughly 100 trillion cells and hundreds of different types of cells make up the different parts of our bodies. Nerve cells send and receive electrical signals traveling around the body at 20mph! And muscle cells allow us to move and keep our heart beating.

Scientists are now growing cells outside of the human body, in the lab. By creating the right conditions they’re able to grow whole organs from just a few cells. Scientists have already grown bladders, hearts, kidneys and even a jawbone. It’s hoped in the future that growing these organs could help treat illness and injuries.