Talk:Cell (biology)

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This page do not efficiently explain the cell. Kunsaa (talk) 06:20, 10 January 2025 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Remsense ‥ 论 06:23, 10 January 2025 (UTC)

@Remsense I would like to suggest including a concise description of the structure of cell organelles. This addition would enable readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic without needing to refer to additional sources. For those interested in exploring the subject in greater depth, they can still access more detailed articles. I appreciate your consideration of this suggestion and any actions you deem appropriate. 115.96.106.150 (talk) 14:54, 27 January 2025 (UTC)

See the § Subcellular components section. Remsense ‥ 论 14:56, 27 January 2025 (UTC)

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My request is to change the statement that Plastides can be found in Prokaryotes, which is not. Thanks. SatriaAlfa (talk) 15:29, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

Not done: the article does not say so. Chiswick Chap (talk) 16:05, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

Would you add the fact that eggs are cells? The biggest cell in the world is an ostrich egg, and that seems worth mentioning. The Explorer of Fire (talk) 12:05, 14 September 2025 (UTC)

Much of this page is covered and more so on Cell (biology) cell biology is the study of the cell - can see no reason for separate page - also as per talk page there seems a lot of unneeded detail available on many links Iztwoz (talk) 08:44, 21 September 2025 (UTC)

Omg my first discussion. Indeed, I do agree that the two can be merged - perhaps it is better than most of the information of cell biology be shifted (if any is not already in the latter article). However, it might be better to have a separate heading at the start called "cell biology" or "cytology" (to reduce repetition) and then add:

1. The definition of cytology

2. A list of cell biologists

Because those are the only two things which don't specifically belong in an article about cell (but does fit perfectly under the field itself)

And of course, any information added later - if related to the field, say, with a list of timelines of discoveries or something more historically relevant rather than biologically; can be added to the cytology section. ExpertiseinAll (talk) 00:21, 22 September 2025 (UTC)

Thanks for your input ExpertiseinAll – have added info about the varied related fields of study which might be enough.--Iztwoz (talk) 16:32, 22 September 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: The sections that appear unique to 'Cell biology' are the last few: 'Growth and development', 'Cell cycle and DNA damage repair system', 'Mitochondrial membrane dynamics', and 'Autophagy'. (Those sections are in need some refinement.) The 'Cell (biology)' article is already long, so merging those might make it too long? (See WP:LENGTH.) Perhaps they belong in a separate 'Cell lifecycle' article? There's already a 'Cell cycle', but that is specific to replication of eukaryotes. Praemonitus (talk) 16:33, 14 October 2025 (UTC)

• Oppose. It is more than possible that the two subjects have become muddled, but that is a reason for sorting out the muddle, not for physically conflating them. Medicine is different from Disease, which is its object of study and attention. Botany is different from Plant, though botanists study plants. Cell biology is a science; a cell is the object studied by that science. We should have two crisp, clear, different articles on the two topics. We should not be rushing into a muddle-headed disaster here. Chiswick Chap (talk) 09:40, 15 October 2025 (UTC)

I've cleaned up Cell biology now; some of the deleted text, misplaced over there, might be useful over here. Chiswick Chap (talk) 10:13, 15 October 2025 (UTC)

I saw you did that without reaching consensus, and so I added a 'Death' section to Cell (biology) since that is still relevant to the topic. At this point, is there any reason to retain the 'MergeFrom' template? Praemonitus (talk) 22:50, 16 October 2025 (UTC)

• Oppose per Chiswick Chap Phoeromones (talk) 15:48, 16 October 2025 (UTC)

• Withdraw merge proposal following welcome changes made by Chiswick Chap.--Iztwoz (talk) 20:45, 17 October 2025 (UTC)

  Thanks Iztwoz! Chiswick Chap (talk) 01:10, 18 October 2025 (UTC)

In the cytoskeleton section, is the following level of detail really necessary for this high-level article?

The subunit protein of microfilaments is a small, monomeric protein called actin. The subunit of microtubules is a dimeric molecule called tubulin. Intermediate filaments are heteropolymers whose subunits vary among the cell types in different tissues. Some of the subunit proteins of intermediate filaments include vimentin, desmin, lamin (lamins A, B and C), keratin (multiple acidic and basic keratins), and neurofilament proteins (NF–L, NF–M).

All it is doing is providing a list of protein names with (at least to me) little context about their function. The list appears to be adequately summed up by the prior statement that, "[t]here are a great number of proteins associated with them, each controlling a cell's structure by directing, bundling, and aligning filaments". Thanks. Praemonitus (talk) 14:26, 4 October 2025 (UTC)

Agree! --Dimitrie569 (Talk) 15:58, 4 October 2025 (UTC)

Looks like it was removed with this edit. Thanks. Praemonitus (talk) 12:57, 7 October 2025 (UTC)

Is that a fact?? On the contrary, it is pretty clearly false, a gross generalisation, a schoolboy error. What about gametes? Does a sperm cell ever divide or replicate? What about cells whose only function is to differentiate into a spicule or a scale, or a glandular hair? Or the enucleate cells that construct the transparent lens (vertebrate anatomy) of the eye. Or the companion cells of the phloem? There are innumerable examples. Plantsurfer 22:31, 6 October 2025 (UTC)

Good point. I was wondering about that myself. Praemonitus (talk) 12:58, 7 October 2025 (UTC)

You should go into the extensive detail on the evolutionary steps. The endosymbiotic theory, which explains the origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts in eukaryotic cells will be great to add. Ahnwnk2n (talk) 15:14, 14 October 2025 (UTC)

No, it barely belongs here and is covered "in extensive detail" in other articles. This article is a top-level article that is regularly searched by school pupils and students as "cell" is in elementary biology courses. It needs to be simple and clear, not complex and muddled (which it also is, see next thread). If we're going to add material it must be brief and understandable by people aged 15–17 of average ability. Chiswick Chap (talk) 06:34, 18 October 2025 (UTC)

The large and prominent chapter "Animal cells" contains multiple sections on topics such as "Cell membrane", "Cell nucleus", "Mitochondria" which are characteristic of Eukaryotes, not of animals. The "Plant cells" chapter then begins disastrously with Plant cells contain the usual eukaryotic organelles: which would those be, then, to a beginning reader? Why would they suppose that meant almost the whole contents of the animal section? They wouldn't know, they'd just be confused. Worse, the "Fungal cells" section makes no mention of the organelles except for an oblique mention of endomembrane system, so readers can't possibly guess which types are present there; and "Protist cells" mentions cell membranes but none of the other eukaryote organelles.

What is needed is a chapter "Eukaryote organelles" to contain all the shared structures, and saying they're shared by all eukaryotes, and then a very short "Animal cells" section which can mention cilia and flagella, there won't be a lot else to say there. I'm not sure the fluorescent epithelial cell will mean much to school-age readers, perhaps it will remind them of some sort of space alien, perhaps not. I suggest we remove it. Chiswick Chap (talk) 06:44, 18 October 2025 (UTC)

This is a work in progress - (it's rated C at the moment) Clearly there's a lot more can be added to the different sections. I think separating the sections is much better than keep referring to specific differences among the different groups in the overall eukaryotic grouping.? Also in the animals section another main topic would be the different types of animal cell including in humans, and so on which would not be able to be lumped together in eukaryote organelles; likewise there are specific plant cells, fungal cells, and protist cells, methods of reproduction and so on. As I said its a C rated page at the moment.--Iztwoz (talk) 07:34, 18 October 2025 (UTC)

Ok, let's do that. Chiswick Chap (talk) 07:53, 18 October 2025 (UTC)