The basic unit of life is the cell. Cells are the fundamental building blocks of all living organisms, serving as the smallest units that can carry out life processes. They come in various shapes and sizes and perform a wide range of functions, depending on their type and location within an organism. Cells can be prokaryotic, like bacteria, which lack a defined nucleus, or eukaryotic, like plant and animal cells, which have a nucleus and other specialized organelles. Understanding cells is essential to fields such as biology, medicine, and biotechnology as they are integral to life’s processes.