Cellular Biology Research Introduced
Cellular biology research is done by scientists who study cells, which are life's building blocks. Cellular biology is also known as cytology, and cellular biology research studies all cell aspects, from their atomic makeup to their interactions with each other and their environments. Cellular biology research began with the discovery of the cell by Robert Hooke in the late 1600s, and it has progressed tremendously since then.
Those who perform cellular biology research are concerned with both the structures and processes that exist and occur in cells. A cell can hold an infinite number of processes and structures, and that number can vary widely depending on the cell's purpose. Cellular biology researchers are interested in the relationships between cell functions and structures, and they look for similarities between different types of cells or those of different species. Cellular biology researchers place emphasis on proteins, as there are many different kinds within a given cell, each with its own purpose.
There are other fields of biology that are connected to cellular biology, and cellular biology researchers may also do work in chemistry, genetics and other fields. For instance, cell division involves the splitting of strands of DNA; a central concept in genetics. Chemistry and physics also play a role in cellular biology research, because both of these fields relate to the molecular makeup of proteins within a cell. Cell biology researchers need to be very knowledgeable in a variety of scientific fields.
A cellular biology researcher may use a variety of techniques to gather information about an aspect of a single cell or a group of cells. They may grow a culture of cells and keep them from getting contaminated, tainting the results of the experiment. Researchers also use the transfection technique, where they add a new gene to a cell and witness the results. They use several techniques to find a cell's genetic makeup; a cellular biology researcher has to be skilled in all of these techniques to adequately investigate the nature of the cell.
Cellular biology research is done in labs owned by schools and governments, and researchers may also work alone. For some work, researchers must have a bachelor's or master's in biology, cellular biology or another related field. To research independently, candidates need a Ph.D; those that want to be cellular biology researchers can research their chosen work environment to determine its educational requirements.