*cue star trek background music : MUSIC*
The amazing microscopic universe of CELLS has many different kind of cells in it.
These cells are very important to everything. Cells in our bodies all carry out important functions. For example, nerve cells (below) feel for animals and this determines whether it is a good idea to touch, eat, or go to something. Nerve cells are like censors in a roomba that helps it tell when there is a ledge it could fall down. Once the ledge is detected, the roomba turns around (I have one). These cells do that. If you touch something too hot, to cold, of to sharp, they send a message to you spinal core, and up to you brain saying "TURN AROUND TO NOT TOUCH THIS!!!!!"
Hair cells (the black and white image at top next to plankton) serve as another protective layer besides skin cells (below).
These cells have enemies, though. Microscopic organisms that claw their way to a cell and eats it or sucks the nutrients out of it.
Some bacteria can be more deadly than others. Our cells have protection! Behold!!!
These white blood cells eat the harmful bacteria and keep us safe!
But some things they just can't handle. The assassins of the microscopic world...
Viruses! These micro undead are killing machines. No one knows for sure if they are alive or not. This virus doesn't move at all. It just floats around the bloodstream unlit it hits something. Once it hits a cell, it injects it's DNA into the cell and reprograms the cell to make more of the virus. Other viruses can use their legs to move. They can spread very fast, because when they reprogram the cell, it produces many more of them, and these viruses break out and do the same to other cells.
