1.2 - Can an organism have more than one cell?

The cell is the basic unit of life. One of the most important internal characteristics that scientists use to classify organisms is the cell. All organisms are made up of one or more cells.

Organisms that consist of one single cell are called unicellular, whereas organisms that consist of many different numbers and types of cells are called multicellular. The prefix uni- means “one”; the prefix multi- means “many.”

A cell is the basic unit of life; it is surrounded by a cell membrane that keeps the cell intact. Inside all eukaryotic cells are specialized structures called organelles that carry out specific functions inside the cell.