Bacteria, archaea, algae, fungi, protozoans, animals, and plants consist of one or more cells. DNA controls how the cell reproduces and functions, and determines which traits are inherited from previous generations. In eukaryotes, the DNA is contained within a nucleus. Plants, animals, fungi, and many microorganisms are eukaryotes. Readers discover that in eukaryotic cells, a variety of organelles, including the nucleus, ribosomes, Golgi apparatus, and endoplasmic reticulum, work together to manufacture proteins, and with other organelles enable the cell to send, receive, and process information so that it can maintain a stable equilibrium.
