ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Artificial cell

An artificial cell is like a pretend little living thing that scientists create in a lab. It is made to look and act like a real living cell, which is a very tiny and special part of all living things.

Think of it like building with Legos. Scientists take different pieces from nature and put them together in a certain way to form a little cell. They use things like lipids, which are like the building blocks for the outside of the cell, and proteins, which are like little machines inside the cell.

They might also include things like DNA, which is like a set of instructions for the cell to follow, and other molecules that help the cell do special things like “breathe” or “digest” food.

The scientists put all of these pieces together in a special way so that the cell can do things like grow, divide, and move just like a real cell.

These artificial cells are important because they can help scientists learn more about how real cells work, and they can also be used to make new treatments for diseases or to help clean up pollution in the environment.