This document provides an overview of cells including: 1. Cells are the basic unit of life, being the smallest unit that can be considered alive. 2. Cells were first observed in the 1600s and their internal structures were discovered in the 1800s. 3. There are two main types of cells - prokaryotic cells which lack a nucleus and organelles, and eukaryotic cells which have a nucleus enclosed within membranes, as well as other membrane-bound organelles. The document then goes on to describe some of the key components of cells.