Antoni van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe cells using a single lens microscope in the 17th century. He documented red blood cells and the circulatory system. The basic unit of structure and function of organisms is the cell. Cells come in many forms to carry out different functions in the body. The main parts of the cell are the plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. The plasma membrane regulates what enters and leaves the cell. The cytoplasm contains organelles that carry out cellular functions. The nucleus contains genetic material that directs cell activities.