Genetic and molecular mechanisms of cell size control.

Since the discovery of the cell as the minimal indivisible living entity, scientists have tried to understand how all the various physiological aspects were assumed within this single functional unit. One fascinating question concerns the role of cell size and cell number in determining the overall size of an organism. During the past century, increasing knowledge in molecular genetics has allowed the characterization of a number of molecular events that influence the size of a cell. However, in spite of recent progress, precise molecular mechanisms governing cell size remain unclear. Although the existence of a master regulator is still possible, cell size may be primarily controlled by an interactive network linking gene expression with translational capacity and cell proliferation. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.