There are trillions of cells in the human body, which makes it a complex multicellular organism. Scientists estimate that the adult human body contains 37 trillion human cells and 200 different types of cells. Another 10 to 100 trillion microbial cells comprise the human microbiota (which is primarily found in the gut).
There are around 200 types of cells in the human body and trillions of cells in the human body
How Many Different Cell Types Are There in the Human Body?
There are around 200 different types of cells in the human body, each with its own structure, size, shape, and organelles. There are different types of cells adapted to perform different functions, for example:
- Oxygen is transported around the body by red blood cells
- The muscles are adapted to enable movement
- It is adapted for fat storage by adipocytes (fat cells)
- Nerve impulses are transmitted by neurons (nerve cells)
- It is adapted for reproduction to produce sperm and eggs
Counting the Cells in the Human Body
Scientists count the cells in the human body in what way?
The adult human body contains around 37 trillion cells, but how did we get that number? Human cells are complex, and counting them all would be impossible. As a result, 37 trillion is actually an estimate of how many cells are in the human body.
Researchers painstakingly searched existing scientific literature for details about the number and types of cells found in individual body structures to arrive at this number. Taking the total number of each type of cell and adding them all up, they concluded that the human body contains approximately 37.2 trillion cells.