Cells
Alessandro Volta discovered electric cells in 1800 when he realized that the path for a continuous current could be laid by putting layers of zinc and silver discs over one another. However, each of these discs needs to be separated from one another by a cloth or a paper that is dipped in NaCl solution. So in short, an electric cell is a chemical device that is used to continuously supply the electric current from one point of the circuit to another.
Alkaline cells as shown in the diagram above are one of the most popular cells. They can be used to power anything from a TV remote to a battery operated toy. Alkaline cells which can operate up to ten times longer than zinc chloride cells, use a zinc negative electrode, a manganese positive electrode and the electrolyte is potassium hydroxide.