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Understanding Diagrams

A diagram is a drawing that shows how something is put together, how its parts relate to one another, or how it works. The two most common types of diagrams are the picture diagram and the line diagram.

Picture Diagram

A picture diagram is just that—a labeled picture or drawing of the subject being discussed. Some parts of the subject may be left out of the diagram to emphasize the parts the writer wants to show. For example, this picture diagram of a cell shows only the largest, most important parts.