A unit cell is the smallest repeating unit of a crystal lattice that retains the geometric and symmetry characteristics of the entire crystal structure. It serves as the foundational building block from which the entire crystal structure can be constructed through translational repetition in three-dimensional space.
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A region whose translates tile a lattice's ambient space, together with the lattice points represented in it. A primitive unit cell represents one lattice point; a conventional unit cell may represent several to display symmetry.