I am Cell Guru;

Cell Guru I am

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different kinds of cells. Your job is to become the “CELL GURU” of one specific type of cell.

When you have completed this task, you will know everything there is to know about your specific cell type and, believe it or not, you will know a lot about ALL cells.

First, Choose a Cell!

The name of your cell here: ______

Part 1: Make a Cell Book

Page 1:

  • Pictures, Title, Your Name

Page 2:

  • What is the specific job/function of the cell?
  • In what kinds of organisms can you find this cell? (Animals? Plants? Etc.)
  • What is the cell’s size? (This measurement will probably be in units called micrometers or nanometers. How big is it compared to other kinds of cells?)

Page 3

  • What does the cell look like? (Describe its shape with a brief written description and include several pictures that illustrates the cell’s shape and structure)
  • How does the size and shape of this cell make it suitable for its job?
  • What kinds of organelles are in the cell? (List only those organelles that are in your specific cell, NOT all cell organelles). Include a diagram of your cell with organelles labeled.
  • What kinds of unique structures (internal and/or external) does the cell have? (flagella, cilia, enzyme – secreting vacuoles, etc.)

Page 4

  • Cell Membrane: How do materials enter and exit the cell? (Explain the structure and function of the cell membrane). Discuss the function of the phospholipids in the cell membrane, the function of carrier proteins in the cell membrane, the function of surface proteins and carbohydrates in the cell membrane.
  • Include a labeled diagram of the cell membrane.

Page 5

  • How does the cell communicate with its environment and other cells?
  • Does this cell divide to make more of its kind? (Some adult cells never divide again once they reach maturity, is this true of your type of cell?)
  • *** Include a bibliography of at least two sources. Use Easybib or MLA style.

Do not print out the book. Save as a file in my “Student IN Box” in the “N” drive

Part II: Make a Model

Criteria for the Model:

  • The model must be three – dimensional.
  • The model must include all structures and/or organelles associated with your cell.
  • Your model must reflect the kinds of structures that are most numerous in your cell. For example, a cell of the pancreas may have many peroxisomes (organelles for making digestive enzymes).
  • The structures on the model must be labeled and/or include a key.

Sites and Internet help

More sites:

Epithelium Quiz

/ / Cell Division Exercise /
/ / When a cell divides, what happens to its chromosomes? Drag and drop to find out if you know the answers. This exercise covers both mitosis and meiosis.
Requires Shockwave plug-in

Cells Alive!
Virtual Cell Web Page (Both the virtual tour & the virtual textbook are wonderful!)

- cool interactive mix match games

-interactive models, online quiz and test

- worksheets, crosswords, other links

- list of sites

-interactive

- Online book about cells (ELEM)

- online quizes

Osmosis

Webquest

Cellular Structure and Function
  • The Evolution of Organelles Sumanas Inc.
  • Comparison of Prokaryote, Animal and Plant Cells by Rodney F. Boyer
  • Flash animations of Biological Processes by John L. Giannini
  • Organize It by Leif Saul
  • Structure of Cell Membrane Sinauer Associates, Inc., W. H. Freeman Co. and Sumanas Inc.
  • Stem Cells Sumanas Inc.
  • Various Cellular Animations University of Alberta
  • Cellular Receptor Animations University of Oklahoma
  • Cell Tutorial from "Cells Alive!"
  • Simple cell by Terry Brown
  • Kinesin - Molecular Motor Sinauer Associates Inc., W. H. Freeman Co. and Sumanas Inc.
  • Cellular Animations by Donald F. Slish
  • Flagella and Cilia from Northland Community and Technical College

Cell Biology / Accessibility Level / Playfulness / Interactivity / Explanation
Online Onion Root Tips ... over the course of this tutorial, one learns how to classify the stage of a cell into one of the five phases of the cell cycle, then sees how much time the cell spends in each phase / high school / / /
The Virtual Cell ... This ambitious site presents an interactive, animated exploration of the cell, along with a good virtual textbook. / general / / /
Virtual Cell ... An interactive journey through a plant cell. Read the "About Virtual Cell" before you begin to understand the controls. This site doesn't require any special plug-ins or browsers / general / / /
CELLS Alive! ... a great site for learning about cells or even just fun cruising. Tutorials under such topics as Cell structure and function, Microbes, the Immune system, and Microscopy / general / / /
The Wonders of Microbes ... a very visually interesting site that explores the world of the tiny organisms that are the foundation of life on earth, with very interesting connections to the world at large. / general / / /
Molecular Expressions... this site offers one of the web's largest collections of color photographs taken through an optical microscope. many fascinating photo galleries including DNA, amino acids, birthstones, and much more. / general / / /
Stalking the Mysterious Microbe ... invites kids to join Sam Sleuth as he unravles the mysteries of microbes, learning all about these "invisible companions". includes sections for news, experiments, and careers / general / /

Cell Division--Genetic Consequences