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Cell Defense: The Plasma Membrane (HTML5)

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Cell Defense: The Plasma Membrane (HTML5)

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Source: BioMan Biology

Grade: 7–12

Time: 20–30 min

Why it’s valuable: HTML5 strategy game: build a functional membrane and manage transport while defending the cell; includes a downloadable worksheet on the game page.

How I’d use it: Capstone station or assessment prep: students play a full round, then complete a CER explaining how specific membrane structures enable homeostasis.

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Cell Defense: The Plasma Membrane

Check out this series of animations explaining Membranes and Transport on YouTube too!

Updated:12/6/2021

Topics Covered: Plasma membrane structure and function, roles of phospholipids, transport proteins (carrier and channel), cholesterol and carbohydrates, types of transport, diffusion, facilitated diffusion, active transport, osmosis.

Check out the Worksheet that goes along with the game (courtesy of Ms. Ginnie Crotts)!

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Video computer games, virtual labs and activities for learning and reviewing biology content. Great for students and teachers.

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Source: BioMan Biology

Grade: 6–10

Time: 10–20 min

Why it’s valuable: Low-floor, high-ceiling review game that reinforces organelle functions through quick challenges.

How I’d use it: Early-finisher station or Friday review; export score screenshot to submit as mastery evidence.

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The Cell Image Library (Public Image/Video Database)

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The Cell Image Library (Public Image/Video Database)

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Source: Cell Image Library

Grade: 9–12

Time: Browse

Why it’s valuable: Searchable repository of cell images, videos, and animations for slide decks, analyses, and posters.

How I’d use it: Student research: find one image of a chosen organelle/process and write a 100-word caption with citation.

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Featured Image

The Golgi Apparatus. In mammalian cells, the very complex architecture of the membrane system makes understanding the interrelationship of the different organelles within the cell difficult. Their dynamic relationship exists in four dimensions and is hard to capture at nanoscale resolutions. We pres... more

Image contributed by Rachid Sougrat, Tim Mrozek, Jeremy Swan, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz

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Accessible resource database of images, videos, and animations of cells, capturing a wide diversity of organisms, cell types, and cellular processes.

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Real Cell Gallery (University of Utah, Learn.Genetics)

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Real Cell Gallery (University of Utah, Learn.Genetics)

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Source: Learn.Genetics

Grade: 6–12

Time: Browse

Why it’s valuable: Curated images of authentic cells—contrasts tidy textbook diagrams with real-world complexity.

How I’d use it: Gallery walk with ‘See–Think–Wonder’ prompts; students match images to likely cell types and justify.

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The images in this gallery show real cells under the microscope. Do they look like cell diagrams you've seen? Probably not!

Most cell diagrams, whether in your textbook or online, are generic. They highlight a set of overlapping features that all cells need to live. But every cell also has unique features to do a specialized job. The examples here explore structures you probably won't find on most cell diagrams.
Hint: Turn the labels on and off to find the structures on the microscope view.

Cell diagrams like this one highlight the parts most cells have in common. Souce: OpenStax via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC-BY 4.0.

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The images in this gallery show real cells under the microscope. Do they look like cell diagrams you've seen? Probably not! Most cell diagrams, whether in your textbook or online, are generic. They highlight a set of overlapping features that all cells need to live.

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Click & Learn: Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer (HHMI BioInteractive)

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Click & Learn: Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer (HHMI BioInteractive)

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Source: HHMI BioInteractive

Grade: 8–12

Time: 15–25 min

Why it’s valuable: Guided interactive that links structure to process and regulation; strong literacy supports and worksheets.

How I’d use it: Small-group jigsaw: each group summarizes one phase + checkpoint, then peer-teaches using a mini-poster.

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This interactive module explores the phases, checkpoints, and protein regulators of the cell cycle. The module also shows how mutations in genes that encode cell cycle regulators can lead to the development of cancer.

Students can toggle between two different views of the cell cycle by pressing the text in the center of the graphic. The “Cell Cycle Phases” view describes the cell cycle phases and checkpoints, and includes illustrations of the cell’s chromosomes. This view is appropriate for all levels of high school biology. The “Cell Cycle Regulators and Cancer” view explains the protein regulators, their roles in cell cycle progression, and how mutated versions can lead to cancer. This view may be more appropriate for AP/IB Biology and introductory college biology.

The accompanying worksheets guide students’ exploration. The “Overview Worksheet” is intended to provide an introduction to the cell cycle as it relates to cancer. For a more comprehensive review of the cell cycle and the molecules that regulate each phase, use the “In-Depth Worksheet.”

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.

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This interactive module explores the phases, checkpoints, and protein regulators of the cell cycle. The module also shows how mutations in genes that encode cell cycle regulators can lead to the development of cancer.

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3D Cell Viewer (Allen Institute for Cell Science)

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3D Cell Viewer (Allen Institute for Cell Science)

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Source: Allen Institute

Grade: 8–12

Time: 10–15 min

Why it’s valuable: Real data–driven 3D human stem cells with organelles labeled—students can rotate, filter, and explore.

How I’d use it: Station rotation: students capture 3 screenshots of different organelles and annotate functions in Slides.

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Our diversity, equity & inclusion commitment

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Cell Size & Scale (University of Utah, Learn.Genetics)

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Cell Size & Scale (University of Utah, Learn.Genetics)

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Source: Learn.Genetics

Grade: 6–12

Time: 5–10 min

Why it’s valuable: Drag-to-zoom interactive that reveals orders of magnitude from atoms to cells—builds intuition about scale.

How I’d use it: Do-now exploration + prompt: ‘Which two objects surprised you most in size? Why?’ followed by a quick sketch.

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Some cells are visible to the unaided eye

The smallest objects that the unaided human eye can see are about 0.1 mm long. That means that under the right conditions, you might be able to see an amoeba proteus, a human egg, and a paramecium without using magnification. A magnifying glass can help you to see them more clearly, but they will still look tiny.

Smaller cells are easily visible under a light microscope. It's even possible to make out structures within the cell, such as the nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts. Light microscopes use a system of lenses to magnify an image. The power of a light microscope is limited by the wavelength of visible light, which is about 500 nm. The most powerful light microscopes can resolve bacteria but not viruses.

To see anything smaller than 500 nm, you will need an electron microscope. Electron microscopes shoot a high-voltage beam of electrons onto or through an object, which deflects and absorbs some of the electrons. Resolution is still limited by the wavelength of the electron beam, but this wavelength is much smaller than that of visible light. The most powerful electron microscopes can resolve molecules and even individual atoms.

Adenine

The label on the nucleotide is not quite accurate. Adenine refers to a portion of the molecule, the nitrogenous base. It would be more accurate to label the nucleotide deoxyadenosine monophosphate, as it includes the sugar deoxyribose and a phosphate group in addition to the nitrogenous base. However, the more familiar "adenine" label makes it easier for people to recognize it as one of the building blocks of DNA.

How can an X chromosome be nearly as big as the head of the sperm cell?

No, this isn't a mistake. First, there's less DNA in a sperm cell than there is in a non-reproductive cell such as a skin cell. Second, the DNA in a sperm cell is super-condensed and compacted into a highly dense form. Third, the head of a sperm cell is almost all nucleus. Most of the cytoplasm has been squeezed out in order to make the sperm an efficient torpedo-like swimming machine.

The X chromosome is shown here in a condensed state, as it would appear in a cell that's going through mitosis. It has also been duplicated, so there are actually two identical copies stuck together at their middles. A human sperm cell contains just one copy each of 23 chromosomes.

A chromosome is made up of genetic material (one long piece of DNA) wrapped around structural support proteins (histones). Histones organize the DNA and keep it from getting tangled, much like thread wrapped around a spool. But they also add a lot of bulk. In a sperm cell, a specialized set of tiny support proteins (protamines) pack the DNA down to about one-sixth the volume of a mitotic chromosome.

Carbon

The size of the carbon atom is based on its van der Waals radius.

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The smallest objects that the unaided human eye can see are about 0.1 mm long. That means that under the right conditions, you might be able to see an amoeba proteus, a human egg, and a paramecium without using magnification. A magnifying glass can help you to see them more clearly, but they will still look tiny.

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Organelles in Eukaryotic Cells (Khan Academy)

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Organelles in Eukaryotic Cells (Khan Academy)

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Source: Khan Academy

Grade: 7–12

Time: 9–12 min

Why it’s valuable: Measured pacing and terminology precision; pairs well with practice items for quick formative checks.

How I’d use it: Flipped-learning homework with 5 auto-graded questions; reteach in small groups using misses.

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A Tour of the Cell (Crash Course Biology)

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A Tour of the Cell (Crash Course Biology)

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Source: Crash Course

Grade: 7–12

Time: ~10–12 min

Why it’s valuable: Fast-paced overview that ties structures to processes; great for synthesis and note-taking practice.

How I’d use it: Guided notes + two-column summary (structures / functions) followed by a 3-2-1 reflection.

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A Tour of the Cell: Crash Course Biology #23

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Cell Organelles & Structures (Amoeba Sisters)

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Cell Organelles & Structures (Amoeba Sisters)

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Source: YouTube

Grade: 6–12

Time: ~8–10 min

Why it’s valuable: Clear, quirky visuals with concise explanations ideal for priming vocabulary and mental models of organelles.

How I’d use it: Bell-ringer or launch video; pause at key timestamps for think-pair-share and a quick 3-question exit ticket.

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We are two sisters on a mission to demystify science with humor and relevance by creating videos, GIFs, comics, and resources. Our content is focused on high school biology (Pinky is a former high school biology teacher), though we do receive comments that some of our content is useful for intro biology courses at the college level as well. We’re for anyone wanting to learn biology! We frequently remind viewers that we cannot include all of the fascinating exceptions and details in a video under 10 minutes. We like to create memorable visuals to the content, but they’re not scientific illustrations. Meaning, nitrogen and carbon don’t tap dance. Our illustrated cell and molecule cartoons are definitely not to scale. DNA is usually a right-handed double helix (well...there are exceptions) and it doesn’t have eyes...a face...or a top hat…