Animal Cell

About this simulation

This interactive model shows a eukaryotic animal cell cut open so every organelle is visible. A menu lets students highlight the nucleus, nucleolus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, ribosomes, lysosomes, centrioles or the cell membrane, while readouts give the typical size and a one-line job. The Cell activity slider speeds up vesicles carrying proteins from the ER to the Golgi and out to the membrane. It suits introductions to cell structure, organelle function reviews and quick whole-class quizzes.

What students can explore

Choose Mitochondria from the Organelle menu and read the Job and Typical size readouts.
Switch Cutaway off and on to compare the outside of the cell with its inside.
Raise Cell activity to 3x and follow vesicles from the ER to the Golgi apparatus.
Select each organelle in turn and match it to its job before checking the readout.
Select Show all and name every organelle you can see before you highlight any.

Learning objectives

1Identify the main organelles of an animal cell and state each one's job.
2Explain why the cell has no cell wall and can take many shapes.
3Trace how proteins move from ribosomes through the ER and Golgi to the membrane.
4Recognize that the model is not to scale in organelle size and number.

Questions teachers ask

Is this animal cell model free to use?

Yes, it is free and works in any modern browser on laptops, tablets and classroom whiteboards. No account or sign-up is needed, so you can open it straight away in a lesson.

What does the mitochondrion do?

Mitochondria make most of the cell's ATP, the molecule cells use as energy currency. Cells that use a lot of energy, such as muscle cells, can contain hundreds to thousands of them.

How do I highlight one organelle?

Open the Organelle menu and choose a name. That structure is highlighted and the readouts show its typical size and job. Choose Show all to return to the full cell.

Is the cell drawn to scale?

No. Organelle sizes and numbers are simplified for clarity. In a real cell the nucleus takes up far more of the space, and a cell holds many more mitochondria and ribosomes than shown.

Embed this simulation

Drop it into your LMS, blog, or class site — free.

<iframe src="https://kiwibee.io/en/simulations/animal-cell-3d-simulation/embed" title="Animal Cell | KiwiBee" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen style="width:100%;height:min(70vh,620px);min-height:420px;border:0;border-radius:16px"></iframe>

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From model to evidence

Use a worksheet to capture predictions, observations, and explanations after students explore.

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