Cell Structure Interactive Simulation

Cells are the building blocks of all living things. Each part (organelle) has a specific job: the nucleus holds the genetic instructions, the cell membrane controls what goes in and out, mitochondria release energy from food, chloroplasts capture sunlight for photosynthesis (plant cells), and the vacuole stores water and nutrients. Students can change organelle and compare what happens. Use it for biology inquiry with Grades 3–5 and Middle School on a projector or student device.

Standards: NGSS MS-LS1-2

• Why the nucleus is often called the 'control centre' of the cell
• How the cell membrane acts like a gate, letting some molecules in and keeping others out
• Why mitochondria are called the 'powerhouse' of the cell
• What makes plant cells different from animal cells (chloroplasts + cell wall)
• How ribosomes build the proteins a cell needs to grow and function

1. 1Predict how changing organelle will affect the visible outcome, then test the prediction.
2. 2Use evidence from the interactive visual to explain the result.

Questions teachers ask