Web Lesson: Cells Alive
Name___________________________________________
Objective: You will look at computer models of cells, learn the functions and the descriptions of the cells and
their components.
Click on the link www.cellsalive.com. After accessing the page, click on CELL BIOLOGY on the left side
navigation bar. From here, you will access the links: "How Big is a..", the animal cell model, the plant cell
model, and the bacterial cell model.
Part A. Click on "HOW BIG IS A....?"
Here you will look at objects found on the head of a pin. Your job is to rank them in order of size on the chart below.
Use 1 for the smallest object and 10 for the largest object. Also, estimate the length of each (in nanometers,
micrometers, or millimeters) and how much the object is magnified. The line in the bottom right corner of the screen is
used to help you estimate. Sketch each of the objects.
Object
Rank
Size in nanometers,
micrometer, or millimeters
Magnification
Rhinovirus
Lymphocyte
E. coli
Human hair
Dust mite
Ragweed pollen
Ebola virus
Baker’s yeast
Red
blood cell
staphylococcus
Perform a google search to explain the relationship between millimeters and micrometers, micrometers and
nanometers, and millimeters and nanometers.
Part B: Bacterial Cell Model - (you will need to return to the "Cell Biology" link to access this page, or hit
your back button) Click on the cell models and click on the bacterial cell. Label the parts of the bacterial cell
below. You will need to create a text box in order to label the parts. Click on the insert, then text box, and
draw text box and type the name of the part in the text box.
In the spaces below. Create a table with the name of the seven structures of a bacterial cell, their function,
and the location of the part in regards to the bacterial cell. Go to the insert tab and click on table to create the
size of your table. Your chart should have eight rows and three columns.
Part C: Animal and Plant Cell Model - (you will need to return to the "Cell Biology" link to access this
page, or hit your back button). Click on the cell models tab and then click on the cell model to start the
animation. For this model, you will need to click on the various parts of the cell to go to a screen that tells you
about the parts. Answers to the following questions are found there. In the space below, construct a table for
all the organelles. The following organelles should be included in the table: nucleus, nucleolus, cytosol,
cytoplasm, centrosome, centriole, golgi, lysosome, peroxisome, vesicle, cell membrane, mitochondrion,
vacuole, cell wall, cholorplast, smooth ER, rough ER, ribosome, and cytoskeleton. In the table, include the
name, brief description, the function of the organelle, the location (in the cytoplasm, in the nucleus, or
surrounds the cell), and if it is a plant cell, animal cell, or both. Your table should have 20 rows and 5 columns.
Part D: Cell Labeling
Label each animal and plant cell diagram below. Create a text box like you did for the bacterial cell.
Animal Cell
Plant Cell
Part E: Questions
Answer the questions below by typing the answer right underneath the question. Make sure there is a space
between the question and answer. Also, place the answer in bold print. Use the same font and size as the rest
of the document.
1. How does the stuff inside the nucleus, ribosomes and DNA, get out the nucleus into the rest of the
cell?
2. Once the ribosomes leave the nucleus, where do they go and why?
3. What is the difference between cytosol and cytoplasm?
4. What is the purpose of proteins in the cell membrane?
5. Why are the cristae of the mitochondria highly convoluted?
6. How can you tell if a cell is a plant or animal cell by looking at the vacuole?
7. What is turgor pressure in a plant cell?
8. What is the difference between smooth and rough edoplasmic reticulum?
9. Why do you think the nucleus, ribosomes, smooth ER, rough ER and golgi are all located next to one
another? Hint: look are their functions.
10. What organelles are only found in plants?