Gallery of Cells

While all cells have a great deal in common, there is no end to the variation among them. These images provide a sense of the wondrous diversity found in the world of cells.

Gallery of Visual Illusions

Are your eyes playing tricks on you? Discover more about eyesight and the brain as you test your eyes with these visual illusions adapted from the University of Washington's Neuroscience for Kids Web site.

Growing Bacterial Cultures

This animation produced by WGBH and Digizyme, Inc. demonstrates the techniques researchers use to isolate transformed bacteria and expand their population in order to obtain large quantities of a protein of interest.

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How Do Cells Make Proteins?

In this interactive activity from the Exploratorium, explore the steps of protein synthesis in which the cells use genes to make proteins for critical body functions.

How the Body Responds to Exercise

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, follow novice runners as they train for a marathon, and discover how quickly the body responds to regular aerobic exercise.

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Illuminating Photosynthesis

This interactive feature from the NOVA: "Methuselah Tree" Web site details the process of photosynthesis and its role in the oxygen/carbon dioxide cycle.

Immune Cells in Action

In this video segment from The Secret of Life Teaching Modules: "Nothing to Sneeze At: Viruses," watch as a virus attacks a cell, and learn how the immune system reacts to this onslaught.

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Is Lactic Acid a Four Letter Word?

This essay by Patti and Warren Finke describes the process by which our bodies transform food energy into energy that our cells can use.

Krebs Cycle

This illustration from Biology by Kenneth R. Miller and Joseph Levine describes the steps of the Krebs cycle, the critical first stage in the process of cellular respiration.

Looking for Intelligence in the Brain

Meet scientists who are using the latest imaging techniques to search for intelligence in the brain, in this video adapted from NOVA scienceNOW.

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Malaria Treatment and Prevention Strategies

In this video segment adapted from Rx for Survival, watch a graphic representation of the malaria parasite and hear from experts about the physical and economic effects of the disease on the human population, as well as treatments and preventive measures.

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Marathon Mouse

In this lesson from NOVA scienceNOW, students explore how our bodies respond to exercise at the cellular level.

Mitochondria

Often referred to as the powerhouses of the cell, mitochondria provide the energy that powers nearly every cellular process. This essay by John Ross describes in detail the structures and functions of these amazing organelles.

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Mitochondria Functions and Training

This essay by Owen Anderson describes the effects of physical exercise on the number and function of mitochondria inside muscle cells.

Mitochondrial Flyover

This video segment illustrates the three-dimensional structure of a mitochondrion, the organelle that powers nearly every cellular process in your body.

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Mouse Party

In this interactive activity from The University of Utah, examine the molecular mechanisms that affect the brains of mice on drugs. Learn how different drugs create different responses in the brain and alter the natural state of a mouse.

Muscles and Mitochondria

Students learn about the role of mitochondria in a cell's energy production.

Interfering with Fear

Discover how cognitive psychologist Sian Beilock is working to overcome how we experience mental pressure and to maximize our brain’s performance, in this video adapted from NOVA scienceNOW.

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Nucleus, Cytoplasm, Membrane

Explore the form and function of three of the most important cell parts -- the nucleus, cytoplasm, and membrane -- in this video segment adapted from Carolina Biological Supply's An Introduction to the Living Cell.

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The Nuts and Bolts of DNA Replication

In this animation from Secret of Life: "Immortal Thread," watch how DNA unzips and replicates under normal conditions, and how mistakes called mutations are incorporated into genes.