From the structure and function of organelles to communication on a molecular level, these materials explore the inner-most workings of cells in a dynamic and realistic way. Integrate the Print-and-Go activities below with the online activities available in the Amazing Cells section on Learn.Genetics to provide a good picture of what a cell does during its "resting phase."
Students use copy-and-cut cards to place biological structures in order by their relative size from largest to smallest. Great for use as a formative assessment or anticipatory set.
Learning Objectives
Understand the relative size of microscopic biological structures.
The Fight or Flight Response 3-D movie is a close look at some of the cell signaling and responses that take place throughout the body during the fight or flight response. The dynamic ways in which cells communicate with each other through molecular signals is depicted without focusing on anatomy, vocabulary or chemistry.
Two companion pieces describe events taking place in the movie, each with a different degree of detail.
The Cells Communicate Movie Play-by-Play (Download this printable below) is
a detailed scene-by-scene explanation of the molecular interactions
taking place in the movie. Use this as background information, as a
reference, or as a guide during the movie for higher-level students. How Cells Communicate During the Fight or Flight Response is a closer look at what happens during the fight or flight response
using the organs, cells, and chemical messengers depicted in the
movie. Great for students who would like a deeper understanding of
cell communication during the stress response, but do not need to know
it at a molecular level.
Learning Objectives
Cell communication is a multi-step process.
Cells communicate via signaling pathways made of interacting components.
Components of cell signaling pathways sometimes change shape as a result of their interaction (conformational change).
An optional fill-in-the-blank table to use in conjunction with the interactive Dropping Signals activity. Students drag several types of signals to various cell types and record the cell's response. An answer key is provided.
Learning Objectives
There are different types of cells, and different types of signals.
Cells respond differently to signals depending on cell and signal type.
Funding for this project was provided by a Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research Resources, a component of the National Institutes of Health.