Animal cell

A schematic diagram, not to scale. Press a label to hide or reveal it, drag it to move it, and choose a part to read what it does.

Parts

Main parts All parts

Labels

Press a label to hide or reveal it. On wider screens, drag it, or use the arrow keys once it is selected, to move it.

Choose a label to read what the part does.

A simplified schematic, not a scale drawing: sizes and numbers of parts are for illustration only.

Name the parts

A number appears on the diagram; choose the name of the part it points to. If you are wrong you read what your choice does and what the right part does, then try again.

Only the parts to review and an unfinished round are kept, on this device only, with no name or account.

Use it in class

The worksheet and the board get exactly what is set now. You can edit the worksheet before printing, and its answer key comes on a separate page. On the board everything stays editable, and nothing is added to a live lesson.

Worksheet: blank labels Worksheet: blank labels, names given Labelled diagram on the board Blank labels and the names on the board Numbered blank labels on the board

How to use it

Choose Main parts for beginners, or All parts for older classes.
Hide all the labels, then ask the class to name each numbered part before you reveal its label.
Choose a label to read what the part does, and practise naming the parts by their numbers.
For class: print a blank-label worksheet, with its answer key on a separate page, or put the diagram on the board with editable labels.

Worked examples

Plant and animal cells compared

Both cells have a cell membrane, cytoplasm, a nucleus, mitochondria and ribosomes. Only the plant cell has a cell wall, chloroplasts and a large permanent vacuole; the animal cell has no wall, and its vacuoles, if any, are small.

The parts and what they do

A simplified animal cell (not to scale) showing the parts visible with a light microscope and the main organelles taught at school.

1. Cell membrane: A thin layer that surrounds the cytoplasm and controls which substances enter and leave the cell.
2. Cytoplasm: A jelly-like substance that fills the cell and holds the organelles; many of the cell's chemical reactions happen here.
3. Nucleus: Contains the cell's genetic material (DNA) and controls the cell's activities.
4. Nucleolus · further part: A dense area inside the nucleus where the parts of ribosomes are made.
5. Mitochondria · further part: Carry out respiration, releasing energy from food (glucose) so the cell can use it.
6. Ribosomes · further part: Very small structures where proteins are made.
7. Endoplasmic reticulum · further part: A network of membranes that makes proteins and fats and carries them through the cell.
8. Golgi apparatus · further part: Modifies, packages and sends out proteins and other substances made by the cell.
9. Lysosomes · further part: Small sacs of digestive enzymes that break down worn-out parts of the cell and unwanted materials. (in animal cells, not plant cells, as usually taught)
10. Centrioles · further part: A pair of small tube-shaped structures near the nucleus that help organise cell division. (in animal cells, not plant cells, as usually taught)
11. Small vacuoles · further part: Small, often temporary sacs that store or carry substances; animal cells have no large permanent vacuole.

Sources

The sentences on this page are Bayyinli's own, and the drawing was made for it. These sources were used to check names and facts only: