Modelling animal cells in 3D
In this activity, students make 3D models of specialised animal cells, imitating what can be seen under high-resolution microscopes.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
name some animal cells that have distinctive shapes
describe how these distinctive shapes help the cells carry out their specialised roles
describe some of the features of cells (e.g. organelles) that are common to all cell types
discuss how model-building can aid understanding of cell structure and function
identify which microscopes scientists use to generate 3D cell images.
Cells with distinctive shapes
Animal cells come in many different shapes and sizes. The shapes of cells have evolved to help them carry out their specific function in the body, so looking at a cell’s shape can give clues about what it does.
Download the Word file for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
discussion questions
extension ideas
student handout.
Nature of science
Scientists create and use models to help us more easily understand something that is mathematical, physical or conceptual. Models help scientists communicate with others and gain a better understanding of how things work.
Activity idea
Explore some of the main organelles within a cell, using your school as an analogy in the activity Inside a cell
