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Select a sample cell from an animal, plant, or bacterium and view the cell under a microscope. Select each organelle on the image to learn more about its structure and function. Closeup views and animations of certain organelles is provided.

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Explore a wide variety of cells, from bacteria to human neurons, using a compound light microscope. Select a sample to study, then focus on the sample using the coarse and fine focus controls of the microscope. Compare the structures found in different cells, then perform tests to see if the sample is alive.

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As a medical toxicologist, students learn about cell respiration to save the life of a CIA agent that has been poisoned.

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Begin with a single cell and watch as mitosis and cell division occurs. The cells will go through the steps of interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis. The length of the cell cycle can be controlled, and data related to the number of cells present and their current phase can be recorded.

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Explore the causes of convection by heating liquid and observing the resulting motion. The location and intensity of the heat source (or sources) can be varied, as well as the viscosity of the liquid. Use a probe to measure temperature and density in different areas and observe the motion of molecules in the liquid. Then, explore real-world examples of convection cells in Earth's mantle, oceans, and atmosphere.

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Explore the processes of photosynthesis and respiration that occur within plant and animal cells. The cyclical nature of the two processes can be constructed visually, and the simplified photosynthesis and respiration formulae can be balanced.

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Release a lytic virus in a group of cells and observe how cells are infected over time and eventually destroyed. Data related to the number of healthy cells, infected cells, and viruses can be recorded over time to determine the time required for the virus to mature within a cell.

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Adjust the concentration of a solute on either side of a membrane in a cell and observe the system as it adjusts to the conditions through osmosis. The initial concentration of the solute can be manipulated, along with the volume of the cell.

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Observe how photoreceptors on the retina are stimulated by different colors of light. Determine that cone cells are stimulated by specific colors of light and enable us to see color, while rod cells are stimulated by various colors and do not contribute to color vision. Experiment by varying the percentage of rod and cone cells in normal and dim light to see how rod cells help with night vision.

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Explore how a fertilized cell develops into an embryo, a fetus, and eventually an adult organism. Compare embryo development in different vertebrate species and try to guess which embryo belongs to each species. Use dyes to trace the differentiation of cells during early embryo development, from the zygote to the neurula.

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Explore how sex cells are produced by the process of meiosis. Compare meiosis in male and female germ cells, and use crossovers to increase the number of possible gamete genotypes. Using meiosis and crossovers, create "designer" fruit fly offspring with desired trait combinations.

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Trace the path of blood through a beating heart and the network of blood vessels that supplies blood to the body. Take blood samples from different blood vessels to observe blood cells and measure the levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, sugar, and urea.

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See how muscles, bones, and connective tissue work together to allow movement. Observe how muscle contraction arises from the interactions of thin and thick filaments in muscle cells. Using what you have learned, construct an arm that can lift a weight or throw a ball. Connective tissue, muscle composition, bone length, and tendon insertion point can all be manipulated to create an arm to lift the heaviest weight or throw a ball the fastest.

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Design a car to protect a test dummy in a collision. Adjust the length and stiffness of the crumple zone and the rigidity of the safety cell to determine how the car will deform during the crash. Add seat belts and/or airbags to prevent the dummy from hitting the steering wheel. Three different body types (sedan, SUV, and subcompact) are available and a wide range of crash speeds can be used.

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Everything we know about the world comes through our senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. In the Senses Gizmo, explore how stimuli are detected by specialized cells, transmitted through nerves, and processed in the brain.

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Complete a proportion using a graphical model. Use counters to fill cells in the numerators and denominators given. Use the visual pattern to determine how many counters to put in the missing numerator or denominator.

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Explore life in the hive by meeting workers, drones, and the queen bee herself! Visit flower patches to determine the best sources of food, and then perform a waggle dance to let the other bees know where to go. Can you help the bees find enough food to save the hive?

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Observe how a paramecium maintains stable internal conditions in a changing aquatic environment. Water moves into the organism by osmosis, and is pumped out by the contractile vacuole. The concentration of solutes in the water will determine the rate of contractions in the paramecium.

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Digestion is a complex process, involving a wide variety of organs and chemicals that work together to break down food, absorb nutrients, and eliminate wastes. But have you ever wondered what would happen if some of those organs were eliminated, or if the sequence was changed? Can the digestive system be improved? Find out by designing your own digestive system with the Digestive System Gizmo.

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As a geneticist in an animal hospital, students learn about genetic changes in meiosis to determine the reason why a male cat can have calico fur coloring.

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As a marine biologist students learn about photosynthesis to help scientists in Australia determine why the coral in the Great Barrier Reef is bleaching.

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As a veterinarian, students help a young calf, named Clark, who is having seizures. To determine the cause, the students fly into Clark's brain to learn about osmosis and apply their learning to save Clark.

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As a physician assistant, students must learn about diffusion to save the life of a person poisoned by chlorine gas that was released into a small town following a train crash.

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As a pediatrician, students learn about genes and protein synthesis to try to help a baby girl named Lucy who has an immunodeficiency disease.

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As a medical toxicologist, students learn about cell respiration to save the life of a CIA agent that has been poisoned.

Video Preview

As a geneticist in an animal hospital, students learn about genetic changes in meiosis to determine the reason why a male cat can have calico fur coloring.

Video Preview

As a marine biologist students learn about photosynthesis to help scientists in Australia determine why the coral in the Great Barrier Reef is bleaching.

Video Preview

As a veterinarian, students help a young calf, named Clark, who is having seizures. To determine the cause, the students fly into Clark's brain to learn about osmosis and apply their learning to save Clark.

Video Preview

As a physician assistant, students must learn about diffusion to save the life of a person poisoned by chlorine gas that was released into a small town following a train crash.

Video Preview

As a pediatrician, students learn about genes and protein synthesis to try to help a baby girl named Lucy who has an immunodeficiency disease.