Cell explorer: interactive simulation
Every living thing is made of cells, and each cell is a small factory. The nucleus holds the instructions, mitochondria release energy, ribosomes build proteins and the Golgi apparatus packs and ships them.
Useful for: NEET, CBSE Boards
Try this
Switch between an animal and a plant cell and tap each part. Then turn on the quiz and see how many organelles you can name from their jobs alone.
- 1
Switch from the animal cell to the plant cell.
What you should see
A cell wall, chloroplasts and one large central vacuole appear; the centrioles disappear.
- 2
Tap the mitochondrion and the chloroplast.
What you should see
Both have a double membrane and their own DNA and ribosomes — evidence for endosymbiosis.
- 3
Compare rough and smooth ER.
What you should see
Rough ER has ribosomes and makes proteins; smooth ER makes lipids and steroids.
- 4
Start the quiz and aim for 8 in a row.
What you should see
Read only the job and pick the organelle — this is how NEET asks it.
Formulas behind it
Common mistakes
- Calling the cell membrane and the cell wall the same thing. The wall is outside the membrane and only plant (and fungal, bacterial) cells have it.
- Saying ribosomes are membrane-bound. They have no membrane.
- Writing that plant cells have no mitochondria. They have both mitochondria and chloroplasts.
FAQ
Why is the mitochondrion called the powerhouse of the cell?
Aerobic respiration happens there and releases most of the cell’s ATP.
Why are lysosomes called suicide bags?
They contain digestive (hydrolytic) enzymes; if they burst, the enzymes can digest the cell itself.
Which organelles have their own DNA?
Mitochondria and chloroplasts, besides the nucleus.
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