CellNaut

Explore life at the microscopic level

Free interactive cell biology

Learn how cells work, one structure at a time

A ten-lesson course with live 3D models, quick checks, and a glossary. Built on open educational resources and fully sourced.

Start learningOpen the 3D Studio
lessons
10
3D specimens
21
glossary terms
92

Course map

Three modules take you from the basics to cell division and specialization.

Foundations

What a cell is, how big it is, and how its boundary controls what comes in and out.

  1. What Is a Cell?Meet the basic unit of life, the three ideas of cell theory, and the big divide between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.Introductory 10 min
  2. Cell Size and ScaleLearn the units of the microscopic world and why most cells stay small, with a little geometry.Introductory 9 min
  3. The Plasma Membrane and TransportHow a membrane only a few molecules thick controls what enters and leaves, from simple diffusion to pumps and vesicles.High school 12 min

Inside the Cell

The organelles that store information, build and ship molecules, supply energy, and give shape.

  1. The Nucleus and the Endomembrane SystemFollow a protein from the gene that codes for it, through the ER and Golgi, to its destination, and meet the lysosome clean-up crew.High school 12 min
  2. Mitochondria and ChloroplastsHow cells make ATP and capture sunlight, and why these two organelles look like bacteria that moved in.High school 13 min
  3. The Cytoskeleton and Cell MovementThe protein scaffolding that gives cells their shape, moves cargo, and powers everything from crawling immune cells to flexing muscles.High school 11 min

Life Processes

How cells read genes, divide, talk to each other, and specialize into tissues.

  1. From DNA to ProteinHow a gene stored in DNA is copied into RNA and then read by a ribosome to build a protein.High school 14 min
  2. The Cell Cycle and MitosisHow a cell copies its DNA, divides it equally between two daughters, and what happens when the controls fail.High school 13 min
  3. Cell Communication and the NeuronHow cells send, receive, and respond to signals, and how a nerve cell passes a message across a synapse.High school 12 min
  4. Specialized Cells and TissuesA tour of the Studio's specimens in four groups (animal, plant, protist and fungus, and prokaryote), and how one genome builds cells with very different shapes and jobs.Introductory 12 min

Meet the specimens

Jump straight into a 3D model.