Cell Structure: Cell theory and internal organelles
Explore a forest to discover the cellular structures of various organisms to help determine what a bear ate before it died. Build the structure and choose the internal organelles of the four basic types of animal cells
- High School
- University / College





Labster is used by 1000s of amazing schools and universities
Learn moreAbout This Simulation
What components make your cells unique? In this simulation, you will learn to distinguish the structures and internal organelles of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Physical structures of the four basic animal cell types will be highlighted and the function and importance of each internal organelle will be discussed.
Investigate a bear’s death
Hikers have discovered a dead bear and it’s your mission to determine why it died. First, freely explore what types of organisms are present in the forest surrounding the bear and observe real microscopic images of their tissues. Determine whether the organisms are unicellular or multicellular and sort the organisms according to whether they have a cell membrane or cell wall. Finally, build the deadly organism by building 4 cells representative of each basic type of animal tissue: neural, epithelial, muscle and connective tissue.
Apply cell theory
Students will be introduced to each principle of cell theory and apply it to understand how the cellular organization of animal cells in the forest compares to algae, mushrooms, plant roots, and leaves. An incoming storm will help you understand the implication of having a cell wall. After additionally categorizing the organisms as prokaryotes or eukaryotes, you will then build larger-than-life versions of each of the four animal cell types on the holofloor.
Challenged to choose the correct internal organelles for the animal cells, you will learn about the function and importance of the nucleus, ER, cytoskeleton, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, ribosomes, and mitochondria. Then, determine which cellular structures are unique to specific animal cells such as sarcomeres, tight junctions, axons, dendrites and the extracellular matrix.
Uncover the mystery animal
Put together everything you have learned about organelles and cellular structures to build each type of cell in the mystery organism. Will you find out what killed the bear?
Explore Cell Structure: Cell theory and internal organelles Virtual Lab Simulation
How do virtual labs work?
Engage students in science through interactive learning scenarios. Simulate experiments, train lab techniques, and teach theory through visual experiences that enhance long-term learning outcomes.
250+ Web-based simulations that can be played on laptops and tablets without installing any software
Teacher dashboard to automate grading and track student progress
Embedded quizzes to help students master science content
Library of learning resources, lab reports, videos, theory pages, graphics and more
Get started now!
You can explore and assign simulations to your students right away.
- Access to over 250 Labster simulations for free.
- Exclusive educator access to all of Labster Course Manager content.
- 30 days for free, no credit card needed.
- Invite your students to play simulations and get their feedback.



Integrate with your LMS
Labster integrates with all major LMS (Learning Management Systems) so that educators can use their gradebooks to track students’ performance data and students can keep a record of their work.








