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Site map of the
walk-through cell
the cell
AN AIR OBJECT TO FEEL AND EXPLORE
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8
4
6
5
1
8
Photo of the giant cell: diameter 6 m, height 3.5 m
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3
The following system was created to describe very
long and very short lengths:
1 000 000 000
1 000 000
1 000
100
10
m
m
m
m
m
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=
=
=
=
1 m
0.1
0.01
0.001
0.000 001
0.000 000 001
0.000 000 000 001
m
m
m
m
m
m
1 Gm
1 Mm
1 km
1 hm
1 dam
1 gigameter
1 megameter
1 kilometer
1 hectometer
1 decameter
basic unit 1 meter
=
=
=
=
=
=
1 dm
1 cm
1 mm
1 µm
1 nm
1 pm
1 decimeter
1 centimeter
1 millimeter
1 micrometer
1 nanometer
1 picometer
1 km = 1093.61 yds, 1 meter = 1.09361 yds
1 cm = 0.39370 inches; 1 mm = 0.03937 inches
“If the DNA from all the cells in the human
body were stretched out in a line, it would reach
1000 times as far as the distance of the Earth
from the Sun.”
The “walk-through cell” is a joint project of the University of Basel
and Interpharma.
1 Cell nucleus
cell – this is
1 Zellkern “Control center” of5 the
Ribosom
Zellmembran
6 Golgi-Apparat
where23 genetic
information (DNA)
is stored.
Mitochondrium
7 Lysosom
4 Endoplasmatisches
8 Vesikel
2 Cell membrane
TheRetikulum
“choosy” cover
– it controls
the exchange of substances between the cell and its
surroundings.
3 Mitochondrium “Powerhouse” of the cell – it is here
that energy is released from nutrients and made
available to the cell.
4 Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) “Canal system” of the
cell – this is where biomolecules are formed, stored
and then forwarded.
5 Ribosome “Nanomachine” in the cell – this is where
proteins are made in huge amounts.
6 Golgi apparatus “Distribution center” of the cell
– it is here that cell products are finished, sorted,
packed and delivered to their destinations.
7 Lysosome “Gut” and “waste bin” of the cell – this is
where surplus cell material is digested.
8 Vesicle “Means of transport” for the cell – it contains
substances that it transports within the cell.
Welcome
The “walk-through cell” is the model of a human cell
magnified approx. 300,000 times. This is about
the same ratio of the size of the small hot-air balloon
versus the size of the Earth.
The model shows in as much detail as possible the
inner structure of the cell and its subdivision into
different areas and structures. The cell invites
exploration: When you feel it and look more closely
at its constituent parts, you find out a lot of details
about the various parts and the cell as a whole.
Individual cell structures are shown somewhat larger
or smaller than other elements either for practical
purposes or for didactic reasons.
The ratio of 1:300,000 corresponds to the size of a small
hot-air balloon (diameter 42.3 meters) versus the size of the Earth
(diameter approx. 12,700 kilometers).
www.facebook.com/TheGiantCell
http://thegiantcell.blogspot.com
www.thecell.ch, www.diezelle.ch
The cell – basic building
block of all life
Cells are the smallest units of life. The simplest living
creatures consist of just one cell (e.g., ameba),
whereas large plants and animals are made up of
several billion cells. In the case of humans the figure
is about 100 billion – that is 100,000,000,000,000
cells! Our body contains many different types of cell,
and every cell performs a very specific task. The
interior of the cell can be likened to a complicated
factory in which thousands of chemical reactions
take place.
Organism
Organism
Most cells are quite small. For example, if you enlarge
a blood cell 1000 times, it will be about as large
as a grain of rice. Because cells are so tiny, they are
measured not in centimeters or millimeters, but in
micrometers. Most animal and human cells measure
10–50 micrometers.
“Our body produces about 300 million new cells
every minute – of these, about 2.5 million cells are
red blood cells.”
Our body grows as a result of cells dividing and each
of these new cells then growing as large as the
original cell and dividing in turn. We are in constant
need of new cells to replace cells that have worn out
or died. The human body consists of more than 200
different cell types, all of which are basically identical
in structure.
consists mainly of proteins. Embedded in the cytoplasm, the cell contains various structures known as
organelles (from Greek organon = tool or organ).
The name indicates that these organelles perform
very specific, vital functions – rather like an organ in
the body. For example, certain organelles supply the
energy that other organelles need for the production
of vital nutrients. So the cell is a “joint operation”
of its various constituent parts: If one is separated
from another, they cannot work on their own.
“The life of the cells varies depending on their
activity: The cells that line our gut, for example, live
for about 1 to 2 days. Bone cells can live for as long
as 15 to 20 years.”
In a complete cell, all the characteristic features of life
are reflected, such as growth, movement, metabolism,
excitability and reproduction.
All cells consist of a jelly-like cytoplasm that is
covered by a thin cell membrane. Apart from water
and substances dissolved in the water, cytoplasm
Organ
system
Organ
system
Organ
Organ
Tissue
Tissue
Cell
Cell
Organelle
Organelle
Large
Large
molecule
molecule
Small
Small
molecule
molecule
1 meter
1 meter
1 centimeter
1 centimeter
0.10.1
millimeter
millimeter
1 micrometer
1 micrometer
Organizational levels of the human body
Graphics: © vasp datatecture GmbH, Zürich / Ernst Klett Verlag, Stuttgart
1 nanometer
1 nanometer
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