Cells — The Building Blocks
Every living thing is built from cells, and every part of a cell has a job
Free trail · Science · ages 11–12 · 6 stations
Inside a Cell
A cell is the smallest unit that can be called alive. Inside it sit tiny working parts called organelles, each doing one job for the whole cell.
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The control centre. It holds the DNA — the instruction manual that tells the cell which proteins to build.
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The jelly filling where most chemical reactions happen. It is not empty space — it is a crowded chemical workshop.
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A thin skin that decides what enters and leaves. Scientists call it partially permeable, meaning some substances pass and others do not.
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Where respiration releases energy from glucose. Muscle cells are packed with them because muscles need energy fast.
This is one station of 6 in the trail, and finishing the trail earns an Explorer badge. Create a free account to play the rest →
Inside the app
The station above is the real thing — and it is one of 6. Inside the app your child plays the whole trail — every station is something they touch, drag and try, each one earns a checkmark, finishing the trail awards an Explorer badge, and the Practice Zone builds a fresh set of questions every visit. Progress is saved to their player, so they can stop and pick it up later.
What your child does, station by station
Learning mode has no timers, no scores and no wrong answers — every station is something the child touches and moves. This trail is one of the free ones, so it opens on any account.
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Inside a Cell
Flip cards
A cell is the smallest unit that can be called alive. Inside it sit tiny working parts called organelles, each doing one job for the whole cell.
Flip each card to meet an organelle — a working part inside a cell.
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Plant Cell or Any Cell?
Sorting baskets
Plant and animal cells share most of their machinery, because both need to control themselves and release energy. Only a few parts are plant-only. Sort them.
Some parts belong only to plant cells. Sort each part into the right basket.
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Turn Up the Magnification
Slider explorer
Cells were invisible until the microscope arrived. Slide the magnification up and see what each step reveals — and notice how late in the list cells appear.
Slide the magnification and watch what becomes visible at each scale.
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Built for the Job
Matching pairs
Your body has around 200 specialised cell types. Each has been shaped by its job, so the structure tells you the function. Match each cell to its clever feature.
Specialised cells have shapes that suit their work. Match each to its adaptation.
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Cell Myths Busted
Try it
These four ideas sound sensible and are all wrong. Working out why is more useful than memorising the right answer.
Four things almost everybody gets wrong about cells. Work out the truth.
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Practice Zone
Practice Zone
Ten questions matched to this topic — a proper practice set, fresh every time.
Ten questions on this topic. New ones every time you come back.
Free printable worksheet
Ten questions from this topic on one page, with an answer key at the bottom — a PDF you can print for homework, a car journey or a classroom. No account needed and nothing to sign up for. The Practice Zone in the app builds a fresh set every visit; this is a fixed set you can hold.
More Science for ages 11–12
❤ Human Body Systems · 🍽️ Nutrition and Digestion · 💨 Respiration and Circulation · 🌱 Reproduction and Growing Up · 🌞 Photosynthesis · 🗂️ Classifying Living Things · 🌍 Ecosystems and Food Webs · 🦒 Adaptation and Evolution
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