On this page: Cells | Genes & DNA | Experiments
cells
📖 Enjoy Your Cells by Fran Balkwill and Mic Ralph. This first entry in the Enjoy Your Cells picture book series does a great job of introducing concepts in cell biology at a level that is comprehensible to elementary school children. Features simple, clear language and colorful illustrations. – Elementary
💻 Cell Size and Scale from University of Utah’s Genetic Science Learning Center. Use a slider to explore the relative sizes of macro- and microscopic objects, including cells, organelles, and viruses. – All
▶️ The operating system of life from TED-Ed. “Humans, octopi and pine trees alike are all made up of cells, tiny but sophisticated systems that keep life going. Cells are almost like tiny factories run by robots, with the nucleus, DNA, proteins, lipids, and vitamins and minerals all playing critical roles. George Zaidan and Charles Morton lay out the blueprint of a cell and explain how biochemistry binds all life together.” – All
▶️ Inner Life of the Cell from Harvard University. Experience the inner life of the cell in this stunning XVIVO animation. The narration is directed toward high school and college biology students, so don’t worry about understanding it all; just enjoy being immersed inside a working eukaryotic cell. – Middle • High
Genes & DNA
📖 Have a Nice DNA by Fran Balkwill and Mic Ralph. In this third entry in the Enjoy Your Cells series, the authors “use their unique brand of simple but scientifically accurate commentary and exuberantly colorful graphics to take young readers on an entertaining exploration of the amazing, hidden world of cells, proteins, and DNA.” – Elementary
📖 Gene Machines by Fran Balkwill and Mic Ralph. This final book in the Enjoy Your Cells series introduces genes and chromosomes, and explains how genes are passed on from parent to child through reproduction. – Elementary
📖 Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas by Cheryl Bardoe. This clearly written and nicely illustrated picture book gives a good description of Gregor Mendel's life and his pioneering experiments with peas–a must-read introduction to the principles of genetics and inheritance. – Elementary • Middle
▶️ How Mendel’s pea plants helped us understand genetics from TED-Ed. “Each father and mother pass down traits to their children, who inherit combinations of their dominant or recessive alleles. But how do we know so much about genetics today? Hortensia Jiménez Díaz explains how studying pea plants revealed why you may have blue eyes.” – All
▶️ DNA replication from HHMI. Visualize the process of DNA replication. – Middle • High
▶️ Transcription from HHMI. Visualize transcription of DNA to RNA. – Middle • High
▶️ Translation from HHMI. Visualize translation of RNA to protein. – Middle • High
▶️ Are we really 99% chimp? from MinuteEarth. What do scientists mean when they say that we share 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees? – All
▶️ Do we have to get old and die? from MinuteEarth. Learn how naked mole rats and jellyfish are able to stall the aging process through cellular mechanisms. – All
▶️ Rosalind Franklin: DNA’s unsung hero from TED-Ed. “The discovery of the structure of DNA was one of the most important scientific achievements in human history. The now-famous double helix is almost synonymous with Watson and Crick, two of the scientists who won the Nobel prize for figuring it out. But there’s another name you may not know: Rosalind Franklin.” – All
▶️ What happens when your DNA is damaged? from TED-Ed. "Monica Menesini details the processes of DNA damage and repair." – Middle • High
▶️ The race to sequence the human genome from TED-Ed. "Tien Nguyen details the history of the race to sequence the human genome." – Middle • High
▶️ Epigenetics: Why inheritance is weirder than we thought from MinuteEarth. Introduction to the fascinating new field of epigenetic research. – Middle • High
▶️ The immortal cells of Henrietta Lacks from TED-Ed. The story of Henrietta Lacks, whose DNA led to countless cures and discoveries. – Middle • High
▶️ Genetic engineering will change everything forever – CRISPR from Kurzgesagt. “Designer babies, the end of diseases, genetically modified humans that never age. Outrageous things that used to be science fiction are suddenly becoming reality. The only thing we know for sure is that things will change irreversibly.” – Middle • High
experiments
🖐️ Extract DNA from a strawberry. In this lab from Steve Spangler Science, you will extract DNA from a strawberry using household materials. – All
🖐️ Explore genetic principles with virtual labs. University of Utah’s Genetic Science Learning Center offers a handful of free, online virtual labs that allow students to learn about the techniques that professional genetic researchers employ. Labs include DNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, flow cytometry, and PCR. – Middle • High