NIGMS is committed to science education and encouraging future generations of scientists. To help mark our 50th anniversary, NIGMS hosted an interactive Web chatroom about the cell for middle and high school students. For more information about Cell Day, please see our FAQs page or send an e-mail to nigmscellday@nigms.nih.gov.

To learn more about different parts of the cell, click on the labels in the image below.

Nucleus
The easiest organelle to spot in most cells, the nucleus is the storehouse for most of your DNA. Mitochondria
Mitochondria are often called the cell's power plants. They manufacture the main energy source in your body—a small molecule called ATP. Unlike other organelles, mitochondria have their own DNA. Golgi
The Golgi puts the finishing touches—sugars or other molecules—onto newly made proteins and lipids. Some of these additions act as shipping labels that send the newborn molecules to their proper destinations, whether it is another organelle, a cell membrane or outside the cell. Lysosomes
Powerful enzymes inside lysosomes chop up cellular materials into their component parts, which the cell reuses as nutrients or building blocks. Lysosomes haul away unusable waste and dump it outside the cell. Smooth ER
The ER (endoplasmic reticulum) is a collection of enormous, interconnected sacs located close to the cell's nucleus. It comes in two types: smooth and rough.

The smooth ER manufactures lipids and contains enzymes that break down harmful substances. Most cell types have very little smooth ER. Rough ER
The ER (endoplasmic reticulum) is a collection of enormous, interconnected sacs located close to the cell's nucleus. It comes in two types: smooth and rough.

Under a high-powered microscope, the rough ER appears covered with black dots. Those dots are ribosomes, sophisticated molecular machines that build proteins.

Text Version of the Interactive Cell