Lab 3: The Cell — Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic
Description
In this interactive lab, students build a working understanding of the cell as the fundamental unit of life, and learn to confidently distinguish prokaryotic from eukaryotic organisms. After exploring cell theory, the size scale of cellular structures, and the levels of biological organization from cell to organism, students sort features into a Venn diagram to pin down exactly what prokaryotes and eukaryotes share and where they differ, then label detailed prokaryotic, plant, and animal cell diagrams themselves. A virtual microscope and sketchpad let students examine and draw a prokaryotic cell as they would in a real lab, and a classification game challenges them to sort bacteria, archaea, yeast, protozoa, algae, and plant and animal cells correctly, including catching the classic cyanobacteria naming trap.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lab, students will be able to explain cell theory and describe the general size range of cells relative to the imaging tools needed to observe them, and outline the levels of biological organization from cell to organism. Students will also be able to identify the defining structural differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, correctly label the major structures of prokaryotic cells and of plant and animal cells, and explain the function of each structure. Finally, students will be able to classify a range of organisms, including bacteria, archaea, yeast, protozoa, and algae, as prokaryotic or eukaryotic, and recognize common naming-based misconceptions such as cyanobacteria being called "blue-green algae" despite being prokaryotic.