Introduction   The MISSION (Quest)

        In the 1970’s science fiction technology miniaturized a submarine and its crew in the movie Fantastic Voyage in order to inject them into a vein. Their mission was to travel through the body in order to search and destroy, using a laser, a blood clot in the brain of an extremely important scientist. With today’s sci-fi technology, you will be shrunk down to only one micrometer, one millionth of a meter. Then using a micromanipulator, you will be transplanted inside a Cyber-cell.

            Your mission (Quest), if you choose to accept it, (like you have any other choice as highly trained Navy seals), will be to explore the inside of a cell, discover and explain (via a classroom presentation), the relationship between the structure of a particular cell part (organelle) and its function(s).  You will report your findings in any form approved by your squadron leader (instructor), ie. PowerPoint or Hyperstudio Presentation, home video, slide & cassette, traditional poster or oral presentation, etc...

Going Farther

          As you carefully listen to all the classroom presentations, analyze all the information.  You will be able to hypothesize quite well as to which organelles must be found in which kinds of specialized cells, and which organelles may or may not be found in those cells.  Think about the following questions:

• Why do plant cells have cell walls?
• Why do some plant cells have chloroplasts and other plant cells do not?
• Why do muscle cells have many more mitochondria than skin cells?
• Can you match each organelle with the life function(s) it performs?

You can use .....

• your biology textbook,
• other texts that will be made available to you in the library and classroom
• Internet resources listed below

The Process

• You will be divided into pairs that will search selected Web sites on a reconnaissance and retrieve mission.
• In order to focus your investigation, you will discover the relationship between the structure of one particular organelle and its function(s) in Eukaryotic cells.
• Your specific assignment and companion for this journey will be delegated by your squadron leader (instructor).
• Good luck and remember Navy seals never leave a man behind, (translation: your classmates depend on you).

        When you are finished, you will have a much deeper understanding of one specific organelle.  Moreover,  as you watch and listen to your classmates, you will  better understand how each living cell is a community of interdependent, but non-living parts that make up one LIVING entity.
        All organelles are NOT found in all cells.  You may be asked to go to the next level:

• What organelles are most necessary for a certain specialized cell (tissue) to perform its function(s).
• Which organelles are NOT necessary for that specialized cell to survive?
• Why can ONLY Eukaryotic,  and not Prokaryotic cells become specialized?
• How can Prokaryotic cells survive without organelles?