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Building Cells
08 July 2018

Building Cells

Back in our school days, cells in biology class were depicted in diagrams as flat pancake-like structures, with a circular nucleus in the middle. But in reality cells are complex three-dimensional entities, and scientists have recently developed a new tool that brings the detail to life. Based on data collected from years of observing and recording human cells, this new online application models a variety of human cells in 3D. The Allen Integrated Cell also reveals the intricate ways in which cells are structured, what they are made of, and where their internal ‘organs’ – the organelles – are typically located. Not only does it provide more riveting educational material, this unique insight into the elaborate structure of living cells will be valuable to scientists around the world, and could even be used to model how cells respond to new medications.

Written by Gaëlle Coullon

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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