specialised cells?

Question

I am looking for a web site or sites which I can show to my 11 yr old to help with his homework on specialised cells, and how cells form tissues, then organs then organ systems and organisms. He is quite bright and capable of understanding reasonably complex wording but I cant find anything appropriate. He also needs to list and draw diagrams of all specialised cells in the body. Would really appreciate any help!

I should add that I have 3 more children who are disabled and the internet is a bit of a saviour in our house. It is not very easy to take him to the library - even tho I used to love spending time there!! Thats life in our house these days - I dont mean to sound like this is a moan, but I really need some web sites!!

I promise this is the last update!!! It is just a point of principal but I feel the need to say that we do use books in our house and my children all have access to a wide range of literature. It is only recently I have realised my son needs older and more appropriate reference works. I dont have to means to get him those in time for this work to be finished but he will be getting them. He has a difficult time at home and it is hard for him to do his best. I try my best to provide him with the best opportunities I can. I know I dont need to say all this, but I didnt realise a simple question would make people think I was being lazy and not helping him properly. OK, now whatever anyone else says, thats my last on the matter!! I think!!!!

Answer 1

Try the following site

http://people.unt.edu/~lsg0002/JoesCell.htm

It is taken from the Reader's Digest series of articles and it very informative in a simple way.

Answer 2

I am a scientist, and therefore working with all sort of cells which we call strange and complicated names. But when I am looking for simple definition I find WIkipedia really useful.

Here is how the term "cell" is defined:

Cell (biology)

The cell is the structural and functional unit of all living organisms, and is sometimes called the "building block of life."[1] Some organisms, such as bacteria, are unicellular, consisting of a single cell. Other organisms, such as humans, are multicellular, (humans have an estimated 100 trillion or 1014 cells; a typical cell size is 10 µm, a typical cell mass 1 nanogram). The largest known cell is an ostrich egg.

The cell theory, first developed in 1839 by Schleiden and Schwann, states that all organisms are composed of one or more cells; all cells come from preexisting cells; all vital functions of an organism occur within cells, and cells contain the hereditary information necessary for regulating cell functions and for transmitting information to the next generation of cells.

The word cell comes from the Latin cellula, a small room. The name was chosen by Robert Hooke when he compared the cork cells he saw to the small rooms monks lived in.

This is the website where I took the definition from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_%28biology%29

For a nice picture try:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differentiated_cell

You can click on the links and see!
Give it a go!

Answer 3

in the sense that they serve particular applications in the organism, definite. you want to outline what we recommend through specialisation. There are hierarchies of stem cells, with early embryonic stem cells being on the right, able to differentiating into any cellular inhabitants in the full organism, which consists of extraembryonic tissue (the placenta) and stem cells that serve to grant a furnish of one type of terminally-differentiated (non-stem) cellular at the different (which consists of liver and epidermis (epithelial) cells. This hierarchy is easily one of reducing efficiency, with totipotency on the right and unipotency on the bottom. in the middle we've 'multipotency', a cellular that itself is undifferentiated yet supplies upward push to a number of different cellular kinds which consists of hemopoeitic stem cells. there is also 'oligopotency', it quite is exhibited through endothelial stem cells, that may provide upward push to both endothelial membranes which consists of the liner or arteries OR comfortable muscle cells. no longer all cells are unipotent. 'Nerve cells' are terminally-differentiated and can't divide. in case you lose a nerve cellular, different nerve cells aren't any further able to dividing into yet another, while your liver is amazingly able to doing so, to the degree that you'll be able to lose 75% of it and performance it strengthen again. undergo that in options the subsequent time you end an complete six %. and imagine of starting up on yet another!

Answer 4

I don't know if you've tried it but bbc bitesize. Is really good. Just go to the bbc website and follow the links.

Answer 5

get the child books on the subject rather than using the net

Answer 6

Old fashioned but have u thought about taking him to the library? they have everything you need there and someone to ask for help and advice.