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Student handout: Examples of animal cell types
Introduction/background
This activity allows students to develop their understanding of cell structure and function through the hands-on approach of model building.
Students are often taught about the key differences between animal and plant cells. This approach sometimes leads to the alternative conception that all animal cells are fundamentally similar in shape, size and contents. Students may have seen diagrams such as the one on the left below of a ‘representative’ animal cell. Although the diagram is correct, it represents a generic cell, rather than any particular cell type. The diagram on the right gives a clearer sense of the diversity in shape of animal cells.