When the students learn about animal cells, the cell organelles usually get all the attention. The students memorize the mantra that mitochondria are “the powerhouses of the cell,” and the nucleus is the cell’s control center through DNA. Other organelles get mentioned, but their functions and names are not as easily remembered as the mitochondria or DNA. Commonly, students make Jello molds of the cell, complete with different candies to represent these organelles, which is a fun follow-up for upper elementary. However, one part of the cell that does not get mentioned enough (if at all), but its function is vital, is the cell membrane. Like skin, the cell membrane is the only thing that separates the cell’s inner workings from the outside world (even if the outside world is part of the whole organism).

Besides acting as a shield for the cell, the membrane actively transports nutrients in and transports waste out. These transporters along the cell membrane actively move things across the double phospholipid bilayer, while some act like valves, only letting some things move one way. The cell membrane is much more dynamic than just a barrier; it is also a gatekeeper and waste removal system.

In this game, the students will act as cell membranes keeping things out, letting nutrients in, and clearing waste. Can your student’s membrane stay intact and protect the cell from invading particles and organisms?