Return to the interactive cell viewer · Mechanism Diligence home
MECHANISM DILIGENCE · CELL READING GUIDE
Read the 20 components in the existing animal-cell model. The reference cell is 30 µm across; dimensions, positions and motion include assumptions and placeholders. This is a teaching model, not a measurement of a particular cell.
Independent scientific review is pending. The component descriptions and source associations remain subject to review.
Boundaries
Selective exchange and surface signaling.
Size evidence: The table lists a 30 micrometre cell diameter. It does not establish membrane thickness.
Reference dimensions vary between cells and states.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Nuclear structures
Contains nuclear DNA and coordinates gene expression.
Size evidence: The table lists a 5 micrometre nucleus diameter as an average, not a universal value.
Reference dimensions vary between cells and states.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Nuclear structures
Ribosomal RNA production and ribosome assembly.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Nuclear structures
DNA packaged with proteins; accessibility helps regulate gene expression.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Nuclear structures
Selective transport between nucleus and cytoplasm.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Membrane systems
Protein processing and lipid synthesis; continuous with the nuclear envelope.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Membrane systems
Modifies and sorts proteins and lipids.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Organelles
Oxidative phosphorylation and other metabolic functions.
Size evidence: The table gives typical lengths of 1–2 micrometres, with lengths up to 7 micrometres. Our narrower range and 0.6 micrometre width remain model assumptions.
Reference dimensions vary between cells and states.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Organelles
Acidic degradation of delivered cellular material.
Size evidence: The table gives diameters of 50–3,000 nanometres. Our 0.5 micrometre sphere is an illustrative choice within that range, not a measured lysosome.
Reference dimensions vary between cells and states.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Organelles
Oxidative metabolism including fatty-acid processing.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Organelles
Sorts internalized material toward recycling or degradation.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Molecular machinery
Translates messenger RNA into protein.
Size evidence: The table gives diameters of 20–30 nanometres. The model uses 25 nanometres as a representative value.
Reference dimensions vary between cells and states.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Cytoskeleton
Intracellular transport tracks and structural organization.
Size evidence: The NIGMS page does not establish this width. An indexed NCBI Bookshelf textbook excerpt describes an approximate 25 nanometre diameter. This is provisional reference support, not calibration of our model geometry or dynamics.
The Cell: Microtubules (NCBI Bookshelf)
Indexed chapter excerpt inspected; direct chapter access presented a browser challenge. Full chapter not inspected.
Reference dimensions vary between cells and states.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Cytoskeleton
Cell shape, force generation and movement.
Size evidence: The NIGMS page does not establish this width. An indexed NCBI Bookshelf textbook excerpt describes an approximate 7 nanometre diameter. This is provisional reference support, not calibration of our model geometry or dynamics.
The Cell: Structure and Organization of Actin Filaments (NCBI Bookshelf)
Indexed chapter excerpt inspected; direct chapter access presented a browser challenge. Full chapter not inspected.
Reference dimensions vary between cells and states.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Tracked examples
Illustrates a membrane-bound cargo moving along a track.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Tracked examples
Illustrates a soluble molecule exploring cytoplasmic space.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Tracked examples
A generic visualization probe; no named drug or target affinity is modeled.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Molecular machinery
Represents a surface signaling protein.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Nuclear structures
Separates nucleoplasm from cytoplasm and is continuous with the ER membrane system.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells; cellular organization varies with cell shape and state. Dataset not imported into this viewer.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Membrane systems
Represents apposed organelle membranes that support interorganelle communication without fusion.
ER–mitochondria contact interfaces and VAPB dynamics; includes COS7 imaging. Geometry and trajectories here are original illustrations.
This is the existing viewer's broad reference association, not a completed claim-by-claim review.
Optional reflection questions; no score or validated assessment is implied. Consider your answer before opening the explanation.
No. It is the reference size chosen for this teaching model. It does not establish the size of an individual cell or a universal size across cell types and states.
No. The probe has a placeholder size and an illustrative trajectory. The model supplies no named drug, membrane permeability or calibrated exposure prediction.
No. The fixed gap is an illustration. The source study and our geometry are distinct; citing the paper does not turn the model's dimensions or motion into measured data.