The Cytoskeleton

Scroll and Explore Implementation Suggestions

Written by Christina Wilson Bowers; Amherst College; Massachusetts, USA

Most cell structures are not visible to the naked eye without using stains for visualization. The stains used in these images highlight how cell biologists use tricks to “see the invisible.” Invite students to discuss the ways in which images such as these are examples of scientific data. What information is brought into focus in the images and what information is left out? For example, the cell membrane is not directly visible, while the nucleus can be inferred by the stained DNA found in that organelle. Have students compare the photos with diagrams of the cytoskeleton and discuss the differences.

Practice engaging students in rounds of deliberate, thorough description (in the absence of interpretation). This image series presents a great opportunity to invite students to look closely and describe what they see. Invite students to create their own analogies for what the images look like. Students can compare their descriptions with each other to see if someone else saw something that they didn’t notice. This process can then be followed up with rounds of “I wonder . . .” questions. Often engaging in close looking leads to curiosity about why the images look the way they do.

Search for videos of different types of cells moving to highlight the role of the cytoskeleton in coordinating movement. Some examples:

• Compare the movement of single-celled amoeba with that of social amoeba like Dictyostelium (a cellular slime mold).
• Explore how macrophages move in response to signals (toward infection or injury sites).  
• Explore how cells follow chemical gradients (chemotaxis) during development, such as when neuronal growth cones form connections during nervous system development.  
• Search for videos of Staphylococcus aureus hitching a ride on cytoskeletal filaments during infection.

Invite students to consider the question “How does cell shape support cell function?” For example, red blood cells are flat discs, while intestinal cells are square-shaped with finger-like projections on them. Students can build Play-Doh models of different types of cells and then research the cytoskeleton in each cell type.

Visit the protein data bank to find an artistic representation of the cytoskeleton in the Goodsell red blood cell image: https://pdb101.rcsb.org/sci-art/goodsell-gallery/red-blood-cell-cytoskeleton. Compare and contrast the micrograph images with Goodsell’s artwork.