
Here is a neat animation taking a closer look at the cell interior through microscope eyes. The video starts with some cells crawling along the inner surface of a blood vessel. Then it zooms in onto the cell membrane, showing proteins and carbohydrates or glycoprotein floating on lipid bilayer. The lipid membrane is connected to delicate cytoskeleton (microtubule-microfilament network). The movie continues on and demonstrates the dynamic assembly and disintegration of this tubular network fromtwo spindle-shaped centrioles orienting in 90 degrees with each other. Motor proteins dynein and kinesin walks along the tubules to carry materials from one site to another.
This flash video then focuses on transcription and translation of genetic materials in nuclues. mRNA is transcribed from DNA and moves out of nuclues thru nuclear pores of the nuclear envelope. In the cytoplasm, mRNA associates with ribosome and starts translation process to synthesize proteins. Then the proteins moves from ER (endoplasmic reticulum) to Golgi apparatus, and finally to vacuole which fuses with cell membrane and releases its protein content to cell surface. The protein molecules then anchor on the cell surface and, thru the interaction with extracellular matrix and other cells, help move the cell along the blood vessel.
View this Inner Life of a Cell video clip.