• 28 cell parts
  • Checked September 2026

Cell Factory Diagram and Cell City Diagram

A place lights up in the factory or the city: pick the cell part it stands for.

Cell Factory Diagram and Cell City Diagram

Name Date

Which cell part does this stand for?

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Write the name of each numbered cell part.Answer key

  1. Nucleus
  2. DNA
  3. Mitochondrion
  4. Chloroplast
  5. Ribosome
  6. Endoplasmic reticulum
  7. Golgi apparatus
  8. Cytoplasm
  9. Cytoskeleton
  10. Vesicle
  11. Vacuole
  12. Lysosome
  13. Cell membrane
  14. Cell wall
  15. Nucleus
  16. DNA
  17. Mitochondrion
  18. Chloroplast
  19. Ribosome
  20. Endoplasmic reticulum
  21. Golgi apparatus
  22. Cytoplasm
  23. Cytoskeleton
  24. Vesicle
  25. Vacuole
  26. Lysosome
  27. Cell membrane
  28. Cell wall

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain shapes. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a cell part is answered.

Next step Next: find the same parts in an animal cell

All 28 cell parts on the diagram

Show the list

The factory 14

  1. Nucleus The head office runs the factory. The nucleus holds the cell's DNA and directs the making of ribosomes and proteins.
  2. DNA The plans say how every product is made. They never leave the office. DNA stays in the nucleus and carries the orders for making proteins.
  3. Mitochondrion The generator powers the factory. Mitochondria make ATP, the molecule that carries energy around the cell.
  4. Chloroplast Solar panels catch sunlight. Chloroplasts use light energy to make sugar by photosynthesis. Plant cells have them; animal cells do not.
  5. Ribosome Workers put the products together. Ribosomes build proteins, following orders sent out from the nucleus.
  6. Endoplasmic reticulum Products are worked on as they move along the belt. The endoplasmic reticulum is a network of sacs and tubes that modifies proteins, makes lipids and sends them on.
  7. Golgi apparatus Products are sorted, labeled, packed and sent out here. The Golgi apparatus sorts, tags, packages and sends out proteins and lipids.
  8. Cytoplasm Everything stands on the factory floor. Work goes on all over it. The cytoplasm fills the cell between the membrane and the nucleus, and the organelles sit in it.
  9. Cytoskeleton The steel frame holds the building up and in shape. The cytoskeleton is a network of protein fibers that keeps the cell's shape and holds organelles in place.
  10. Vesicle Carts carry products from one room to the next. Vesicles are small membrane sacs that carry and store materials.
  11. Vacuole Supplies are kept in the storeroom until they are needed. A vacuole is a membrane sac for storage. A plant cell's large central vacuole holds much of its water.
  12. Lysosome Waste is broken down here so its parts can be used again. Lysosomes hold enzymes that digest large molecules and worn-out organelles. Animal cells have them.
  13. Cell membrane The gate controls what comes in and what goes out. The cell membrane surrounds the cell and controls what passes into and out of it.
  14. Cell wall The brick wall outside the fence protects the whole site. The cell wall is a rigid layer outside the cell membrane that protects and supports the cell. Plant cells have one; animal cells do not.

The city 14

  1. Nucleus City hall runs the city. The nucleus holds the cell's DNA and directs the making of ribosomes and proteins.
  2. DNA The city plans say what gets built. They are kept at city hall. DNA stays in the nucleus and carries the orders for making proteins.
  3. Mitochondrion The power plant supplies the city with energy. Mitochondria make ATP, the molecule that carries energy around the cell.
  4. Chloroplast The solar farm catches sunlight. Chloroplasts use light energy to make sugar by photosynthesis. Plant cells have them; animal cells do not.
  5. Ribosome Workshops make the goods the city needs. Ribosomes build proteins, following orders sent out from the nucleus.
  6. Endoplasmic reticulum Goods travel across the city by road. The endoplasmic reticulum is a network of sacs and tubes that modifies proteins, makes lipids and sends them on.
  7. Golgi apparatus The post office sorts parcels and sends each to the right address. The Golgi apparatus sorts, tags, packages and sends out proteins and lipids.
  8. Cytoplasm Every building stands on the ground. City life goes on between them. The cytoplasm fills the cell between the membrane and the nucleus, and the organelles sit in it.
  9. Cytoskeleton Steel girders hold a building up and give it its shape. The cytoskeleton is a network of protein fibers that keeps the cell's shape and holds organelles in place.
  10. Vesicle Vans carry goods from place to place. Vesicles are small membrane sacs that carry and store materials.
  11. Vacuole Goods are stored in the warehouse until they are needed. A vacuole is a membrane sac for storage. A plant cell's large central vacuole holds much of its water.
  12. Lysosome Waste is broken down here so its parts can be used again. Lysosomes hold enzymes that digest large molecules and worn-out organelles. Animal cells have them.
  13. Cell membrane The checkpoint controls what comes into the city and what leaves. The cell membrane surrounds the cell and controls what passes into and out of it.
  14. Cell wall The city wall stands outside the checkpoint and protects the city. The cell wall is a rigid layer outside the cell membrane that protects and supports the cell. Plant cells have one; animal cells do not.

How this list was compiled: The job of every cell part was checked on 2026-09-30 against (1) OpenStax Biology 2e, sections 4.3 Eukaryotic Cells, 4.4 The Endomembrane System and Proteins and 4.5 The Cytoskeleton, https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/4-3-eukaryotic-cells, and (2) the English Wikipedia articles Organelle, Cell (biology) and Endoplasmic reticulum. A place is matched to a cell part only where both sources give the part that job. The factory and city comparison is the common classroom one, drawn and worded for this site; no worksheet was copied. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain shapes. Own original drawing; nothing traced or copied. Licence: own work

How it works

This cell factory diagram shows a cell as a factory, and the cell city diagram after it shows the same cell parts as a city. A place lights up; pick the cell part that does its job.

Read the full guide

Match each place to a cell part

Each small scene has four or five places with their names beside them. One lights up, and four cell parts appear below it: choose the one that does the same job. The factory comes first, in three scenes, then the city in three more, with the same fourteen cell parts.

Why the comparison works

A cell part is matched to a place by its job. The nucleus directs the cell, so it is the head office or city hall. Mitochondria supply energy, so they are the generator or power plant. The Golgi apparatus sorts and sends out, like a packing room or a post office.

  • A real cell does not have all fourteen: chloroplasts and a cell wall are in plant cells, lysosomes in animal cells.
  • Endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi apparatus? The first works on the product as it moves along; the second packs it and sends it out.

Questions and answers

What is the cell factory analogy?

It compares a cell to a factory so each part's job is easy to remember: the nucleus is the head office, ribosomes are the workers, mitochondria are the generator, the Golgi apparatus is the packing and shipping room and the cell membrane is the gate.

What is each organelle in a cell city?

The nucleus is city hall, mitochondria are the power plant, ribosomes are workshops, the endoplasmic reticulum is the roads, the Golgi apparatus is the post office, vesicles are delivery vans, lysosomes are the recycling center and the cell membrane is the checkpoint.

What is the nucleus in a cell city?

City hall. The nucleus holds the cell's DNA and directs the making of ribosomes and proteins, the way city hall keeps the city plans and runs the city.

Why are mitochondria compared to a power plant?

Mitochondria make ATP, the molecule that carries energy around the cell. They supply the cell with energy the way a power plant supplies a city, or a generator a factory.

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