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Scientists from African American, Latino, and Asian American communities, scholars of the ancient world, and mentors from San Francisco State and USC, whose discoveries changed what we know about cells. Each story is told at five levels — like a spiral, the same idea gets deeper every time around.
Every cell has a skin called the membrane. When a sperm reaches an egg, the egg's skin changes right away — like shutting a door — so no more sperm can get in.
Your cells hold a super-long string of instructions called DNA. Histones are tiny spools that DNA wraps around so it fits neatly inside the nucleus — like thread on a spool.
Blood is made of red cells and a yellow liquid called plasma. Drew found that plasma can be saved much longer than whole blood, so it could help injured people far away.
Your DNA is a mix passed down from your parents, grandparents, and ancestors long ago. Scientists can read parts of it to learn where your family's story began.
Hormones are the body's chemical messages. Dr. Hayes found that a weed-killer called atrazine can mix up those messages in frogs, so some boy frogs grew up more like girl frogs.
Your brain cells talk using chemical messengers. Dr. Hart studies how some chemicals — like medicines and drugs — change those messages. He tests ideas carefully instead of just believing scary stories.
Your brain has billions of cells that talk with tiny electric signals. Dr. Dzirasa listens to how whole groups of brain cells talk together, to understand feelings like sadness and to find new ways to help.
Some tiny ocean plants called algae make little shells out of chalk, inside a bubble in the cell. Each shell is too small to see without a microscope — but there are so many that they help shape the ocean!
Your body has guards — immune cells — that check who belongs. Benacerraf found that genes help decide how well those guards recognize invaders.
Famous discoveries were rarely one genius alone. Here's the story most people know, then what historians actually found.
Santiago Ramón y Cajal drew neurons in ink so carefully that his drawings still teach neuroscience. Pick a color, then color each part as the prompt asks.
Portraits are original pixel-art illustrations. No portraits survive from the lifetimes of the ancient scholars, so each has an emblem of their work instead. Quotes come from published translations of their own writing. Links open trusted outside websites in a new tab.