Introducing the Cell Concept with both Animal and Plant Cells: A Historical and Didactic Approach

Abstract

In France, as well as in several other countries, the cell concept is introduced at school by two juxtaposed drawings, a plant cell and an animal cell. After indicating the didactic obstacles associated with this presentation, this paper focuses on the reasons underlying the persistence of these two prototypes, through three complementary interpretations: A pedagogical one: it was, and it is still today, easy to use onion skin and mouth epithelial cells at school, hence both of these kinds of cells became cell prototypes. A historical one: Schleiden worked on plant cells, and Schwann on animal cells; together they established common features between plant and animal cells (1838). A sociological one: since the emergence of the cell concept (19th century) and until recently, Zoology and Botany were clearly separated research fields. Today, besides these traditional animal and plant cell prototypes, a general “egg-cell model” is used increasingly to introduce and develop the cell concept.