this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2025
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Science Memes

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Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



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  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.



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[–] MrQuallzin@lemmy.world 105 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The cell is the cell of the cell

[–] dalekcaan@lemm.ee 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Cells within cells within cells, interlinked

[–] oftheair@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

And blood-black nothingness began to spin… A system of cells interlinked within cells interlinked within cells interlinked within one stem… And dreadfully distinct against the dark, a tall white fountain played.

Cells.

Cells.

Have you ever been in an institution? Cells.

Cells.

Do they keep you in a cell? Cells.

Cells.

When you're not performing your duties do they keep you in a little box? Cells.

Cells.

Interlinked.

Interlinked.

What's it like to hold the hand of someone you love? Interlinked.

Interlinked.

Did they teach you how to feel finger to finger? Interlinked.

Interlinked.

Do you long for having your heart interlinked? Interlinked.

Interlinked.

Do you dream about being interlinked?

Interlinked.

What's it like to hold your child in your arms? Interlinked.

Interlinked.

Do you feel that there's a part of you that's missing? Interlinked.

Interlinked.

Within cells interlinked.

Within cells interlinked.

Why don't you say that three times: Within cells interlinked.

Within cells interlinked. Within cells interlinked. Within cells interlinked.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 month ago

the mitochondria is the cell of the cell

[–] subtext@lemmy.world 59 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The cell wall is the wall of the cell

Finally one I can remember

[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

For real? Any tips for those of us having problems?

[–] protist@mander.xyz 37 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The cell membrane is the thin veneer of respectability of the cell

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 4 points 1 month ago

Phew. Ok. Ive got that one down.
Depending on the day.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 19 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Non-anglophones, is this a thing you can relate to? I've never been told "das Mitochondrium ist das Kraftwerk der Zelle" or anything like it, at least not nearly to the extent that anglophones seem to, so much so that it's forever burnt into their brain folds apparently.

[–] exasperation@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 1 month ago (2 children)

All of us who learned Spanish in the U.S. also know "¿Dónde está la biblioteca?"

Just a bunch of canned phrases like that kicking around in our brains.

[–] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The FitnessGram Pacer test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues.

[–] Denvil@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The 20 meter pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly but gets faster each minute after you hear this signal bodeboop.

[–] Zkuld@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What is going on at your schools?!

[–] exasperation@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 month ago

FitnessGram Pacer Tests, obviously

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

All I remember from Spanish class is "no en nintendo"

[–] Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 month ago (1 children)

As a Canadian, I share your confusion. I think that phrase was just a common descriptor of mitochondria in US textbooks, or a catchy line in a popular US biology video.

It's just strange enough to make a big impression on bored students, so I'm not surprised it's been memed so hard.

[–] protist@mander.xyz 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think it was tossed around on Reddit a lot, too, back in the day, increasing its permeation through our ilk

[–] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 month ago

Wikipedia says:

The mitochondrion is popularly nicknamed the "powerhouse of the cell", a phrase popularized by Philip Siekevitz in a 1957 Scientific American article of the same name.[4]

But know your meme attributes its meme status to this tumblr post from 2013:

screenshot of text: "what i learned from school 1. im a fucking piece of shit 2. everybody else is also a fucking piece of shit 3. mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell"

Contrary to comments in many places like this reddit thread from 2018, I suspect the phrase wasn't actually used in many textbooks or very commonly known prior to that tumblr post.

(If you search on Google Books you can find numerous textbooks using the phrase. Range-based search on Google Books appears to be broken so I'm not sure, but all the ones I checked were published well after 2013.)

[–] rooroo@feddit.org 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

As a German, I’ve definitely learned that in school. Maybe it was memes by then as well, but it being the late 90s I doubt it.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 month ago

i don't even remember learning about the mitochondrion in school lmao

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[–] JayGray91@piefed.social 16 points 1 month ago

ngl this would help in high school equivalent biology class decades ago lol

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

The cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein is the office guy who's always around but nobody knows what his job is.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 1 month ago

of the cell

[–] pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The midichlorian is the light saber of the cell.

[–] oftheair@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 month ago

[Playful] Don't force it there.

[–] Limonene@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The cell membrane is the wall of the cell. I know it's less catchy, but human cells don't have a cell wall.

[–] NichtElias@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

Human cells also don't have chloroplasts. Maybe the cell membrane is the fence of the cell.

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 month ago

The Human is the Fediverse of cells.

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 month ago

The Undertaker threw Mankind off hell of the cell

[–] Mustakrakish@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

Some of them seem a bit obtuse. "Municipal hall" doesn't immediately conjure a vivid image of it's role.

[–] apotheotic@beehaw.org 8 points 1 month ago

There's a wall on that cell, like some sort of... Cell wall-

Wait, say that again

[–] Townlately@feddit.nl 8 points 1 month ago

This is absoplasmic reticulous.

[–] ynthrepic@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This shit gives me existential dread and hope.

Like the complexity of cells might as well be an alien civilization, but all that somehow results in something that it's like to be me. That's so fundamentally mysterious, all I can do is conclude that consciousness has to be the prior of the universe. So on the one hand I'm nothing, and on the other, maybe I'm immortal. I won't know until I'm dead.

[–] saimen@feddit.org 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

To add to that, similarly like there are microscopic and macroscopic processes we can only indirectly perveive, there are probably also processes on a much smaller and much larger timescale we can therefore only indirectly perceive.

Like one cell could be the whole universe of some absurdly small conscious beings with a lifespan of less than a femtosecond.

[–] ynthrepic@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Utterly absurd, and yet we know this with far more certainty than the most well subscribed religions know anything. There are so laughably unimaginative too compared to this reality. And yet, the knowing is also a burden. 😅

[–] MrShankles@reddthat.com 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Welcome to the slaughterhouse; I'm autosome

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Ok now do the ye olde version

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

M̸̰̼̳̯͉̻̗̻͚̻̰̀̒̑̈́̐͗̆̾̿͐̏̌͜͝͝i̴̻̦̳͍̮͍̰̭͕͈͕̬̭̪̱̰̜͆̄̎̈́̂̽͆̃͌̿͛̀t̸̨̢̛͓̤̲̤͍̭͈͙͓̰͛̓̓́̀͛̆̃̍̀̈́̔́͋̑͌̅̀̎́͑͆́̿̌̍̆͗̈̐̊͘̕͝õ̸̡̧̨̡̡̳̮͓͎̫̯̝̳̺͖̞̻͓͖̘̹̜̺̜͕̜͈̯̖̰̠͔̱̒̉͗͆̐́̎͋̚͜͜͠͠͠ͅc̷̡̧̛̛̛̣̖̳̜̘̤̘̣̬̪̯̼̘͎̻̩̣̦͕̖͛̆̈́̀̿͗̄̈́̒̃̀͋͋́͗̈́̑̎͆̊̾̎̐̚͘͜͝͝h̷̨̝̳̖̬̩͕̗͓̻͉͚̠̩͎͍̠̩͚̫̝̖̱̤̲̰̲͓̅͋̓̄̋̀̄̋͊̈͑̈́̊͗̏̕͜ǫ̸̯͖̬̖̰̲̤͖̈́̃̐̍̓̉̈́͊̔͑̓́͂̀͐͂͒̽͒̐͆̂͑̑͊̔̎̎̃̾̄̾̄͛̒̽̿͂̇̋́̍͘͠͠͝͝͝ņ̷͙͍͍͎͊̈̊̀̍̇̒̾̓͋̽̇̃́̌̈́̇͌̐̇̇̓͐̓̋͜͠͝͝ḋ̸̢̢̢̧̛͖̟̜̞̰̤̣͈̯͖̪̱̟̻̣͈̮͈͙̞̜͙̬̮̮̮͍̀̃̉̏̌̆̉̒̏̌̅̋̓͂̆́̅̏͛͌̀̈̒̈́̽̒̒͒̏́̅͊̑͌͐͌͋͗̉̈́̓͒̚͜͜͝͝͝͝͠͠ͅŗ̵̡̧̧̢̛͓̬̬̯̣͎̮̫͈̮̟̪̮̯̯̻̮̗̹̤͓̠̼͎̝̲̲͋͒̈́͑͑̓̃̅͆̽̽̈́̽̀̔͗̃͋̉̋̐̋̆̈́̈́̾̃̍͘̕͘͜͠i̸̡̡̪̳͖͈͔̙̮̜͖̼̳̳̭̹̝̙̫͈͇̻̬̞̜̦͉̗̠̩̰̅̀̾̒͒̊̃̏̿̾͠a̴̛̯̥̹͕͇̳̤̫̠̼͇͇̬̎͛͛̅̾̆̓͊́́̀̈͐͒̎͐̋́̈̂͑̍͋̾͌̓̌̓̋͋̓̈́̚̕͜ ̶̢̛̟͖̱̪̝̜̼͉̪͔̬̼̘̰̙̼̠͚͎̇̽̀̀̈́́̆̊̐̅̿͋͒̒̋̂̋̏̔̈́̿̅͑̀̒̍͐̏͑̓̈͐̑̚͜į̷̭̻̝̤͍̬͚̘̝̹̫̤̫͇͈͍̙̬̖͕̳̯̜̱͚̼͕̣̺̭̙̻̩̈̋̊̾̏̈́͛̐̃̒́͂̏̚͠͠͝s̵̡̨̛͍̙͈̰̭̲̰̘̰̮͎̹̯̗̻͔̜͉̹̠̤͙̱̳̤͉̙̙̝͎̟̲͕̦̲͔̀̽͑̐̎̀̂͂̑̄̉̌͊͌͂́̃͊͑́́͐͋̾̔̎̍̀͊̎͊̾̒̈́̌͗̑͑̈́̿̆̋̕̕͘̚̚͠͠ͅ ̵̢̟̖̰̥̝̿̒͆̔̑t̴̡̨̧̢̛̤̠̯̝̝̥̲͎͕̘̭̠̼̬̬̮̞͕̬͈̬͚̯͕̼̝͖͖̤͙͚̩̞̹̦̻̜̦̜̜̏͐̍͊͊́̄͐̀̑͗̅̋̀̀͝͠͝h̶̰͕̮̣̏͋̆̑̍̓͋́͋̈́̈͒́̽̎͐͊͛̓͑̎͊̈̌̍͒̉̉͗͐̅͑̓̉͌͋̓̃̈́̀̾̈́̇̚͠͝ȩ̶̺̙̙̼͖̪̲͎̼̰̬̞̳̝̲̥͇̼͖̫̠̣͙̗̺͚͙͓̞͙̪̠̟̦̤̫̙̮͚̝͎͉͈̼̳̉̽̿̾̿̔̒̿̐̃̅̓̋̽͋͌̏͘͘͝ ̸̡̡̨̢̧̘̘͓̣̺̬̫͓̗͇͓͕̥͇̰͉̻̠̮̮̳̪͙̝̞͓̭̫̜͈̞͈̰̩̼̳̮̳̞̆͗̔̄̎͋̈́̓͛̈́̈́̉̕͘͝ͅͅͅp̶̢̧̳̹̻̖͓̲͔̪̙̩̰̤̙̮̺̤̗̼̦̳̤̹̬̗̬͇̰̠̼̲̞̞͓̘͕̩̼͕̪͚̖̯̰̯̩͎͛͊̀́ͅỏ̶̢̢̦̮̗̺̦̗̼̹̪̟͍̤̙̮͙̺̱̼̫̟͖̘͔̲̺͔̠̓̑̈́̽̏̑̈́̂̎͗̍̂̎̆̍̃̍͆̊͌̈́̑̂̽̊̒̀͒͋̾̂̇̀̈́̈͒͗́͛̇̌̉̔̕͘̕͠͝͝w̷̧̡̲̘̞̰̼̭̹̬̳̮͈̥̼̝̬͓̬̤͖͓͔̳͓̥͚̼̱͎͔̰̬̪̼̞͔̳̼̾̓́̄̀̒̓̓͛́̀͒̇͜͝ͅȩ̵̺̮͉̺̦͚̘͓̜̼̟͓̙͉̣̟͓̝̩͉̦̳͎̲̜̙̪͈̠͕̋̔̀̅́͛͌͐͌̀̆̾͊̆̑͛̃̿̃̑͆̚̕͜͠͝͠͠͝ͅr̸̨̡̧̨̢̛̠̼͖͈̘͓̯̟͓̭̮̜̼̩̗̻̟̥̥̖̗̞̼͎̣̥͕͓̥̙̫̹͎̀́́́̉̃̓͜ͅͅh̵̨̨̢̳̤͈͙̗̜͔͙̭̰̳̜̣͕̮̫̰̞͖̗̫̻͍̭̥͈̰̯̣̳̠͚̬̳̭̟͚̝̜̞̠͙̘͒͜ͅͅͅͅͅõ̸̧̫̲̥̹͚̮̹͍̘̱̥͙̲̃͆͋̈́̀̑͋̈̉̏͗̌̑̊̋̈́̈̈́̉͘̕͜͠͝͠͝ͅự̸̧̝͔̣͔͍̯͈̘̥͍̙̳̋͂̀̒̓̌̋́͗̊͐́̈́̇̈͐̓̇̑̅͆͐̚͘͠͝͝͝͠s̷̡͙͇̗͚͕̹̭̩̱̟̲̯̟͚̺̓͜ͅͅę̸̢̡̨͈̭͇͈̝̳͉̤͈̯̥̭̬̦̙̲̣̬̥̜̖̫͎̦̫͇͖͖͇̋̀͂͆͐͋̒͊͆̇̂̑͋̀̈́̓̊̓͐̒͋̍̄͑̏͒̊͘͜͜͜͝͝ ̴̢̢̛͇̮̬͍̤̫̖̞̲̗̺̫͚̭̲͎̖͈͕̯̯̙͉̰̰̐͛͂̿̉̒̂̽̀̔̆̊͐̇͌̿̓̌͜͝͠ͅo̵̧̨̼̱̲͓͕͙̼̘͙̝͙̭̯̬͉̭͔̗̠̣͉̩͎̘̐͊̐͋͑̂͒̏͂̋̓̚͜͜f̷̨̨̨̡̬̬͎̙͓̫̘͉̳̙̖̯͈̖̙̦̣̘̻̞̲̟͇̯̲͔̱̙̝̦̺̩̠̝͉̟̘̹̺̤͍̘̤̻̊͑̍̌͛̿̈́̂̓̉̈́̓̉̈́̄͗̃̂͐̃̓̓̃̀̽́́̓̈́̒͆̔́̀͂̈́͊̿̽̀̋̒̀̾̕̚͘̚͜͠͠͝ ̸̢̢̛̝̫̟͙̬̖͈̣̳̼̯̟̺̤̫͉̟̟̹͍̜̳͉̼̼̣̯͉͇̟̬̬̤̼̖̾̂̏̌͑̒̍͛̐̉͐̿̃̍̈̋̑͐̔̂̑̍̄͌̈́̃̏̾̉͊͜͜͝͠t̶̡̛̤̣̫̫͉̝̩̪͈͙̘͔̘͕̝̘̠̹̩̗̦͇̊̅̽̓͐́͐̆̈͊͆̋̽̂͋͒̿̂̓̅̓̾̄̈̑͊̀͗̊̒̃̀͒̆̽̃́̆͊͂̉̚̚̕͘͘̕͜͠h̴̯͋̿̀͒̔̽̉̆̓̓̂̃͂͊͊͂̏̋̌̆̽̿̄̓̇̅͊͛͛̆̔̃̌̋͗̓́͑͂̊̚̕̕̕̚͠͠͝͝ẽ̶̡̺̥̱̘̫̦̙̣̖͉̟̤̖̪̗͇̩̦̘͇̻͈̞̳̦̥̔̈̅̇̈̍͒̃̄̏̈͊͌̏͐̐͋̏̇̿͐̀̊͆͒̌̋͑̕̚̚̚͜͝͝͝͝͠ͅ ̵̢̧̡̡̛̫̤̥̞͔̦͙̭͇̮̘̠̙̠̞̘̮̜̻͕͕̺̙͎̣͓̤̖̯͉͉̌̒̀̽́͛͐́̿̾̾͋̃̅̇̈́͋̒͊̕͜͜͜͜͜͠͝͝ͅͅͅc̷̡̡̛̮̩̤̺̬̜͈̝̼͓̮̞̝͇̪͍̠̰̥̜̭̰̰͓͈̹̘͖̯̮̙̮̞̺̝̣̣̭̟͍͒̔̎̽̅̎̽̇̈͗̍̌̇̽͋̊̒͐̓̂̌͂̉͂͊̄̌́͋́͊̑̈́͝ȅ̴͙̦̤̀̆͛͋͆͊̄͘̚͜͠ͅl̴̨̡̛͈̹̞̭̼̼̣̯̻̦̦̻̻̆̃̅̒̃͑̈́̊̃̒̓̌̽̔͒̾̽͑̀͂͗̈́̑̅́̕͘͘͝͠l̷̨̥̝͇͚͍̃̾̾̃͐̆̉̈́͛̏̔̊́̂͂̐̀̃̅̉̓̊͗̓̈́̀͂̿̇̋͑͗͐͂͂̓̽͘̕̕̕̕̕͝͠͝.̵̢̡̻͉̻̯̲̝̤͖͖͚͕̭͍̝̤̭͍̬̞̺̬͙͚̙͖͒̑̓̈͒͌̀͆̋̆̿̅̃̂̾̌̊̊̕͘̕͜͠͠ͅ ̷̧̡̧̧̡̛̛̦̮̪̜̦͎͚̻̦͔̮͙̜̠͎̱͙̬͈̤̘͕̘͔̲̯̗͔͍̹̲̪̱̩̘̯̼̞̗̞̻̺̥̃͐̈̌͋̈́̈́̂̎̎̈́͛͋͐͒̐́̍͗̃̄̈͘̕͜͜͠

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[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago
[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (7 children)

Sadly, humans don't have chloroplasts.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 month ago (4 children)

unironically it's pretty strange that i've never even heard of people trying to rectify this, surely someone has tried plonking some choloplasts in a skin cell culture and seeing how it goes?

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[–] Chadus_Maximus@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Edit: the joke has already been made here.

[–] pewgar_seemsimandroid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

the mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell

[–] davepleasebehave@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

The Vault is the _____ of the cell?

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