7A Cells Lateral Thinking Puzzles

Here are 5 lateral thinking puzzles for children on the theme of biological cells, complete with hints:

Puzzle 1: The Invisible Doorman

In a bustling microscopic city, there’s a doorman who lets some visitors in but turns others away. Strangely, this doorman can be solid or liquid, and sometimes even both at the same time. What is this mysterious doorman?

Hint: Think about something that controls what enters and exits a cell, and consider its unique physical properties.

Puzzle 2: The Endless Copier

There’s a machine that can make perfect copies of itself. Each copy can also make copies, and so on. But if the copies keep multiplying forever, why doesn’t the whole world become filled with these machines?

Hint: Consider what happens when living things grow or heal, but also think about what keeps this process in check.

Puzzle 3: The Shapeshifting Worker

In a tiny factory, there’s a worker who can change their shape to do many different jobs. Sometimes they’re long and stringy, other times they’re folded into complex shapes. They can be builders, transporters, or even security guards. What kind of worker is this?

Hint: These molecules perform various functions in cells depending on their structure.

Puzzle 4: The Living Blueprint

There’s a set of instructions so important that every room in the microscopic city has a copy. But here’s the strange part: the instructions are written in a language that uses only four letters. How can such complex information be written with so few characters?

Hint: Think about the genetic code and how it’s structured.

Puzzle 5: The Sacrificial Guardians

In this tiny world, there are brave guardians who protect the city by sacrificing themselves. When danger approaches, they rush to surround it, even if it means they’ll be destroyed in the process. Surprisingly, their sacrifice actually makes the city stronger. What are these guardians?

Hint: Consider how our body fights off infections and what happens to certain immune cells in the process.