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 2 weeks ago (2 children)

The cell is the cell of the cell

[–] dalekcaan@lemm.ee 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Cells within cells within cells, interlinked

[–] oftheair@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks 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 2 weeks ago

the mitochondria is the cell of the cell

[–] subtext@lemmy.world 60 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The cell wall is the wall of the cell

Finally one I can remember

[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

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

[–] protist@mander.xyz 37 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

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

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 4 points 2 weeks ago

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

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 19 points 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks ago (1 children)

What is going on at your schools?!

[–] exasperation@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 weeks ago

FitnessGram Pacer Tests, obviously

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

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

[–] Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca 15 points 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks ago

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

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[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 15 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks 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 2 weeks ago

of the cell

[–] JayGray91@piefed.social 13 points 2 weeks ago

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

[–] pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The midichlorian is the light saber of the cell.

[–] oftheair@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 weeks ago

[Playful] Don't force it there.

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 weeks ago

The Human is the Fediverse of cells.

[–] Limonene@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks 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 2 weeks ago

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

[–] Mustakrakish@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

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

[–] ynthrepic@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (2 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.

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[–] apotheotic@beehaw.org 8 points 2 weeks ago

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

Wait, say that again

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 weeks ago

The Undertaker threw Mankind off hell of the cell

[–] Townlately@feddit.nl 7 points 2 weeks ago

This is absoplasmic reticulous.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago
[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Ok now do the ye olde version

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

M̸̰̼̳̯͉̻̗̻͚̻̰̀̒̑̈́̐͗̆̾̿͐̏̌͜͝͝i̴̻̦̳͍̮͍̰̭͕͈͕̬̭̪̱̰̜͆̄̎̈́̂̽͆̃͌̿͛̀t̸̨̢̛͓̤̲̤͍̭͈͙͓̰͛̓̓́̀͛̆̃̍̀̈́̔́͋̑͌̅̀̎́͑͆́̿̌̍̆͗̈̐̊͘̕͝õ̸̡̧̨̡̡̳̮͓͎̫̯̝̳̺͖̞̻͓͖̘̹̜̺̜͕̜͈̯̖̰̠͔̱̒̉͗͆̐́̎͋̚͜͜͠͠͠ͅc̷̡̧̛̛̛̣̖̳̜̘̤̘̣̬̪̯̼̘͎̻̩̣̦͕̖͛̆̈́̀̿͗̄̈́̒̃̀͋͋́͗̈́̑̎͆̊̾̎̐̚͘͜͝͝h̷̨̝̳̖̬̩͕̗͓̻͉͚̠̩͎͍̠̩͚̫̝̖̱̤̲̰̲͓̅͋̓̄̋̀̄̋͊̈͑̈́̊͗̏̕͜ǫ̸̯͖̬̖̰̲̤͖̈́̃̐̍̓̉̈́͊̔͑̓́͂̀͐͂͒̽͒̐͆̂͑̑͊̔̎̎̃̾̄̾̄͛̒̽̿͂̇̋́̍͘͠͠͝͝͝ņ̷͙͍͍͎͊̈̊̀̍̇̒̾̓͋̽̇̃́̌̈́̇͌̐̇̇̓͐̓̋͜͠͝͝ḋ̸̢̢̢̧̛͖̟̜̞̰̤̣͈̯͖̪̱̟̻̣͈̮͈͙̞̜͙̬̮̮̮͍̀̃̉̏̌̆̉̒̏̌̅̋̓͂̆́̅̏͛͌̀̈̒̈́̽̒̒͒̏́̅͊̑͌͐͌͋͗̉̈́̓͒̚͜͜͝͝͝͝͠͠ͅŗ̵̡̧̧̢̛͓̬̬̯̣͎̮̫͈̮̟̪̮̯̯̻̮̗̹̤͓̠̼͎̝̲̲͋͒̈́͑͑̓̃̅͆̽̽̈́̽̀̔͗̃͋̉̋̐̋̆̈́̈́̾̃̍͘̕͘͜͠i̸̡̡̪̳͖͈͔̙̮̜͖̼̳̳̭̹̝̙̫͈͇̻̬̞̜̦͉̗̠̩̰̅̀̾̒͒̊̃̏̿̾͠a̴̛̯̥̹͕͇̳̤̫̠̼͇͇̬̎͛͛̅̾̆̓͊́́̀̈͐͒̎͐̋́̈̂͑̍͋̾͌̓̌̓̋͋̓̈́̚̕͜ ̶̢̛̟͖̱̪̝̜̼͉̪͔̬̼̘̰̙̼̠͚͎̇̽̀̀̈́́̆̊̐̅̿͋͒̒̋̂̋̏̔̈́̿̅͑̀̒̍͐̏͑̓̈͐̑̚͜į̷̭̻̝̤͍̬͚̘̝̹̫̤̫͇͈͍̙̬̖͕̳̯̜̱͚̼͕̣̺̭̙̻̩̈̋̊̾̏̈́͛̐̃̒́͂̏̚͠͠͝s̵̡̨̛͍̙͈̰̭̲̰̘̰̮͎̹̯̗̻͔̜͉̹̠̤͙̱̳̤͉̙̙̝͎̟̲͕̦̲͔̀̽͑̐̎̀̂͂̑̄̉̌͊͌͂́̃͊͑́́͐͋̾̔̎̍̀͊̎͊̾̒̈́̌͗̑͑̈́̿̆̋̕̕͘̚̚͠͠ͅ ̵̢̟̖̰̥̝̿̒͆̔̑t̴̡̨̧̢̛̤̠̯̝̝̥̲͎͕̘̭̠̼̬̬̮̞͕̬͈̬͚̯͕̼̝͖͖̤͙͚̩̞̹̦̻̜̦̜̜̏͐̍͊͊́̄͐̀̑͗̅̋̀̀͝͠͝h̶̰͕̮̣̏͋̆̑̍̓͋́͋̈́̈͒́̽̎͐͊͛̓͑̎͊̈̌̍͒̉̉͗͐̅͑̓̉͌͋̓̃̈́̀̾̈́̇̚͠͝ȩ̶̺̙̙̼͖̪̲͎̼̰̬̞̳̝̲̥͇̼͖̫̠̣͙̗̺͚͙͓̞͙̪̠̟̦̤̫̙̮͚̝͎͉͈̼̳̉̽̿̾̿̔̒̿̐̃̅̓̋̽͋͌̏͘͘͝ ̸̡̡̨̢̧̘̘͓̣̺̬̫͓̗͇͓͕̥͇̰͉̻̠̮̮̳̪͙̝̞͓̭̫̜͈̞͈̰̩̼̳̮̳̞̆͗̔̄̎͋̈́̓͛̈́̈́̉̕͘͝ͅͅͅp̶̢̧̳̹̻̖͓̲͔̪̙̩̰̤̙̮̺̤̗̼̦̳̤̹̬̗̬͇̰̠̼̲̞̞͓̘͕̩̼͕̪͚̖̯̰̯̩͎͛͊̀́ͅỏ̶̢̢̦̮̗̺̦̗̼̹̪̟͍̤̙̮͙̺̱̼̫̟͖̘͔̲̺͔̠̓̑̈́̽̏̑̈́̂̎͗̍̂̎̆̍̃̍͆̊͌̈́̑̂̽̊̒̀͒͋̾̂̇̀̈́̈͒͗́͛̇̌̉̔̕͘̕͠͝͝w̷̧̡̲̘̞̰̼̭̹̬̳̮͈̥̼̝̬͓̬̤͖͓͔̳͓̥͚̼̱͎͔̰̬̪̼̞͔̳̼̾̓́̄̀̒̓̓͛́̀͒̇͜͝ͅȩ̵̺̮͉̺̦͚̘͓̜̼̟͓̙͉̣̟͓̝̩͉̦̳͎̲̜̙̪͈̠͕̋̔̀̅́͛͌͐͌̀̆̾͊̆̑͛̃̿̃̑͆̚̕͜͠͝͠͠͝ͅr̸̨̡̧̨̢̛̠̼͖͈̘͓̯̟͓̭̮̜̼̩̗̻̟̥̥̖̗̞̼͎̣̥͕͓̥̙̫̹͎̀́́́̉̃̓͜ͅͅh̵̨̨̢̳̤͈͙̗̜͔͙̭̰̳̜̣͕̮̫̰̞͖̗̫̻͍̭̥͈̰̯̣̳̠͚̬̳̭̟͚̝̜̞̠͙̘͒͜ͅͅͅͅͅõ̸̧̫̲̥̹͚̮̹͍̘̱̥͙̲̃͆͋̈́̀̑͋̈̉̏͗̌̑̊̋̈́̈̈́̉͘̕͜͠͝͠͝ͅự̸̧̝͔̣͔͍̯͈̘̥͍̙̳̋͂̀̒̓̌̋́͗̊͐́̈́̇̈͐̓̇̑̅͆͐̚͘͠͝͝͝͠s̷̡͙͇̗͚͕̹̭̩̱̟̲̯̟͚̺̓͜ͅͅę̸̢̡̨͈̭͇͈̝̳͉̤͈̯̥̭̬̦̙̲̣̬̥̜̖̫͎̦̫͇͖͖͇̋̀͂͆͐͋̒͊͆̇̂̑͋̀̈́̓̊̓͐̒͋̍̄͑̏͒̊͘͜͜͜͝͝ ̴̢̢̛͇̮̬͍̤̫̖̞̲̗̺̫͚̭̲͎̖͈͕̯̯̙͉̰̰̐͛͂̿̉̒̂̽̀̔̆̊͐̇͌̿̓̌͜͝͠ͅo̵̧̨̼̱̲͓͕͙̼̘͙̝͙̭̯̬͉̭͔̗̠̣͉̩͎̘̐͊̐͋͑̂͒̏͂̋̓̚͜͜f̷̨̨̨̡̬̬͎̙͓̫̘͉̳̙̖̯͈̖̙̦̣̘̻̞̲̟͇̯̲͔̱̙̝̦̺̩̠̝͉̟̘̹̺̤͍̘̤̻̊͑̍̌͛̿̈́̂̓̉̈́̓̉̈́̄͗̃̂͐̃̓̓̃̀̽́́̓̈́̒͆̔́̀͂̈́͊̿̽̀̋̒̀̾̕̚͘̚͜͠͠͝ ̸̢̢̛̝̫̟͙̬̖͈̣̳̼̯̟̺̤̫͉̟̟̹͍̜̳͉̼̼̣̯͉͇̟̬̬̤̼̖̾̂̏̌͑̒̍͛̐̉͐̿̃̍̈̋̑͐̔̂̑̍̄͌̈́̃̏̾̉͊͜͜͝͠t̶̡̛̤̣̫̫͉̝̩̪͈͙̘͔̘͕̝̘̠̹̩̗̦͇̊̅̽̓͐́͐̆̈͊͆̋̽̂͋͒̿̂̓̅̓̾̄̈̑͊̀͗̊̒̃̀͒̆̽̃́̆͊͂̉̚̚̕͘͘̕͜͠h̴̯͋̿̀͒̔̽̉̆̓̓̂̃͂͊͊͂̏̋̌̆̽̿̄̓̇̅͊͛͛̆̔̃̌̋͗̓́͑͂̊̚̕̕̕̚͠͠͝͝ẽ̶̡̺̥̱̘̫̦̙̣̖͉̟̤̖̪̗͇̩̦̘͇̻͈̞̳̦̥̔̈̅̇̈̍͒̃̄̏̈͊͌̏͐̐͋̏̇̿͐̀̊͆͒̌̋͑̕̚̚̚͜͝͝͝͝͠ͅ ̵̢̧̡̡̛̫̤̥̞͔̦͙̭͇̮̘̠̙̠̞̘̮̜̻͕͕̺̙͎̣͓̤̖̯͉͉̌̒̀̽́͛͐́̿̾̾͋̃̅̇̈́͋̒͊̕͜͜͜͜͜͠͝͝ͅͅͅc̷̡̡̛̮̩̤̺̬̜͈̝̼͓̮̞̝͇̪͍̠̰̥̜̭̰̰͓͈̹̘͖̯̮̙̮̞̺̝̣̣̭̟͍͒̔̎̽̅̎̽̇̈͗̍̌̇̽͋̊̒͐̓̂̌͂̉͂͊̄̌́͋́͊̑̈́͝ȅ̴͙̦̤̀̆͛͋͆͊̄͘̚͜͠ͅl̴̨̡̛͈̹̞̭̼̼̣̯̻̦̦̻̻̆̃̅̒̃͑̈́̊̃̒̓̌̽̔͒̾̽͑̀͂͗̈́̑̅́̕͘͘͝͠l̷̨̥̝͇͚͍̃̾̾̃͐̆̉̈́͛̏̔̊́̂͂̐̀̃̅̉̓̊͗̓̈́̀͂̿̇̋͑͗͐͂͂̓̽͘̕̕̕̕̕͝͠͝.̵̢̡̻͉̻̯̲̝̤͖͖͚͕̭͍̝̤̭͍̬̞̺̬͙͚̙͖͒̑̓̈͒͌̀͆̋̆̿̅̃̂̾̌̊̊̕͘̕͜͠͠ͅ ̷̧̡̧̧̡̛̛̦̮̪̜̦͎͚̻̦͔̮͙̜̠͎̱͙̬͈̤̘͕̘͔̲̯̗͔͍̹̲̪̱̩̘̯̼̞̗̞̻̺̥̃͐̈̌͋̈́̈́̂̎̎̈́͛͋͐͒̐́̍͗̃̄̈͘̕͜͜͠

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[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

Sadly, humans don't have chloroplasts.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 weeks 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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[–] MrShankles@reddthat.com 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Welcome to the slaughterhouse; I'm autosome

[–] davepleasebehave@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

The Vault is the _____ of the cell?

[–] pewgar_seemsimandroid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

the mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell

[–] Chadus_Maximus@lemm.ee 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Edit: the joke has already been made here.

[–] Midnitte@beehaw.org 2 points 2 weeks ago

Wtf is a workhouse?

How about the ER is the Amazon Warehouse, since it folds up protein?

Or maybe the ER is the gym, since it synthesizes protein?

Or maybe workhorse since it seems to do so much....

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