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The David J. Sencer CDC Museum will re-open with new visitation protocols on January 2nd, 2026. All visitors must make advanced reservations. Walk-in visits are no longer permitted.
The following information is required while making reservations:
- Visitors to provide first, middle, and last name
Visitors 18 and over will also need to submit:
- Date of birth
- Citizenship (Select U.S. or non-U.S. citizen)
- Government-issued valid (not expired) REAL ID number or passport number
Bring confirmation email(s) for museum visit.
Cells: The Universe Inside Us
Journey into the microscopic world of cells
September 24, 2012 – January 4, 2013
Did you know that trillions of cells are working together as you breathe, sleep, and think? Take a closer look at your cells and find out what is really happening every moment that you are alive.
Throughout the exhibit you can meet scientists who are asking questions about cells and watch complex cell processes transformed into choreographed dances.
Exhibit highlights
- Virtual experiments using gold particles and stem cells
- Giant walk-in cell
- Videos of cells in action
- Cells and the miracle of life
- Control a time-lapse movie showing human fetal development. Use a magnifying glass to compare pig embryos to photos of a developing human embryo. Watch your arm move and muscle cells contract. Match a cell’s shape to its job.
The world inside a cell
See models of a cell membrane, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and lysosome inside a giant cell. Fly inside a virtual cell on a huge screen. Make protein shapes with your shadow. Play a computer game to see how proteins are made inside the nucleus.
Cells and your health
Compare an osteoporotic bone to a healthy bone, a smoker’s lungs and non-smoker’s lungs, and a clogged artery to a healthy artery. Use a virtual scalpel to cut a planaria in half and watch it regenerate. Design a cancer fighting nanoparticle in a virtual lab. Get moving and see how exercise affects your body at the cellular level.
Cells: The Universe Inside Us was created and produced by the Maryland Science Center with funding from MetLife Foundation.