3D models

The model shows the protozoan large thrips. The model is collapsible - it can be split in two and the individual organelles can also be removed from it. The largest organelle is the macronucleus, right next to it is the micronucleus, further in the model we see food and pulsating vacuoles, the cellular pharynx and the cellular anus. There are eyebrows on the surface of the trepka. These could not be created with 3D printing technology, so they were completed in post-processing.

The models represent the world's major volcanoes. Pupils themselves can prepare volcanoes for printing. The demonstration can demonstrate different types of volcanoes and their parts (caldera, volcanic cone, etc.).

Unlike an animal cell, a plant cell has a cell wall made of cellulose on its surface. Inside the cell we find similar organelles as in an animal cell: nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and mitochondria. The difference from the animal cell also lies in the presence of chloroplasts and vacuoles. Chloroplasts contain the green pigment (chlorophyll) enabling photosynthesis. Vacuoles are formed by a simple membrane and filled with an aqueous solution.

The section of a prism by a plane is a polygon whose vertices lie on the edges of the solid and whose sides lie in the walls of the solid. For a regular hexagonal prism, the section can be one of four types of polygons: triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon. And for each of these n-gons, an infinite number of variations can occur. This model of a regular hexagonal prism and a set of polygons allows you to create and illustrate some selected examples of these situations, making it a very useful tool for teaching geometry in space. Additional polygons can be printed separately for the set.

In the middle of the model is the most important organelle - the nucleus, which contains genetic information and at the same time controls protein synthesis. The model also shows its envelope - the nuclear membrane with nuclear pores. Its function is to mediate contact between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Attached to the nuclear membrane is the rough endoplasmic reticulum, called rough because it carries ribosomes. A smooth endoplasmic reticulum is still present in the cell, which is devoid of ribosomes. The Golgi apparatus is connected to the Endoplasmic Reticulum, which serves to transport and modify proteins. Another important organelle is the mitochondrion, we can recognize it by the wavy inner membrane that creates the so-called cristae. The job of mitochondria is to produce energy. In the model, we can also see cytoskeletal fibers and clathrin baskets containing transport vesicles. The smallest spherical structures are lysosomes containing hydrolytic enzymes.

3D models of individual continents. After printing all the parts, a complete map of the whole world can be assembled (Antarctica is missing). It is possible to demonstrate the distribution of land and water surfaces as well as the height division of the individual continents.

The printed and colored model of the biomembrane can be circulated around the class, thanks to which students can see in detail the phospholipid bilayer, which is not a solid structure and the individual layers of phospholipids slide freely over each other (if the two halves of the model are not glued together), i.e. the so-called liquid mosaic model. Furthermore, embedded proteins of various nature can be seen among the phospholipids, serving for cellular transport (symport and antiport). It can clearly be seen that the outer and inner surfaces of the membrane are not the same. Of the proteins, they can observe integral proteins that pass through the entire bilayer and protrude both on the inside and on the outside. They have a channel in them that serves for the transport of ions. They also see helical proteins that do not pass all the way to the inside of the membrane, they protrude outwards above the membrane and can serve, for example, as receptors. And also on this model, they can see exocytosis and endocytosis indicated, i.e., a transport sac that protrudes or protrudes, respectively.

World map on an oval background. The distribution of land and water bodies can be demonstrated. We recommend coloring or printing the continents in two colors of filament.

The cartographic feature template can be used to manually create thematic maps of different regions. It can be used as a technical/topographic ruler.

A prokaryotic cell has a cell wall on its surface, with a plasma membrane underneath. The inner space of the cell is filled by the cytoplasm with ribosomes and the nucleoid (DNA molecule). Flagella are used to move bacteria. Bacteria tend to have even smaller pilli, which are not shown on the model, but can be completed as part of the so-called post-processing. The model is collapsible - thanks to neodymium magnets (3 pieces with dimensions 10 x 10 x 3 mm) it can be folded into 3 parts. On the unfolded model, it is possible to observe the structure of the bacterium in the longitudinal and transverse directions. The insertion of magnets must be thought of when printing.

Chromosomes consist of two parts called chromatids. The place where the chromatids meet is called the centromere. On the chromatids we see a short (p-arm) and a long arm (q-arm). The uneven surface shows the twisted loops of DNA from which the chromosome is formed. Each of these chromosome models can be divided into two chromatids thanks to the magnets located in the centromere. The ends of the chromosome arms are detachable, allowing chromosomes to be combined to show crossing over. For each chromosome, 4 neodymium magnets with dimensions of 3 x 10 x 10 mm are needed. Printing must be paused to insert the magnets into the chromosomes.

The model of the skull of a male polar bear was scanned by scientists based on the skull of a bear from the expedition of 1916. At first glance, we can see the lower braincase, which is filled with a brain of a smaller size than the hindbrain in a living bear. When viewed from above, the olfactory bulbs protrude in front and the cerebellum at the back, unlike primate brains. We see a gap in the jaws behind the canines and then the other teeth with pointed bumps. The eye sockets are open and point to the sides.

Pupils will see a short section of a blood capillary, the wall of which is made up of only one layer of cells (the endothelium). These cells are tightly connected to each other, forming a barrier. On their surface are also cells called pericytes, which surround the layers of endothelial cells in the capillary network of the brain. These cells play an important role in maintaining the blood-brain barrier as well as several other homeostatic and hemostatic functions of the brain. The hairline is very narrow. The model shows that its diameter corresponds to the size of an erythrocyte. Here the blood flow slows down a lot so that respiratory gases, metabolites, metabolic products, etc. can be transferred between tissue fluid and blood.

The model shows a section of the ovary with primary and secondary follicles (Graafian follicles) in which cavities are formed, hence they are also called cavitary. The next visible stage is the preovulatory follicles. A fully developed preovulatory follicle reaches a size of 25 mm and takes 85-95 days to develop. As it grows and develops, it arches the ovarian wall above itself, and it thins. After the wall of the follicle has ruptured and the egg has been washed out, the so-called ovulation, the emptied follicle turns into a yellow body (corpus luteum), composed of luteal cells secreting the hormone estrogen and, above all, a large amount of progesterone. We can see these, together with the nourishing vessel of the ovary, also on the model.

This is an accurate 35,000,000:1 scale model of DNA. It's a playset because you can print out copies of the four nucleotides (A, T, G, and C) and assemble them into any sequence you want. Nucleotides are intended to be printed as circuits only, so turn off padding. The individual parts have their letter embossed on the outer edges, but it is still better to print them in different colors so that the sequence is obvious. Remember that bases pair like this: A (adenine) is followed by T (thymine) and G (guanine) is followed by C (cytosine). The shapes of the snap parts force this pairing. You may also notice that the A-T bond is less rigid than the G-C bond: this is intended to model the fact that G-C pairs are joined by three bonds (hydrogen bonds) while A-T pairs are joined by only two. When folding the helix from the individual flat pieces, different angles are created, so the plug joints along the backbone of the helix should only be aligned along the outer edge. The letters are oriented so that if you read the assembled sequence from left to right, you read from the 5' end to the 3' end of the strand, which is the convention for listing DNA sequences. Individual parts are printed quickly and it does not take long to create a fiber part. However, be prepared that if you want to print all 2.9 billion base pairs of the human genome, you will have to wait a while.

The model can be used for a puzzle game to practice the location of European countries and their capitals. The model can also be used as a template for delineating state borders, where we can also mark the capital thanks to the opening. It can only be used for printing in some countries, for example the neighboring countries of the Czech Republic.

A solar model or tellurium, on which the movement of the planets around the Sun can be demonstrated. Planet Earth also has a model of the Moon. The basic consequences of planetary movements can be demonstrated on the model, why day and night alternate, where is summer and winter on our planet, in which position we see the moon from Earth and in what phase. When are solar and lunar eclipses etc.

A detailed model of the globe showing the distribution of land and water bodies. The model can demonstrate not only the roundness of the Earth, but also the distribution of the individual continents. On the mainland, there is also an elevational discontinuity.

The macaque model was created by 3D scanning a real macaque skull. The macaque is a primate, so on the model of its skull we can see the location of the eye sockets towards the front, the gaze is thus directed in front of itself, the fields of vision of both eyes overlap, and this enables binocular vision - perception of a 3D image, a good estimate of depth and distance, etc. Compared to animals, we can also see changes in the position, shape and arrangement of teeth. There is also a model of a macaque brain inside the skull, gyrification (convolutions) is visible on its surface. When viewed from above, neither the olfactory bulbs nor the cerebellum protrude because the hemispheres of the hindbrain are larger than, for example, in beasts, and all these structures are covered by the hemispheres, just as in humans. We can therefore observe a larger and more arched braincase

Use in primary schools, secondary schools and universities. The model shows a siliceous cell wall of microscopic unicellular algae - diatoms. These are two pennate diatoms, abundant in fresh waters, Navicula and Cocconeis. The basic structures of the shell (frustule) correspond to reality. The frustule consists of two parts that fit together like the lid and bottom of a box (separable, it is possible to add chloroplasts, nucleus, ...). Navicula has a raphe (slit) on each half of the frustule (Cocconeis only on one), and both diatoms have striae (pores in a line on the surface).
Use in primary school: unicellular organisms, unicellular algae most widespread in fresh waters, it is possible to add chloroplasts, nucleus, etc., photosynthesis, movement, in the geological past of the Earth - formation of diatomaceous earth (filtration of beer, wine, building material, insulating material, dynamite, toothpaste), formation of oil (southern deposits) - from organic matter of diatoms.
Use at secondary school, university: unicellular algae, pennate diatoms, construction of diatom frustule, from two parts (epitheca, hypotheca), raphe, striae, pores, movement of diatoms, determination of two representatives: Navicula, Cocconeis. Photosynthesis, function in the ecosystem, human use.

Use in primary schools, secondary schools and universities. The model shows a siliceous cell wall of microscopic unicellular algae - diatoms. These are two pennate diatoms, abundant in fresh waters, Navicula and Cocconeis. The basic structures of the shell (frustule) correspond to reality. The frustule consists of two parts that fit together like the lid and bottom of a box (separable, it is possible to add chloroplasts, nucleus, ...). Navicula has a raphe (slit) on each half of the frustule (Cocconeis only on one), and both diatoms have striae (pores in a line on the surface).
Use in primary school: unicellular organisms, unicellular algae most widespread in fresh waters, it is possible to add chloroplasts, nucleus, etc., photosynthesis, movement, in the geological past of the Earth - formation of diatomaceous earth (filtration of beer, wine, building material, insulating material, dynamite, toothpaste), formation of oil (southern deposits) - from organic matter of diatoms.
Use at secondary school, university: unicellular algae, pennate diatoms, construction of diatom frustule, from two parts (epitheca, hypotheca), raphe, striae, pores, movement of diatoms, determination of two representatives: Navicula, Cocconeis. Photosynthesis, function in the ecosystem, human use.

The model is intended to serve as a so-called insect hotel, i.e. a refuge for various types of insects, which is why holes of different shapes and sizes are modeled in it. It can be assumed that, in addition to solitary bees, it will also be inhabited by other insects. The model is intended for outdoor use and support of pollinators. It is ideal to place it in the garden already in the spring.

A schematic unfolded model of the human heart includes the anterior and posterior cardiac walls with openings for the respective vessels, the cardiac septum and the septum between the atria and ventricles with openings for the tricuspid and bicuspid valves, individual vessels: the superior and inferior vena cava, the four pulmonary veins, the branching pulmonary trunk on the left and right pulmonary artery and aorta. It also includes lunate - aortic and pulmonary and cuspid - tricuspid and bicuspid valves that can be inserted into their respective openings. Labels are also created for all structures, which students can attach to them. The model serves to give a better visual representation of the principle of how the human heart works, where blood enters it, through which parts it flows before entering the pulmonary circulation, where it returns from the lungs, and through which parts it enters the general circulation of the body. Placing the flaps in the respective holes logically helps to understand their function of preventing unwanted backflow of blood. If it happens that the models do not fit together completely during printing, some parts need to be slightly reduced by 1-2%. It depends on the type of printer and the quality of the print.

The lesson is a continuation of the BRAILLE'S CUBE lesson. The use of teaching aids, called Braille cubes, is another way of teaching Braille. In contrast to the "cube", it also allows the composition of individual syllables into words, which is an essential part of the methodology for teaching reading and writing not only to pupils with visual impairments. It develops all the key competences from the RVP, but especially the following:
- understands, thinks about, responds to and creatively uses various types of texts and records, visual materials, commonly used gestures, sounds and other information and communication media for their own development and active participation in social life
- uses information and communication means and technologies for quality and effective communication with the outside world (communicative competence).
The set contains cubes with Braille dots. Each cube contains a graphic representation of one of the Braille characters and its writing in Braille. Specifically, the set contains the combinations for the letters A to Z, punctuation (period, comma, exclamation mark and question mark), and the prefixes "number", "capital letter" and "string of capital letters".
For practical use, the cubes need to be printed in two colours with high colour contrast, preferably a basic light body (white, yellow) and a dark (black) dots. If changing the filament during the printing process is not possible, the cubes need to be finished by post-processing, which would include recolouring the dots

The cap of the Field Mushroom is whitish in colour, it is hemispherical in the younger fruiting body, and in older fruiting bodies it is convex to flat and may be slightly brown. The surface of the cap sometimes develops triangular scales arranged in concentric circles. The underside of the cap has densely growing scales, which are grey-pink in young fruiting bodies and later dark brown. The spine is white and cylindrical, with a white ring, which often disappears with time. The flesh is white and turns slightly pink when disturbed. It is an edible mushroom with a pleasant taste. It is abundant in rich soils, for example in meadows, pastures, or fields, traditionally in groups.
The models of the field mushroom show two stages - the young and the adult. For both, post-processing involves painting the cap and spine white, painting the gills brown, and indicating pinking on the flesh section. In mature fruit, it is advisable to paint the scales on the surface of the cap.

The Deathcap has an olive green to brownish cap, which is hemispherical in the young fruiting body, then arched to flat in the older fruiting body. In the white form of this species, the cap may be pure white. The underside of the cap has white gills. These are covered by a partial veil in the young fruiting body, which remains in the form of a smooth or grooved ring on a cylindrical shaft in older fruit. The stipe is of varying deep green colour on a white ground. When young, the fruiting body is enveloped by a white universal veil, the remnants of which remain on the adult as a white volva at the base of the stipe. The flesh is white. The Deathcap is a deadly poisonous mushroom. It is abundant in deciduous forests and can be found alone or in groups under oaks, hornbeams, or beeches, for example.
Models of the Deathcap depict different stages of fruiting body development - one model shows a young fruiting body covered by a partial veil and the other a mature fruiting body. An important part of the adult model is the volva, which is only attached to the stipe; sticking it on would prevent the two halves of the fruiting body from separating. The gills, ring, and volva should be painted white, the stipe can be given a slightly green tinge and the hat should be shaded green.

The fruiting bodies of the Common Puffball are club-shaped and white or grey in colour. The surface is covered with nipples. When the spores are ripe, a bore opens at the top of the fruiting body, through which the spores are expelled. The inside of young fruiting bodies is white, while older fruiting bodies have a cottony brown flesh inside. The Common Puffball is an edible mushroom when young. It grows abundantly in groups in deciduous and coniferous forests, at the edge of paths, or in meadows.
The models of the puffball show adult fruiting bodies. If they are printed with white filament, there is no need to finish them, just clean off any excess filament fibres.

The Yellow Stagshorn has flexible, bushy, branched fruiting bodies that are yellow or orange in colour. Its fruiting body is entirely covered with a sporophore. The spine forms forked tips towards the top. Yellow Stagshorn is a non-edible species. It is abundant on the dead wood of conifers.
The models of the Yellow Stagshorn show adult fruiting bodies. If they are printed with orange filament, there is no need to finish them, just clean off any excess filament fibers.

The model shows the elements of xylem - blood vessels (tracheae), tubular cells with dissolved transverse septa. Dead blood vessel cells do not contain protoplasts, only an aqueous solution of minerals (shown as empty cells).
The model shows elements of the lycae - sieve cells (phloem), living cells connected by perforated cell walls (sieves). Living cells do not contain vacuoles and nuclei, their contents consist of protoplast (cytoplasm shown in white) containing mitochondria (red organelles) and plastids (black and yellow organelles).
The cell size ratio of blood vessels and sieve cells approximately corresponds to reality.

A model of a geological formation of a volcano with a typical volcanic cone. Volcanoes are found in different parts of the world and can be of different shapes and sizes. The 3D model shows the cone-shaped shape of the volcano, a magmatic chamber, a conduit (pipe), and a crater at the top. The model also shows the parasitic cone, a lava flow, and a secondary crater are visible.

The model of the nerve synapse consists of several parts that are printed separately in different colours and after printing the individual parts are assembled into one overall model. The model of the synapse is composed of two basic parts. The first part shows the presynaptic part of the synapse consisting of a knob-like extension of the axonal ending. In the presynaptic part, holes are modeled to represent the vesicles into which individually printed neurotransmitters in the shape of small balls need to be glued. In the presynaptic part there are also several models of mitochondria, which are inserted into the modeled holes designed for them. The second part of the model consists of a postsynaptic section showing the location on the cell to which the nerve impulse passes. A total of five receptors are modelled in the cell membrane, to which the binding neurotransmitters need to be glued, because the receptors show the gradual opening of ion channels. The ion models are made up of small spheres printed separately in the same way as the neurotransmitter models, and the ions are then glued into the ion channels as well as into the designated holes for them located in the postsynaptic model. These two basic parts of the model are connected at the back by a bracket. The bracket in the model serves to make visible the synaptic cleft between the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes, which in reality is located between them. The model is made in such a way that the process of nerve impulse transmission from one nerve cell to another can be seen. The model does not show the ion channels for Ca2+ ion input, nor does it show models of these ions, for the reason that they are not mentioned in the description of nerve synapses in naturaly history textbooks.

The neuron model consists of several parts that need to be printed separately with different colours in the case of single filament 3D printers, and then assembled. The model is based on the morphology of a multipolar neuron, as this is the model type of neuron shown in all natural history textbooks, which describes the basic structure of a nerve cell. At the same time, the model is made so that you can see what the body of the neuron looks like in section. The basic part of the model is the body of the neuron, on which several differently branched dendrites are modelled. This base also includes the axon, which is expanded as it exits the body to represent the initial segment of the axon. The body of the neuron is cut so that a hemispherical model representing the cytoplasm can be inserted into it. The cytoplasm model contains a blank space for a spherical model of the nucleus. Two small models of mitochondria are also inserted into the cytoplasm. Only these two organelles are shown in the neuron model because they are the most important in terms of function and because they are the only organelles depicted in the context of the neuron in natural history textbooks. Another part of the model is the myelin sheaths, which are made up of cylinders that have a hole inside them so that they can be slid onto the axon. A total of three models of myelin sheaths fit on the axon and show that the myelin sheath of the axon is not continuous, so Ranvier's notches located between the myelin sheaths can be shown on the model of the neuron. The last part of the neuron model is the axonal termination model consisting of individual branches at the end of which there is a knob-like extension participating in the synapse. The axonal ending is connected to the rest of the model by a peg that is modelled at the end of the axon.