Build a Cell

Our first off-line lab project is to build a cell using any materials we wanted. One of my favorite places to be is in the kitchen, so I decided to make mine edible. My cell was constructed out of things I found in the pantry and the fridgerator. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This is the very beginning of my project, where I chose my materials.

*Plasma Membrane- glass pie dish
*Nucleus-

Nuclear envelope-orange peel
Chromatin- orange's insides

Nucleolus- Atomic Fire Ball

*Endoplasmic Reticulum-
Rough- grahm crackers

Smooth- candy corn
*Ribosomes- yellow sprinkles

*Polyribosomes- black rice
*Mitochondion- mallowcreams
*Golgi Apparatus- sour gummy worms
*Cytoplasm- orange Jell-O
*Vesicles- green spice drops

*Lysosomes- red spice drops
*Centrosome- Centrioles-peppermint sticks

*Cytoskeleton-

Actin Filaments- red thread
Intermediate Filaments- blue thread
Microtubules- spaghetti noodles

*Proteins- blue sprinkles
*Lipids- orange sprinkles
Enzymes- green sprinkles

Picture 1 is all of my materials, picture 2 is during the build, picture 3 is my cell chilling in the fridge (LOL), and picture 4 is the finished product.

Functions:

*Nucleus- the power house of the cell

*Nuclear Envelope- double membrane with nuclear poresthat encloses the nucleus.

*Chromatin- diffuse threads containing protein and DNA.

*Nucleolus- region that produces subunits of ribosomes.

*Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum- studded with ribosomes; aides in protein production.

*Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum- lacks ribosomes; synthesizes lipid molecules.

*Ribosomes- particles that carry out protein synthesis.

*Mitochondrion- organelle that carries out cellular respiration, producing ATP molecules.

*Polyribosome- string of ribosomes simultaneously synthesizing the same protein.

*Golgi Apparatus- processes, packages, and secretes modified cell products.

*Cytoplasm- semifluid matrix outside the nucleus that contains organelles.

*Vesicle- membrane- bounded sac that stores and transports substances.

*Lysosome- vesicle that digests macromolecules and even cell parts.

*Centrosome- microtubule organizing center that contains a pair of centrioles.

*Centrioles- short cylinders of microtubules of unknown function.

*Cytoskeleton- maintains cell shape and assists movement of cell parts.

*Microtubules- cylinders of protein molecules present in cytoplasm, centrioles, cilia, and flagella.

*Intermediate Filaments- protein fibers that provide support and strength.
*Actin Filaments- protein fibers that play a role in movement of cell and organelles.

Now for my models of DNA unzipping to form mRNA, and the process of Mitosis.

This is my model of Transcription, to form mRNA. After that occurs, the mRNA leave the nucleus for Translation, where mRNA combines with ribosomes and tRNA, who carry amino acids, to form amino acid chains, also known as Proteins.

Mitosis:

Early Prophase- Centrosomes have duplicated. Chromatin is condensing into chromosomes, and the nuclear envelope is fragmenting.

Prophase- Nucleolus has disappeared, and duplicated chromosomes are visible. Centrosomes begin moving apart, and spindle is in process of forming.

Early Metaphase- Each chromatid is attached to a spindle fiber. Some spindle fibers stretch from each spindle pole and overlap.

Metaphase- Centrosomes of duplicated chromosomes are aligned at the equator (center of the fully formed spindle). Spindle fibers attached to the sister chromatids come from opposite spindle poles.

Anaphase- Sister chromatids part and become daughter chromosomes that move toward the spindle poles. In this way, each pole recieves the same number and kinds of chromosomes as the parental cell.

Telophase- Daughter cells are forming as nuclear envelopes and nucleoli reappear. Chromosomes will become indistinct chromatin.

Cytokinesis- The division of the cytoplasm and organelles.

Well, there's my lab project. I had so much fun making everything, and I learned a lot about cells and how complex they are. I definitly look forward to the next project!

(All photos taken with my Nikon D50, and all definitions are thanks to Sylvia S. Mader, Human Biology, 10e)