A cell model is a three-dimensional structure that shows the various parts of an animal or plant cell. You can make one using some material already in the house or buy a few, simple items to try your hand at an educational and fun project.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Do Research
Step 1. Decide if you want to build an animal or plant cell model
They have different shapes, so depending on your decision you have to get different materials.
Step 2. Learn about the parts that make up a plant cell
You need to understand what each organelle looks like and what role it plays within the cell. Generally, a plant cell is larger than an animal cell and has a rectangular or cubic shape.
- You can find many great illustrations on the internet.
- The main feature of the plant cell is a thick and rigid cell wall, contrary to the animal one.
Step 3. Study the parts of the animal cell
Unlike that of plants, the animal cell does not have a wall, only a cell membrane. It can have different sizes and even irregular shapes. Animal cells generally have a diameter between 1 and 100 micrometers and are visible only under the microscope.
Again the internet is a valuable source of detailed images
Method 2 of 4: Jelly Model
Step 1. Gather all the materials
To create a jelly model you need:
- Lemon or neutral jelly;
- Fruit juice with a light color (if you use neutral gelatin);
- Different fruits and candies such as raisins, gummy worms (both normal and sour), gummy drops, jelly bellies, grapes, tangerine wedges, sugar sprinkles, M & M's, jawbone sweets, dried fruit and / or hard candies. Avoid marshmallows as they tend to float in jelly;
- Waterfall;
- A sealable plastic bag;
- A spoon;
- A large bowl or container;
- Cooker or microwave;
- Fridge.
Step 2. Make the gelatin but use less water than indicated on the package
In this way the final product will be more compact and the parts of the cell will keep their position.
- Bring the water to a boil using only ¾ of the amount indicated in the gelatin instructions. Dissolve the gelatin powder in boiling water and mix thoroughly. Finally add an equal amount of cold water.
- If you have decided to use neutral gelatin, add some fruit juice instead of cold water, so that it takes on a light and bright color.
- Gelatin represents the cytoplasm of the cell.
Step 3. Place the plastic bag in a sturdy container, such as a large bowl or saucepan
Slowly pour the cold jelly into it.
- Make sure there is enough room for all the organelles that you will insert later.
- Close the bag and put everything in the refrigerator.
Step 4. Wait for the gelatin to solidify, it will take at least an hour
Finally, take the bag out of the refrigerator and open it.
Step 5. Add the various candies that represent the internal structures of the cell
Be careful to use those of the right color for each organelle and respect their true shapes as well.
Remember that if you are making a plant cell model you need to add the cell wall around the gelatin. You can use candies similar to licorice braids or candy canes
Step 6. Create a legend to explain which organelle each candy represents
You can also create a table in which to paste a piece of each candy or label each part with the name of the organelle.
Step 7. Reseal the pouch with the jelly pattern and return it to the refrigerator
This allows the gelatin to fully stabilize, thus obtaining a sturdy pattern.
Feel free to take a picture of your artwork and eat it
Method 3 of 4: Pie Model
Step 1. Gather all the ingredients
To make a cell model with a cake you will need:
- Cake batter and then all the ingredients to prepare it;
- Vanilla glaze;
- Food coloring of your choice;
- Various candies to represent organelles such as: blue, pink sugared almonds, hard candies, licorice slides, sour chewy vermicelli and sugar sprinkles;
- Toothpick;
- Labels.
Step 2. Prepare the cake, choosing the shape of the cake pan based on the type of cell you want to represent
Use a round cake pan for the animal cell and a rectangular cake pan for the plant one.
- Follow the instructions on the package to bake the cake. You can also save some batter to make a cupcake to represent the core.
- Wait until the cake is completely cold and then remove it from the pan. Then place it on the cardboard.
- You can also bake two 22cm diameter cakes and stack them on top of each other if you want to make a taller model.
Step 3. Icing the cake
Dye the vanilla icing with a food coloring, choosing the hue based on the cell structure it will represent.
- For example, you can separate the frosting into different colors to indicate the various cell layers. If you want to make an animal cell, you can use yellow icing for the cytoplasm and red icing to coat the cupcake-nucleus.
- If you have decided on a plant cell, you can prepare and spread colored glaze on the edges to highlight the cell wall.
Step 4. Add candies to make organelles
At this stage it may be useful to print an image of the cell you want to represent, in order to identify all the structures and arrange them correctly in the cake. Here is an example of using candies as organelles:
- Pink confetti can become smooth endoplasmic reticulum;
- The blue sugared almonds are the mitochondria;
- The round sugars become the ribosomes;
- Licorice or cola slides can represent rough endoplasmic reticulum;
- Sour gummy worms are perfect for the Golgi apparatus;
- Hard candies can become vacuoles.
Step 5. Insert the toothpicks into the cake with labels to distinguish the various parts of the cell
Make the labels on the computer, print them and cut them out and then attach them to the toothpicks with masking tape. In the end, all you have to do is pierce each element with the appropriate toothpick.
Take a picture of the model and eat the dessert
Method 4 of 4: Plasticine model
Step 1. Gather all the material
To make a model of a cell with clay you need:
- A small or medium-sized Styrofoam ball;
- A pack of colored clay or plasticine (such as Play-Doh);
- Toothpick;
- Labels.
Step 2. Cut the Styrofoam ball in half
The size of the sphere depends on how detailed you want the model to be.
Remember that large spheres give you more space and greater working flexibility
Step 3. Cover the flat side of the hemisphere with plasticine
You can also cover the whole piece with Styrofoam, if you want the spherical part to be colored as well.
Step 4. Model the organelles with plasticine of various colors
In this case it could be useful to have printed an image of the cell, so as to be sure not to leave out any structure.
- Use different colors of clay for each element to differentiate them.
- Arrange the organelles on the flat side of the hemisphere by securing them with a toothpick.
- If you are making a plant cell model, remember to add the cell wall as well.
Step 5. Add labels to the various organelles
You can attach them to the toothpicks with adhesive tape or stick them with pins and stick them in the Styrofoam, near the respective structure.
