Cell Lab Unit One

The materials used in making the cell:
Ø Large Floral Foam
Ø Small Floral Foam
Ø Light Blue Play dough
Ø Light Yellow Play dough
Ø Yellow Play dough
Ø Purple Play dough
Ø Light Purple Play dough
Ø Blue Play dough
Ø Green Play dough
Ø Toothpicks
Ø Paper

This is a cell that is showing:
The Plasma Membrane, which is located on the outside of the cell. The Plasma Membrane has an important role, it decides what molecules will enter and exit the cell and what will not. It is made up proteins and phospholipids. This is the blue play dough on the outside.
Cytoskeleton maintains the cells shape and assists movement of the cell parts.
With in the cytoskeleton:
· Cytoplasm and in my model it is represented with the light yellow play dough. It is a semi fluid matrix surrounding the nucleus and it holds the organelles.
· Microtubules these are cylinders of protein molecules. Centrioles, cilia, and flagella. (shown by the thin pink strands)
· Intermediate filaments are protein fibers that give the cell strength and support. (Shown in green strands)
· Actin filaments help in the movements with the cell and with the organelles with in the cell. (Shown in the think purple strands)
· Lysosome is a vesicle that digests the macromolecules and even out the cell parts.
· Vesicle is a membrane bound sac that stores and transports substances.
Nucleus stores genetic information.
· Nuclear envelope double membrane with nuclear pores the covers the nucleus
· Chromatin the threads shown with the dark purple. These threads containing DNA and protein
· Nucleolus shown in the dark purple ball. This region produces sub units of ribosomes.
Endoplasmic Reticulum:
· Rough ER has the yellow balls that represent the rough edge.
· Smooth ER does not have the yellow balls but the smooth synthesizes lipid molecules
· Mitochondrion is the pink bean looking organelle on the cell. This carries out cellular respiration producing ATP molecules. This is thought to be derived from an engulfed prokaryotic cell.
· The Polyribosome is the yellow tail thing and it is a string of ribosomes synthesizing the same protein.
· Last but not least the Golgi Apparatus this processes, packages, and secretes modified cell products.This is the RNA strandThis is the DNA strand

The replication of the DNA can be described it 5 steps: (pg 445)
1. There are two strands that were part of the parental DNA are hydrogen-bonded together.
2. An enzyme unzips the double stranded DNA
3. Complementary DNA nucleotides are fit into place. This is possible with the enzyme DNA polymerase.
4. An enzyme then seals any breaks in the sugar phosphate backbone
5. After this has all taken place then you will have two new strands of DNA that are exact copies of the parent DNA strand.
What did I learn?
I learned the different parts of the Cell and how it is formed including how DNA is made. I am a hands on learner, so building the cell really helped me understand the cell.

Did I have fun?
Some parts I found fun but others I found boring but the actual model was fun. I don’t think I have played with play dough since I was a little girl! It really brought me back to my child hood in an adult kind of way!