The cell wall/plasma membrane is represented by the edge of the tupperware container, encasing the cell and protecting it from invaders. The cytoplasm, or in this case, the cornstarch (fluffy white powder everywhere) is a jelly-like material that holds all the organelles that we will be discussing. The egg represents the nucleus. Rather, the yolk does. The egg whites represent the nuclear membrane which protects the nucleus. The nucleus itself is the control center of the cell and it's also where the DNA is stored. In it are all the codes and directions for a cell to run efficiently as well as properly. At this stage, I also managed to add on the golgi apparatus and the rough endoplasmic reticulum with the ribosomes. The golgi apparatus, which processes and secretes cell products, is shown here by the cherries stems in the upper right hand corner. The rough endoplasmic reticulum is found just below it, as thick rectangular green beans with the ribosomes (whose function is to make proteins) being the chocolate dots placed on top of them.
At the very top center are ramen noodles standing in for the smooth endoplasmic reticulum, which synthesizes lipids, and has zero ribosomes. To its left is the mitochondrion, or frito lay chip. Its job is to carry out cellular respiration. Below it is are the lysosomes, seen here as cherry seeds. Lysosomes digest cell parts and are the waste management part of a cell. Finally, beneath the lysosomes are the halved cherries, representing vesicles, or sacs specialized for storage.
Now, this is a picture when I added the cilia made of microtubules. I used a piece of a pancake to make it, then added pieces of rice around it. These are known as protein holders, or protein cylinders.
Finally, my cell is complete!
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But that's not all!
Here is an example of mitosis:
Early prophase consists of the nucleus disappearing and the chromatin changing into chromosomes. Here I used the noodles to represent the chromatin and the two yellow magnets as the.......
In prophase, the nucleus is not seen and the chromosomes are developed and the spindle fibers begin to form.
In metaphase, the chromosomes make a line at the equator of the cell while the spindle fibers connect from the chromatids at opposing ends.
The chromatids seperate and head to opposite sides of the cell. They split equally and each end of the cell maintains the same number of chromatids.
The nucleus and nuclear envelope are able to be seen once again.
Mitosis has been successful and has created two identical cells.
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And yet there's more!
DNA!!!! DNA!!!! DNA!!!!
...and RNA!!!!
Seen in this photograph is DNA, shown by the bases of adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine as yellow, blue, red, and green magnets, forming the rungs of the ladder of DNA. The ladder wouldn't be complete without their sugar-phosphate partners which is represented here by the knives. Granted, the DNA here is not in helix form, but I believe it's easily identifiable and easily explained this way. (Picture it's in a coil shape! :) )
Here you see the rungs break apart. The DNA is being separated and is ready for duplication. You can see an RNA at the top which is trying to duplicate itself and receive orders from the big DNA.
For the RNA, uracil replaces thymine. So the magnet that once represented thymine is now uracil, when looking at RNA.
This splitting and duplicating occurs over and over again. A typical cell goes through this 60-70 times before it dies. DNA's ability to duplicate itself is a miraculous thing and is still being researcher heavily in hopes of cures and lengthening the life cycle. Mostly, it's for further understanding and in hopes to grasp whatever knowledge it bestows upon us.
A cell's complexity is far higher than most of us probably thought and these simple diagrams have so much information missing, yet it's plenty already!
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