Friday, February 15, 2008

Cell Model

Animal Cell Model

This is the model of an animal cell utilizing various beads, gems, ribbons, thread and other craft items. I constructed the cell, along with an example of DNA, RNA, the process of mitosis, and the process of transcription and translation. The project began as this:


The beginning...

and continues...

My cell consists of the following:
  • Cell - large white styrofoam disc
  • Cell membrane- dark purple ribbon
  • Ribosomes- small pink gems
  • Lysosomes- dark purple gems
  • Vesicles- light purple gems
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum- folded purple ribbon
  • Golgi Apparatus- folded light purple ribbon
  • Mitochondria- striated pink glass beads
  • Centrosome- red star
  • Microtubules (cilia, flagella)- toothpicks
  • Nucleus- small white styrofoam disc
  • Nuclear membrane-compiled dark purple ribbon with light purple dotted overlay (for nuclear pores)
  • Nucleolus- black button
  • Chromatin- purple thread
  • Chromosomes- purple and blue pipe cleaners






Prior to completing the cell model, I constructed the following pictures to represent the following, as I could not fit them into my completed cell model:



DNA Ladder Structure

Although normally a double helix, the above picture represents DNA in ladder structure:
  • White buttons- phosphates
  • Pink gems- deoxyribose sugar
  • Blue gems- thymine
  • Yellow gems- adenine
  • Red Gems- cytosine
  • Green gems- guanine
Notice that the strands are antiparallel.



Structure of RNA

The above picture represents RNA:
  • White buttons- phosphate
  • Pink gems- ribose
  • Green gems- guanine
  • Purple gems- uracil (instead of thymine in DNA)
  • Yellow gems- adenine
  • Red gems- cytosine

The following pictures represent transcription and translation:


Transcription

Transcription occurs within the nucleus. The DNA molecule serves as a template for RNA. The mRNA is processed prior to leaving the nucleus. The mRNA leaves the nucleus a mature mRNA through the disintegrating nuclear membrane.
  • Green pipe cleaner -DNA
  • Purple pipe cleaner- mRNA
  • Green gems- guanine
  • Red gems- cytosine
  • Yellow gems- adenine
  • Purple gems- uracil
  • Blue gems- thymine
  • White area- nucleus


Translation occurs outside the nucleus:


mRNA moving into cytoplasm to ribosomes

  • White button- nuclear pore
  • Purple pipe cleaner- mRNA
  • Coconut doughnut- small and large ribosomal subunits


tRNA

  • Oblong green gems- tRNA
  • Red-Yellow-Purple gem chain- anticodon
  • Blue gem/yellow gem- peptides

tRNAs with anticodons carry amino acids to mRNA. Inside the ribosomal subunits, the anticodon-codon base pairing occurs and the polypeptide synthesis takes place one amino acid at a time.


Translation

  • White area- cytoplasm
  • Coconut doughnut- ribosome
  • Large purple beads strung together- peptides
  • Purple pipe cleaner- mRNA
  • Oblong green gems- tRNA
  • Bottom row of gems along purple pipe cleaner grouped in 3's- codons
  • Group of gems by 3's near the green oblong gem- anticodons
Mitosis is duplication division. The following pictures represent mitosis:
  • Purple and blue pipe cleaners-chromosomes/sister chromatids
  • Purple thread- Chromatin
  • Brown thread- spindle fibers
  • Pink gems- spindle poles


Early prophase-centrosomes have duplicated, chromatin is condensing


Prophase- nucleolus has disappeared and duplicated chromosomes are visible, spindle in the process of forming


Early metaphase- each chromatid is attached to a spindle fiber, spindle fibers stretch from each pole and overlap


Metaphase-centromeres of duplicated chromosomes are aligned at the equator, spindle fibers are attached to the sister chromatids come from opposite spindle poles


Anaphase-sister chromatids part and become daughter chromosomes that move toward spindle poles (obviously the cells would still be pulling apart and not separate yet)


Telophase-daughter cells are forming as nuclear envelopes and nucleoli reappear


The final product...


Animal cell completion with key




Completed cell

  • Cell - large white styrofoam disc
  • Cell membrane- dark purple ribbon
  • Ribosomes- small pink gems
  • Lysosomes- dark purple gems
  • Vesicles- light purple gems
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum- folded purple ribbon
  • Golgi Apparatus- folded light purple ribbon
  • Mitochondria- striated pink glass beads
  • Centrosome- red star
  • Microtubules (cilia, flagella)- toothpicks
  • Nucleus- small white styrofoam disc
  • Nuclear membrane-compiled dark purple ribbon with light purple dotted overlay (for nuclear pores)
  • Nucleolus- black button
  • Chromatin- purple thread
  • Chromosomes- purple and blue pipe cleaners


View of cell showing cell membrane and nuclear membrane

4 comments:

Callie said...

Wow, that's kinda cool. It helped me with my science project!

Thanks!

Hiranano Tsukatsuki Tanaka said...

Amazing things happen when there's a will Epson Drivers

Hiranano Tsukatsuki Tanaka said...

Amazing things happen when there's a will Epson Drivers

Hiranano Tsukatsuki Tanaka said...

Amazing things happen when there's a will Epson Drivers