Cell Analogy Project
Introduction
Cells need to carry on the same basic functions as we do to sustain life; the
difference is cells do this with much smaller parts. These smaller structures tha
t
allow the cell to function are called organelles – “tiny organs.” Also plant an
d
animal cells have some similar parts and some parts that are not similar.
It’s only common sense that if you are able to relate things you learned in class to everyday things, you’ll remembe
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it better. It’s not everyday that you and your friends sit around at Starbucks discussing the rough endoplasmic
reticulum. However, you probably do discuss things like cars, your homes, places to visit, etc… Therefore, you
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task in this assignment is to relate the different cell organelles to an everyday situation or thing using an analogy.
Y
our Task
You will come up with an analogy for the cell of your choice and its organelles. Your analogy will be represented in
the form of a poster that represents a cell and its organelles. You should compare roles of 10 organelles to a
p
art o
f
the analogy.
Example: the Cell City
• The nucleus of a cell is the main control center of the cell. It holds all of the information needed fo
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the cell to function properly. Therefore, it is like city hall because this is where the information,
policy and governing is done to run the city.
• The mitochondria of a cell are where energy (ATP) is created through the breakdown of glucose
(fuel) in a process known as cellular respiration. In a city, the power plant would be similar to a
mitochondria because this is were electricity (energy) is made from fuel (coal) in a process known
as combustion.
• etc…etc
…etc…
The Poster
There are 2 parts of the poster:
• Part 1 – The analogy. You should have a well drawn or constructed picture of your analogy (i.e. i
f
you were doing a cell city, you would have a picture of a city and each of the parts of you
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analogy), and short 2-3 sentence descriptions of each organelle analogy (like shown above)
• Part 2 - Structure and function table on the back of the poster that indicates a relationship between
the organelle and its function within the cell. In other words, what is its role and what can it be
compared to in a living cell? Also, indicate how you know whether the cell is plant or animal!
For a small bonus, include a picture of each organelle (separately, or include a big picture of a real
plant/animal cell with it’s parts correctly labeled…)
