How to Make a Three-Dimensional Eukaryotic Cell

Different colors of clay can help you depict the organelles of an eukaryotic cell.

Eukaryotic cells are a distinct type of cell that feature a nucleus carrying the genetic material. This is their main difference from the prokaryotic cells, which don't have a nucleus or any other membrane-bound elements. Constructing a three-dimensional model of a eukaryotic cell as a biology project may seem difficult, but actually it doesn't require any special skills. All you need is an open round surface and several colors of clay to form the diverse components of the eukaryotic cell.

Things You'll Need

• 10 colors of clay
• Carving knife

Instructions

1. Form a cylinder of clay 3 inches high by 4 inches in diameter. Use only one color of clay for this shape.

2. Look at the cylinder from above and draw a line, beginning from the edge of the circular base and reaching its center. Starting from the center, make a perpendicular line -- forming a right angle with the first line -- and extend it to the circle's edge. Cut out the cylinder's part falling between these lines.

3. Form a small cylinder, measuring 1 inch in height and 1 inch in diameter, to form the nucleus. Cut its quadrant using the method described above. Form a smaller sphere for the nucleolus, using another color of clay, and press it gently on the nucleus's right angle.

4. Place the complete nucleus shape on the cell's right angle, pressing it gently to keep its position. Form two or three small spheres -- half the size of the nucleolus -- and scatter them around the nucleus to depict the lysosomes.

5. Make similar spheres to the lysosomes, but using another color of clay, to form ribosomes. Form four long -- twice the diameter of the ribosomes -- but extremely thin pieces of clay. Place them one next to each other to form the Golgi complex.

6. Create a more complicated series of thin clay pieces, combining short and long pieces, to form the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Make two or three shoe-like shapes, double the size of the ribosomes, to create mitochondria.

7. Form two balls double the size of ribosomes, to create the centrioles. Also create balls smaller than ribosomes and push them gently against the large cylinder's surface -- not inside the quadrant -- to depict vesicles.

References

• College of DuPage; Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells; Sep 9, 2004
• European Bioinformatics Institute; A Quick Introduction to Elements of Biology; Alvis Brazma et al.; Oct 2001
• Galaxy Goo: The Cell Project -- Clay Models

Resources

• Cells Alive!: Eucaryotic Cell Interactive Animation