How to Make a 3D Cell Structure
According to Biology Online, a cell is "the structural, functional and biological unit of all organisms." It is composed of up to 12 different parts. Study and learn the elements of the cell by creating a 3-D cell model. Constructionists believe that optimum learning occurs when the mind is engaged and a hands-on activity is completed.
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Things You'll Need
- Oven
- Knife
- Paint
- Sealant
- 3x5 card
- Rolling pin
- Paint brush
- Cookie sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Oven-baked clay
- Sheet of heavy cardboard
Instructions
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1
Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil that is longer than the cookie sheet. Cover the cookie sheet. Set the sheet on a table.
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2
Soften a ball of clay with your hands. Lay the ball on the cookie sheet and flatten it with a rolling pin. The clay should be three-quarters inch thick. Cut an oval shape that is five-inch long from top to bottom and three inches wide from side to side. Smooth the edges with a wet finger.
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3
Shape the various components of the cell. Shape the ribosomes like the head of a nail and the nucleus like an egg yolk. Form mitochondria and chloroplasts to resemble pill capsules. Add Golgi apparatus shaped like short snakes and Golgi vesicles shaped like nail heads. Wet the bottom of each shape and press it into the oval form around the edge.
Form raphide crystals that look like toothpicks and shape druse crystals into a raised circle. Make pinch marks all over the circle to give it an uneven look. Wet the bottom of these two shapes and place them in the center of the cell.
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4
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cell model on the cookie sheet in the oven on the center shelf. Bake the clay for one hour. Turn the oven off and let the cookie sheet cool down before you remove it from the oven.
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5
Paint a green cell wall around the outside of the cell. Add a thin yellow membrane along the inside of the cell wall. Paint a large pink vacuole shaped like a kidney in the center of the cell. Paint the raphide crystals dark blue and the druse crystals pink.
Use a light blue color for the area between the cell membrane and the vacuole to show the cytoplasm. Paint the chloroplasts green and the mitochondria orange. Paint the nucleus violet. Add a dark purple spot the size of a dime to represent the nucleolus. Paint the Golgi apparatus gray and the Golgi vesicles black. Let the paint dry. Spray it with a sealant in a well-ventilated space.
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6
Place the 3-D cell model in the center of an aluminum foil-covered sheet of cardboard. On a 3x5 card, make a key to identify each cell component by its color. Glue the card on the edge of the cardboard.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a thin bristle brush to paint the cell components.
If the cell parts come loose, use craft glue to reattach them.
Avoid handling the cell while it is hot.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit myocarditis image by Lukasz Mazurkiewicz from Fotolia.com
