The Plant Cell and Its Organelle Functions

By: Lexi Zanaglio, Alexis Vite, Laken Poole, and Breanna Knox

Cell Wall

The plants cell wall is rigid and protects it from injury. Also it is what maintains the plant cell’s shape.

We chose the twizzlers because they are sturdy and tough and will protect the cell like the cell wall does.

Cell Membrane

This is the outer lining of a cell and controls what goes in and out of the cell

We used pieces of liquorish to represent the cell

membrane because they are thin just like the actual

membrane.

Nucleus

Directs much of the activity in a cell. It contains the Nucleolus, which stores the

DNA.

We chose to use a lemon to represent the nucleus because

the lemon has different sections like the compartments in real

cell nuclei.

Mitochondria

Mitochondria produce an energy-rich molecule called ATP that fuels most of the action in the cell.

We chose to use green Mike & Ike candy to represent the mitochondria because they are almost the same shape.

Chloroplast

Chloroplast converts the sun’s rays into energy so the cell can use it. Produce ATP.

We used a jelly bean to represent the chloroplast because it is a jelly gooey substance inside the jelly bean like the actual chloroplast.

Golgi Body

The Golgi Apparatus groups items and packages them in vesicles. They also ship the vesicles to different places. Some of the packages leave the cell while

others go to other organelles in the cell.

We used a Fruit Roll-up to represent the Golgi body

because it represents the stack like structure of the Golgi

body.

Rough ER

The rough endoplasmic reticulum is important for packing proteins.

We used ripped up twizzlers because the actual Rough ER

is a eukaryotic organelle made up of a system of

membranous tubes that is studded with ribosomes on its

surface giving it a rough appearance.

Smooth ER

The smooth endoplasmic reticulum is the storage unit for steroids.

We used red Mike & Ike candies to represent the smooth ER because they are smooth and do not contain any ribosomes.

Ribosomes

Ribosomes that are free-floating create proteins that stay within the cell. Ribosomes on the endoplasmic

reticulum make proteins that can either leave or stay inside the cell

We chose the nerds to represent the ribosomes because you can lay the nerds in little clusters to look like how real ribosomes look.

Vacuoles

Vacuoles store water and nutrients that the cell needs to survive. It also stores wastes so that the cell doesn’t

become contaminated.

We chose milk duds to represent the vacuole because the vacuoles are a membrane-bound vesicle found in the cytoplasm whose functions include storage and digestion

and it is the similar shape.

Nuclear Membrane

Regulates the in and out movement of substances in a cell especially between the

nucleus and the cytoplasm. It is double layered and surrounds the nucleus.

We chose the extreme air heads to represent the nuclear

membrane because the nuclear membrane is in layers the same as the extreme air

heads.

Cytoplasm

Cytoplasm is the fluid that fills a cell. It contains all the organelles that are in the cell.

It ensures that the cell doesn’t shrink.

We used cake icing to represent the cytoplasm because it was able to hold all the other candy in place like the real cytoplasm of cells.

Nucleolus

Contains the entire DNA in a cell. Controls what goes on. Used for

cellular reproduction

We chose to use the red gob

stopper because the nucleolus is a

small round organelle within

the nucleus.

ChromatinWe used gum to represent the Chromatin because we

could twist the gum into the same shape as DNA.

*Note: Chromatin is located in the cell nucleus of the cell

but due to size and a misunderstanding out

chromatin was free floating.

Chromatin is DNA or RNA and proteins that condense to form

chromosomes. Chromosomes are the structures in the cell that holds

genetic material