Cell Unit Study - Week 11 - Types of Cells

Week 11: We made different types of cells.

Our bodies are made up of many different types of cells. They are specialized because different genes in the DNA are activated in each type of cell. This results in varying proteins and organelles in the numerous kinds of cells found in the body.

For example, red blood cells have no nucleus so they can have more room to carry carbon dioxide and oxygen, nerve cells have dendrites which are long finger-like structures for sending messages, muscle cells have lots of mitochondria so they can produce lots of energy, and heart muscle cells have even more extra big mitochondria.

The Way We Work by David Macaulay was our primary reference for this project. 

We made cells from fruit and jello.

Our first step was to select and slice fruit to represent the different organelles.

bananas = mitochondria
apples = golgi apparatus
oranges = rough endoplasmic reticulum
grapes = nucleus

This was the first time we have made jello, so the kids were very excited to prepare it.

Each ice cube tray contained a different type of cell. We were careful to put the proper organelles in the varying types of cells. The red blood cells don't contain a nucleus (grapes), the heart muscle cells have extra large mitochondria (slices of banana).

Macrophage cells are white blood cells that eat bacteria and waste materials. We put all the leftover cytoplasm and organelles into the macrophage cells.

Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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