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Cell Analogy
The Factory Analogy
An analogy is a comparison of two different objects that have some similarities. For
example, you could make an analogy that the animal cell is like a factory. They are both
structures that have specialized parts (organelles), each with specific functions.
Each organelle has an analogous symbol in the real world. In the example above, the doors
and walls to the factory make up a “cell membrane” of sorts. The doors can control what
enters and exits the factory building. Workers may be free to pass through the doors while
other visitors are checked by security to see if they belong. By watching the entrances, the
factory controls what items move into or out of the “cell”.
The City Analogy
Let’s propose an imaginary town called Buosaf City (Basic unit of structure and function).
Buosaf is a factory town that has been built up around the production of can openers. The
entire population of the town plays some role in building and exporting can openers. These
can openers are usually produced in small shops located throughout the city. City hall has a
special office that houses the instructions for making all of the many different types of can
openers that are produced by the citizens of the city. The city is surrounded by a fence. This
fence is used to control who and what enters and leaves the city.
Completed can openers are placed on special wagons that can deliver them anywhere in the
city. Can openers that are built for export are first taken to the post office where they are
packaged and labeled. Occasionally some can openers are produced that have major
defects. These can openers are rejected and are sent to the junk yard where they are
broken down for parts or destroyed completely. The energy to run the city comes from a
large solar cell power station.
In the preceding example, we could easily draw an analogy to the cell.
Organelle
Function/Characteristics
Analogous Structure
Cell membrane
Controls what exits and enters
the cell
Nucleus
Control center
Town hall
Cytoplasm
Living material between cell
membrane and nucleus
Town real estate located inside
of the chain link fence but
outside of city hall
The fence surrounding the city
Directions:
1. Create your own analogy of the cell using a city or a different model. Some suggestions
for other models include a school, a house, a factory, a zoo, a farm, etc.
2. Write a paragraph to describe the model that you have chosen.
3. Describe the function (or job) that each part of the model and the cell part (organelle)
have in common.
4. Fill in the table to make the analogy as you complete the activities in this lesson.
5. EXTRA CREDIT: illustrate your analogy by drawing a picture or map (on a sheet of
blank computer-sized paper).
A paragraph to describe a cell analogy:
Organelle
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Mitochondria
Chloroplast
Cytoskeleton
Ribosome
Endoplasmic Reticulum
(ER)
Golgi Apparatus
Cell Membrane
Vacuole
Lysosome
Function
Analogous Structure