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Date
Class
L AB
2
STUDENT WORKSHEET
The Incredible Edible Cell
• various food items of
your choosing
• box of gelatin
• several rolls of plastic
food wrap (for the
cell membrane)
• transparent mold for
gelatin, such as a
heat-resistant bowl or
baking dish
• 1 L of hot water
• stirring spoon
• refrigerator
Objective
To make an edible model of the cell
Getting Ready
1. Your teacher will assign your group a plant or animal cell
to model. As a group, determine how you will go about creating your model by asking questions such as the following:
• How do plant and animal cells differ?
• What organelles are present in our cell?
• What is the structure and function of each organelle in
our cell?
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
• What foods will we use to represent the organelles and
other components of our cell?
• Do our chosen foods accurately represent the structure of
each organelle?
2. As a group, develop a blueprint of your cell model. Be sure
to label each part of the cell and to write an explanation for
your choices of foods. Be prepared to justify your choices for
each organelle. Include a key at the bottom of your blueprint for reference.
3. Make a checklist of the food items and materials you will
need in order to build your model cell. Each member of
your group should be assigned one or more of these items to
bring to class on the day of the activity.
4. Agree upon a place for gathering your food items and materials so that you have everything you need to make your
edible cell.
LABS YOU CAN EAT
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MATERIALS
LIFE SCIENCE
What do all these items have in common: spreadsheets, monasteries, batteries,
armadillos, plants, and humans? Answer: they all contain cells. However, only
armadillos, plants, and humans contain living cells. Inside all living cells are
tiny structures called organelles—little organs—which help the cell function just
like your organs help your body function.
Over the next few days, you will be part of a group that will create an edible
model of a living cell. In doing so, you will gain a better understanding of the
various parts of a cell that help it function.
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The Incredible Edible Cell, continued
Day 1: Building a Larger-than-LifeSized Model
5. Collect the materials your group has brought for
your cell model, including all edible and nonedible items. Consult your checklist to make
sure you have everything you will need. You are
now ready to build!
6. The gelatin mold represents the cell wall (this
may or may not be part of your model). Place a
sheet of plastic wrap in the mold. This represents the cell membrane. Carefully pour the
gelatin and hot water into the mold until the
mold is about 75 percent full. The gelatin represents the cytoplasm, the liquid internal environment of a cell.
7. Add the foods you have chosen to represent the
organelles into the gelatin, and stir the mixture.
8. Cover the completed mold with plastic wrap,
and refrigerate it overnight so that your cell
model will set.
Sample Animal Cell
9. Remove your mold from the refrigerator, and
study the structure of your model. As a group,
make a key to identify the organelles in your
model. A sample key is provided at left.
10. If you made an animal-cell model, trade your
model with another group for a plant-cell
model. If you made a plant-cell model, trade it
for an animal-cell model.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
KEY
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
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cell membrane—plastic wrap
nucleus—plum
ribosome—candy sprinkles
endoplasmic reticulum—gummy
worms
mitochondria—raisins
centriole—rope licorice
golgi complex—fruit strips
lysosome—empty vitamin capsule
HOLT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
H
11. Designate one member of the group to be the illustrator. With group input, the illustrator
should draw a sketch of the other group’s cell
model. The illustrator should label the sketch,
identifying all structures in the cell.
12. When you are finished, trade cells with the
other group and compare your sketch with
theirs.
13. Answer the questions on the next page
individually.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Day 2: All Cells Are Not Alike
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The Incredible Edible Cell, continued
Analysis
14. How were the structures in the cell your group created
similar to the structures in the cell you received from the
other group?
Sample answer: Both cells contained an endoplasmic reticulum, a
15. How did the cell structures differ?
Sample answer: Our cell was a plant cell, but the other group’s cell
was an animal cell. Our cell contained chloroplasts, vacuoles, and a
cell wall, but theirs did not. Their cell contained lysosomes and centrioles, but ours did not.
Critical Thinking
16. Explain any differences in the contents of a plant cell and
an animal cell in terms of the function of the cell.
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Answer to Going Further:
Encourage students to be
creative when developing
their blueprints. Nerve cells
and red blood cells exhibit
structural features that are
different from the animal
and plant cells modeled in
this activity. For example,
nerve cells have dendrites
and axons while red blood
cells lack a nucleus or
mitochondria. The human
body is made up of over
100 different types of cells.
Animal cells don’t contain chloroplasts because they don’t make
their own food through photosynthesis. Animal cells don’t contain
vacuoles because they don’t need a location to store water and
keep their shape the way plants do. Animal cells don’t have cell
walls because they have to be able to move. Plant cells do not need
lysosomes to function. Instead, plants use their vacuoles as giant
lysosomes.
Going Further
Research a specialized cell, such as a nerve cell or a red blood cell. Then
develop a blueprint for an edible model of that cell using edible items.
In doing so, consider how the structures in the specialized cell differ
from the structures in a typical animal or plant cell.
LABS YOU CAN EAT
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nucleus.
LIFE SCIENCE
Golgi complex, ribosomes, a cell membrane, mitochondria, and a